Persolaise Notes On A Meeting With Thierry Wasser (London, November 2012)
Thierry Wasser doesn’t hold back. Or at least, he doesn’t appear to. With every expletive, wry quip and dropped name, he gives the impression of someone who speaks first, thinks…
Persolaise Review: L’Heure Vertueuse from Cartier (Mathilde Laurent; 2012)
Over the course of the festive season, I thought I could smell Mathilde Laurent‘s L’Heure Vertueuse everywhere. When I was chopping sprigs of thyme, tarragon and rosemary to go into…
Lyn Harris Interview In Telegraph Magazine
My thanks to a loyal reader for sending me a cutting from the Telegraph Magazine (8th September 2012) featuring Vicki Reid’s interview with Lyn Harris of Miller Harris. As the…
Perfumes For 2013: Girls From Berlin, Screaming Directioners… And More Naked Men
Poor chap didn’t get any socks for Christmas Happy New Year to one and all! I hope those of you who had a festive break were able to rest, relax…
Best Perfumes Of 2012
What a year it’s been. Madonna and Gaga clashed in a celebrity scent battle. A little black dress went viral on YouTube. Brad Pitt spouted nonsense about journeys in an…
Christmas Wishes 2012
Well, the weather may be misery itself at the moment – spare a thought for the poor souls who’ve had to be evacuated from their flooded homes – but Maison…
Playing Catch-Up: Autumn/Winter 2012 (part 2) – from Balmain to Liz Earle
As promised last week, here’s the second phase of my move to tick a few names off my ‘Should Review’ list. Apart from oud, if there was one trend that…
Winding Down… And Wondering How Much Cash Santa Has In His Sack
It’s time to prepare Persolaise.com for its winter slumber. Friday will see the publication of the second instalment of my ‘catch-up’ reviews, and on the 28th I’ll reveal my list…
No More Scented Goodies From The Skies – Perfume Banned On Air Mail
Those of you who follow Andy Tauer’s blog will be aware that on the 7th he wrote about worrying developments in the postal industry. In short, he’s no longer able…
Playing Catch-Up: Autumn/Winter 2012 (part 1) – from Lauder to Piguet
Maintaining a regular blogging schedule isn’t always easy when you’re meeting the demands of a full-time job, pursuing other writing interests and trying to have some sort of personal life.…
Harrods Is Full Of Snobs
Image by the author of the purple one in the middle I know, I know, I have to stop doing this sort of thing. But I just couldn’t help myself.…
Ormonde Jayne Sets The Record Straight
Although we often find plenty of reasons to complain about developments in the perfume industry, there’s at least one change which deserves to be celebrated: the fact that brands’ public…
Persolaise Review: Pot Pourri from Odette Toilette & Candles from L’Artisan Parfumeur, Jardins D’Écrivains + Voyager
Image: George Dunlop Leslie There are only a few things which make the colder months bearable. Amongst them are Have I Got News For You (pretty much the only TV…
Tauer Perfumes Advent 2012 Winner
Thanks very much indeed to each and every one of you who entered yesterday’s Tauer Perfumes draw. Your entries were a joy to read and I wish I could reply…
Tauer Advent Give-Away + Quentin Bisch Interview
Ian Denyer‘s 2011 Perfume documentaries featured many prominent members of the fragrance industry. Jean-Paul Guerlain, Thierry Wasser, Jean-Claude Ellena, Chandler Burr, Roja Dove and several others were all allowed considerable…
A Fresh Intake Of Art
On the outskirts of Paris, inside an unassuming building a short distance from the banks of the Seine, a handful of young men and women is huddled over pipettes, weighing…
Virgins, Confessions & Blond Ambitions – Madonna & Perfume Come Together
Image: ahem… Persolaise I’m not quite sure where the last few weeks have gone, but it seems that it’s time for another joint list with my partners in perfumed compilation.…
Coffee, Tea Or Kurkdjian? – Amyris Femme & Amyris Homme Launched In London
You never know quite where a conversation with Francis Kurkdjian is going to take you. He’s at Selfridges, talking to a group of writers about the latest additions to his…
Persolaise Review: Lys Du Desert from Decennial + Coeur En Mai from MDCI + J’Adore L’Absolu from Christian Dior (2012)
It’s not often that a perfume brand celebrates the arrival of a reformulation, but that’s exactly what’s happened with MDCI. 2009’s Coeur En Mai recently fell foul of IFRA guidelines,…
London Book Signing + An Interview With Fabrice Pellegrin, The Man Who Made Womanity
Just in case you missed the announcement a few weeks ago, here’s a brief reminder that on the evening of Thursday 29th November, I’ll be answering questions and signing copies…