Persolaise Advent 2014 – Win An Explorer Set From Tauer Perfumes
There are 27 days to go until the end of the year, and I don’t know about you, but Madame Persolaise and I are definitely not ready to bid farewell…
‘Something Very New York’ – An Interview With Kelly Kovack Of Odin
I’m not sure how it’s perceived in the USA, but here in Britain, Odin seems to be one of those brands which are always slipping beyond the reach of most…
Persolaise Review: Sylvan Song from Grossmith (Celine Guivarch; 2014)
Sometimes you just need to stick to what you know best. On occasion, the output of the revived Grossmith has been dismissed as mere ‘heritage perfumery’, but there’s nothing intrinsically…
Kicking Up A Stink – The Definitive Guide To The Best Oud Perfumes
Guide to the best oud perfumes by award-winning critic Persolaise (feat. Tom Ford, Amouage, Dior, Le Labo, Montale, Nicolai, Ajmal, Francis Kurkdjian)
Persolaise Review: Concrete Flower from Atelier PMP (Mark Buxton; 2014)
As far as I’m concerned, any brand which releases only one new perfume per year is worthy of serious attention. In an environment where even niche outfits seem unable to…
Persolaise’s Summer 2014 Perfumes In ParfumPlus
An edited version of my post on perfumes for summer 2014 has appeared in the latest issue of ParfumPlus magazine. If you’d like to read it, please click on this…
‘My Most Important Ally’ – Chandler Burr On Dior
As someone who owns very well-thumbed copies of The Perfect Scent and The Emperor Of Scent, I was excited to discover that Chandler Burr’s distinctive prose style has once again…
Persolaise Review: Cuir D’Ange from Hermès (Jean-Claude Ellena; 2014)
In David Almond’s book, Skellig, a young boy encounters a strange man in the ramshackle shed at his new house. He’s filthy, his clothes are in tatters and he reeks…
The Legendary Chantal Roos On The Launch Of Her New Brand, Dear Rose
From left to right: Alexandra and Chantal Roos, co-founders of Dear Rose “Oh, Bloody Rose! Bloody Rose has no rose in it. It’s a hypnotic white flower. It’s the naughty…
Change Is Here – Estée Lauder Buys Frederic Malle
It’s been only a few days since the announcement was made that Editions De Parfums Frederic Malle is to be bought by Estée Lauder, but already the finger-waggers are crawling…
Christmas 2014 Perfume Recommendations – French Kisses, Vintage Handbags & A Great Big Nothing
I can’t start thinking about Christmas until we’ve seen the back of All Saints’ Day; any sign of Yuletide shenanigans before then makes my stomach turn. But we are now…
The Psychology Of Airport Shopping – Niche Perfumery Comes To Abu Dhabi Duty Free
She reaches into the plastic tray, takes out her handbag and slings it over her shoulder. She hoists her bright orange case off the conveyor belt and places it on…
Persolaise At London’s Science Museum – Book Tickets Now!
On Friday 21st November, I’ll be giving a talk at the Dana Centre at London’s Science Museum on the subject of writing about perfume and smell. The event will part…
30th Anniversary Of London’s Les Senteurs – Interview with Betty Hawksley, Claire Hawksley & James Craven
It’s almost 100% safe to assume that if you’re the sort of person who has made the effort to come to this site and read these words, then you’ve heard…
Persolaise Review: L’Homme Ideal from Guerlain (Thierry Wasser; 2014)
It’s probably fair to say that Guerlain is in a tricky position. On the one hand, it has to satisfy its owners by churning out a steady stream of till-friendly…
Bring On The Bling – The Salon De Parfums At Harrods
I’m reliably informed that mere hours before its official opening, a few sections of Harrods‘ Salon De Parfums didn’t even have a floor yet. Well, someone must have worked their…
Persolaise Review: Rose Flash from Tauerville (Andy Tauer; 2014)
Roses are always an easy sell for me – the result of a youth spent in the Middle East? – but when they’re touched by the hand of Andy Tauer,…
The Salon De Parfums Opens At Harrods
In 2010, the site of the year’s most exciting perfumery event in the UK – the Perfume Diaries exhibition – was Harrods. And now, in 2014, it looks like the…
Persolaise Review: L’Incendiaire from Serge Lutens (Christopher Sheldrake; 2014)
I don’t often pass comment on the price of new perfume releases, but sometimes it’s hard not to. The latest scent from Serge Lutens – the first in what is…
A Very Full Day – Olivier Cresp on Angel, Penhaligon’s And The Manic Pace Of Perfumery
If Olivier Cresp is fed up with talking about Angel, he doesn’t show it. Since the fragrance was launched in 1992, he’s probably spent a frightening proportion of his life…