Persolaise Twenty Blotters For… Céline Verleure
Pick a blotter… read the question… give a short, snappy answer! Céline Verleure‘s perfumery experience is far too vast to be reduced to a brief, introductory paragraph. But here’s a…
Persolaise Review: Rosabotanica from Balenciaga (Olivier Polge & Jean-Christophe Herault; 2014)
I seem to have forgotten how impressed I was with Florabotanica. For some reason, my brain decided to file it under ‘pleasant yet unremarkable floral’, ie the type which evokes…
A Letter To The EU’s Public Consultation On Proposed Amendments To The Cosmetics Regulation
I’m sure most of you are aware that the ever-contentious issue of allergens in perfumery has raised its head again. As has been reported on various sites, the EU is…
Persolaise Review: Jeke, Sova, Ore and Norne from Slumberhouse
Some landscapes are easy to enjoy, but almost impossible to describe. They offer many pleasures, yet they defy attempts to capture their charms in words. They may not even be…
No Lies, No Compromises – An Interview With Perfumer Quentin Bisch
Quentin Bisch (left) with Etienne De Swardt at the Etat Libre D’Orange shop in Paris Quentin Bisch’s connection with Etat Libre D’Orange goes back to the days before the young…
Persolaise Review: Coven from Andrea Maack (2013)
I dismissed the first three fragrances from Andrea Maack as derivative and uninspiring. The next two, Coal and Silk, were marginally better, but they didn’t possess sufficiently distinct personalities to…
A Product Of The Blogosphere – An Interview With Matthew Zhuk Of Ex Idolo
Matthew Zhuk at Fenwick, the latest retailer to pick up Thirty Three Matthew Zhuk is in an interesting position right now: his brand, Ex Idolo, attracted serious attention in 2013,…
The Osmothèque Reviews: Parfum Royal (circa 1st century AD) and Eau De La Raine De Hongrie (14th century)
*** For background information on my Osmothèque reviews, please click here *** It goes without saying that the stars of the Osmothèque‘s collection of perfume reconstitutions are the post-1880 classics:…
A Life With A View Winner
Many thanks to everyone who entered last week’s A Life With A View give-away. The draw has now been carried out on Random.org and I’m pleased to announce that the…
Persolaise Review: Laine De Verre from Serge Lutens (Christopher Sheldrake; 2014)
Uncle Serge is playing the trickster again. When he released the first of his Eaux (L’Eau De Serge Lutens, 2010) you could almost picture the wry smile on his face…
Four Perfume Books For Valentine’s Day 2014
According to advertisers, nothing spells ‘love’ as powerfully as flowers, chocolates and a bottle of perfume. So although I’d never dream of dissuading someone from buying a fragrance for their…
“You Have A Brand Here” – An Interview With Carlos Huber Of Arquiste
You never know who you’re going to bump into at Harrods. A few weeks ago, I had some time to kill in London, so I decided to pop up to…
ODOU Magazine’s Debut Issue Shortlisted Three Times For Jasmine Awards
Every single name on this year’s Jasmine Awards shortlists deserves to be feted, but there’s one success which is especially remarkable. ODOU Magazine – the creation of Liam Moore –…
Persolaise Shortlisted Twice For 2013 Jasmine Awards
The shortlist for this year’s Jasmine ‘Digital’ Award has just been released and I’m excited (make that: ‘ecstatically over the moon’) to announce that my name appears on it twice.…
Win Candles From A Room With A View + Interview With Founder Graham Way
I wonder whether the home scent market is harder to break into than the world of fine fragrance. At least when someone launches a new perfume brand, they can invoke…
“Frivolity Will Save The World” – An Exclusive Interview With Etienne De Swardt Of Etat Libre D’Orange
During a recent interview with Etienne De Swardt, founder of Etat Libre D’Orange, I asked him if it’s difficult to expand his brand without diluting its personality. “That’s the permanent…
The Osmothèque Reviews: Jicky from Guerlain (Aimé Guerlain; 1889)
Guerlain Jicky Osmotheque version review by award-winning perfume critic Persolaise (Aime Guerlain; 1889)
You Have To Be Modest Sometimes – An Exclusive Interview With Frederic Malle (part 2)
The first instalment of this exclusive interview ended with Frederic Malle commenting on the pressure he places on his perfumers – and on himself – to aim for the highest…
Getting It Wrong – When Perfume Criticism Loses Its Way
I’ve been meaning to raise this subject for a while. But it was only recently that an event crystallised my thoughts and convinced me it was time to put finger…
Persolaise Review: Oud from Reminiscence (2012)
As soon as I adopt a policy of never using the word ‘oud’ again, along comes an agar perfume which deserves a mention.The Côte d’Azur-based brand Reminiscence may seem like…