Persolaise Persolaise Review: Peau De Bête from Liquides Imaginaires (Karine Bouin; 2015)
When Karine Bouin’s Peau De Bête pounced on us last year, it elicited a fair number of gasps, with several writers stating they were overwhelmed by its scandalous dosage of…
Perfume Mini-Reviews From Twitter – October to December 2015 [part 3]
Here’s the third and final part of the latest compilation of mini-reviews. Fresh Couture from Moschino (2015)* Yes, the bottle is original & chuckle-worthy. The scent is a cliched mandarin-floral…
Persolaise Review Showcase: Replica from Maison Martin Margiela (various perfumers; 2012-2015)
Ever since the Maison Martin Margiela brand made its perfume debut – and won considerable critical acclaim – with Daniela Andrier‘s Untitled, critics and commentators have appeared reluctant to write…
“You Have To Give, Give, Give” – Nathalie Lorson On Lalique, Le Labo & L’Oreal
Lalique‘s Encre Noire enjoys what you might call a god-like status in the perfume community. Not long after it emerged in 2006, its uncompromising, legible structure of vetivert and musks…
Persolaise Review: Monsieur. from Editions De Parfums Frederic Malle (Bruno Jovanovic; 2016)
My closest friend recently discovered Malle. After decades of not considering perfume to be an important factor in how he presents himself to the world, he got in touch and…
Malle, Oud & Sex – An Interview With Dominique Ropion
A few months ago, when he was in London for an IFF event, I managed to have an all-too-brief conversation with one of the undisputed masters of scent composition: Dominique…
Perfume Mini-Reviews From Twitter – October to December 2015 [part 2]
Here’s part 2 of my latest compendium of Twitter mini-reviews. Please note that, this time around, we’ve got a part 3; it’ll be published soon. Shalimar Cologne from Guerlain (Thierry…
Perfume Mini-Reviews From Twitter – October to December 2015 [part 1]
Here’s another digest of my Twitter mini-reviews, spanning the period October to December 2015. Pallisandre D’Or from Aedes De Venustas (Alberto Morillas; 2015)* Red rather than gold take on rosewood,…
Persolaise Shortlisted For 4 2015/16 UK Jasmine Awards
Please forgive a paragraph of immodest self-promotion. This year’s Jasmine Awards shortlists were announced on Friday and I was delighted and honoured to learn that four efforts penned by me…
Super Scent – The Very Best Of Etat Libre D’Orange
Etienne De Swardt THIS POST WAS SHORTLISTED IN THE ‘INDEPENDENT – SOUNDBITE’ CATEGORY OF THE 2016/17 UK JASMINE AWARDS It doesn’t seem possible that Etat Libre D’Orange is only 10…
Persolaise Review: Eau Parfumée Au Thé Bleu from Bulgari (Daniela Andrier; 2015)
What’s commendable about Bulgari‘s tea scents isn’t so much that they offer a literal representation of the smell of the drink – which, to varying degrees, they all do –…
“I Don’t Actually Wear Anything” – An Audience With Luca Turin At The Perfume Society [part 2]
Please click here for part 1 No event involving Luca Turin would have been complete without a sniff of some perfume. So once both speaker and audience were warmed up,…
“Perfume Is Such An Irrelevant Thing” – An Audience With Luca Turin At The Perfume Society [part 1]
I know, I know, it’s a new year and I should be looking forward. But living in the past doesn’t always have to be a sin, so I’d like to…
Best Perfumes Of 2015 – Flankers, Musks & Lots Of Calories
In a year that saw the release of a film about the evils of sugar, mainstream scent compositions seemed to keep getting sweeter and sweeter. Perhaps that’s not surprising: I…
Christmas Wishes 2015
The following is a list of the culinary delights I’m trying to make right now, at the same time: marzipan; cranberry sauce; turkey stock; a Yule log; vodka cheesecake; orange…
Persolaise Review: Métal Hurlant from Parfumerie Générale (Pierre Guillaume; 2015)
One man’s tiger is another man’s kitten, so it’s with some hesitation that I type the word ‘animalic’ today. In recent months, it’s been used in relation to a few…
Persolaise Review: Sotto La Luna Tuberose from Tauer Perfumes (Andy Tauer; 2015)
Wearing Andy Tauer‘s Tuberose – the latest addition to his Sotto La Luna range – made me wonder whether his success has, in part, stemmed from his ability to straddle…
Tauerville Advent 2015 Give-Away Winner
I can’t thank you enough for the comments all of you left on yesterday’s give-away post. Honestly, if ever I’m feeling down, I shall scroll through your generous, warm-hearted words…
Advent 2015 Give-Away – Win A Flash Perfume From Tauerville
We’re more than half-way through Advent, which means that those of us who haven’t yet ticked off all the names on our gift list had better get a move on.…