Persolaise Japan’s Traditional ‘Kodo’ Incense Ceremony Comes To London
image: Cristina Jaleru – lifeofvenus.com A few months ago, I had the tremendous good fortune to witness a Japanese incense ceremony conducted by Souhitsu Isshikenn Hachiya, Junior Master at Japan’s…
À Bientôt From Persolaise
It’s that time of year again when I bid farewell to Blogger for a while and give my creative batteries a chance to recharge. I hope the rest of the…
Looking Beyond – Francis Kurkdjian At The Launch Of Aqua Vitae
I realise I may be sticking my neck out on the line by typing the following words, but I do honestly think that Francis Kurkdjian is being unfairly maligned by…
Persolaise Review: Eau De Narcisse Bleu from Hermès (Jean-Claude Ellena; 2013)
Jean-Claude Ellena followed a somewhat more traditional path with Eau De Mandarine Ambrée, one of two ‘light’ scents released by Hermès this year. But he clearly wanted Eau De Narcisse…
New Penhaligon’s And Chanel Shops In London
Image: Chanel Perfume is by no means the primary concern of the new Chanel boutique on Bond Street, but I’d recommend a visit even if you’re not interested in the…
A Bullet In The Air – Carlos Huber On The Creation Of Aleksandr
Following on from my email correspondence with Carlos Huber about what he considers to be the reasons for the success of his brand, Arquiste, I asked him if he would…
Persolaise Review: Oud Noir from Versace (perfumer unknown; 2013)
In the seemingly endless torrent of ‘oud’ scents pumped out by the mainstream, every now and then, something vaguely interesting raises its head above the water. Versace‘s Oud Noir is…
The Things You See At A Perfume Factory – A Visit To Robertet In Grasse
The photo above shows one of the sights that greeted me and Madame Persolaise when we visited Robertet’s Grasse factory in February*. A heap of mimosa, filling the air with…
Aurelien Guichard At London Launch Of Issey Miyake’s Pleats Please
Aurelien Guichard was in London in March to promote Pleats Please, the new feminine scent he’s made for Issey Miyake. Click here for an account of my meeting with him,…
A Very Public Convenience – Etat Libre D’Orange Boutique Opens In London
The latest sign of the continuing trendification of London’s East End is the opening of the Etat Libre D’Orange boutique (61 Redchurch Street, E2 7DJ; tube: Shoreditch High Street or…
Olivier Polge Joins His Father Jacques As Perfumer At Chanel
Big news from the house of the double-C logo. Here’s a press release I received this morning: CHANEL takes great pleasure in announcing the arrival of Olivier Polge as Perfumer…
Persolaise Review: Fate Woman (Dorothée Piot) & Fate Man (Karine Vinchon) from Amouage (2013)
If we’re in the realm of tea leaves, crystal balls and kismet, let me put my tarot cards on the table straight away: I don’t see these two scents in…
Persolaise In British Airways High Life Shop
photo: Andy Barter; set design: Nick Wood Those of you hopping aboard a British Airways flight this summer may be interested to learn that the current issue of High Life…
500th Post + The Winner Of Alyssa Harad’s Book
Just over three years ago, I published Post #1 here on Persolaise.com, and today I reach the 500 mark! Where has the time gone, I ask you? Answer: in a…
Persolaise Review: George from Jardins D’Ecrivains (perfumer unknown; 2012)
The marketing of perfume tends to be an intensely gender-specific business, so it’s always interesting to think about which materials and accords signify ‘feminine’ or ‘masculine’ at any given moment…
Carlos Huber & Rodrigo Flores-Roux On The Magic Behind Arquiste
I’ve already hinted at the fact that Rodrigo Flores-Roux is a great interview subject: he talks at length, but he doesn’t waffle, and he remains focussed on each question he’s…
Persolaise Review: Coming To My Senses by Alyssa Harad (2012) + A Give-Away!
In her Author’s Note at the start of Coming To My Senses, Texas-based Alyssa Harad explains that she decided not to reveal the identity of some of the perfumes she…
Persolaise Review: Ylang 49 (Frank Voelkl) and Lys 41 (Daphné Bugey) from Le Labo (2013)
THIS POST WAS SHORTLISTED IN THE ‘DIGITAL’ CATEGORY OF THE 2013 JASMINE AWARDS Wearing Ylang 49 has reminded me of a claim several perfumers have made about fragrance critics: apparently…
Is Poison On Its Way Back? – A Perfume Trend For Winter 2013
Predicting trends is a dubious business: as long as you do it often enough, a few of your pronouncements will inevitably turn out to be correct. That’s one of the…
Persolaise Review: Angel extrait from Thierry Mugler (Olivier Cresp & Yves De Chiris; 2006)
I don’t really like Angel. There, I’ve said it. I acknowledge that it is a supremely well-made fragrance with an important place in perfume history, but in terms of my…