Persolaise Persolaise Review: Arquiste (2011) + Jovoy (2011) + Terry De Gunzburg (2012)
Of all the new niche brands that have popped up recently, three keep returning to my thoughts as they seem to represent the broad categories into which emerging perfume houses…
Le Snob On The Blogosphere
Things are super hectic at Maison Persolaise. Yes, this is partly because of the excitement generated by the release of my book (about which I’m not complaining one bit), but…
Persolaise Review: The Afternoon Of A Faun + Dangerous Complicity from Etat Libre D'Orange (2012)
Ladies and gentlemen, we are in the presence of greatness. But first we need to get something less exciting out of the way. Dangerous Complicity – one of two new…
The Big Day Has Arrived + Le Snob: Perfume Winner
It’s the 1st of October, which means it’s celebration time at Maison Persolaise, because this is the day that sees the publication of my very first book, Le Snob: Perfume.…
Persolaise Review: Fragrances Of Leather (Angel, Alien & Womanity) + A*Men Pure Leather from Thierry Mugler + Printemps from Laggridore (2012)
I wonder if the clever folk at Parfums Mugler are being economical with the truth. They’ve claimed that in order to create their latest quartet of limited editions, all they’ve…
Win A Copy Of My Book!
Image: Tonwen Jones The countdown begins! In exactly one week, my book – Le Snob: Perfume – should be available on Amazon UK. But if you can’t wait until the…
A List For Falling Leaves – Scents For Autumn
It’s joint-list-making time again. On this occasion, it’s Barney‘s turn to choose our theme and he’s drawn inspiration from that touch of dampness in the air… the plunging temperatures… the…
The First Review Of My Book + The Work Of Tonwen Jones
Image: Tonwen Jones As I can’t take any credit for the visual design of my book, I think it’s all right for me to say that it looks absolutely wonderful.…
Persolaise Review: Coco Noir from Chanel and Grand Bal from Christian Dior (2012)
Whilst watching Joe Wright’s over-egged version of Anna Karenina, I wondered if the impeccably groomed counts and countesses waltzing across the screen could possibly have worn François Demachy‘s new Grand…
Jean-Claude Ellena Winner + My Book’s Arrived!
Many thanks to all of you who entered last week’s draw and left such interesting, thought-provoking comments. It’s always fascinating to discover how other people approach the ‘art vs craft’…
Persolaise Review: Déclaration D’Un Soir + Eau De Cartier Essence De Bois from Cartier + Colonia Intensa Oud from Acqua Di Parma (2012)
Perfume review: Cartier Declaration D'Un Soir & Eau De Cartier Essence De Bois, Acqua Di Parma Colonia Intensa Oud
Win A Signed Copy Of Jean-Claude Ellena’s New Book
I haven’t quite managed to get back onto the frenetic merry-go-round that I fondly call Normal Life (my soul is still on a lilo, bobbing along to the tune of…
Persolaise Review: SE1 + N6 + W1X + EC2 from Bex London (2012)
I don’t envy anyone trying to start a niche perfume brand today. In an environment where over 1000 fragrances are released every year, standing out from the crowd is virtually…
If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Home
Normal service is on the verge of being resumed. I hope you’ve all been well during my blogging break and that you’ve enjoyed the reviews that popped up during my…
Persolaise Review: Eau Sauvage parfum + Addict Eau Sensuelle from Christian Dior (2012) + Premiere from Gucci (2012) + Eau Dynamisante from Clarins (1987/2012)
Most of Dior’s recent alterations to their main fragrance range (fiddling around with the names of the various Miss Diors, tinkering with the Addicts etc) have been baffling, to say…
When Does A Negative Become A Positive?
Every now and then, the question of the value of negative reviews raises its head, which is why a recent article by the restaurant critic Jay Rayner grabbed my attention.…
Persolaise Review: Mukhalat Malaki from Swiss Arabian + Perfume Calligraphy from Aramis + Encounter from Calvin Klein (2012)
It’s always round about this time of year (can’t think why) that I tend to be asked what makes so-called Arabic-style perfumes smell so… Arabic. If I were a chemist…
Persolaise Review: Notes + Bois Noir + Casbah + Mademoiselle + Oud from Robert Piguet (2012)
Fashion Fragrances & Cosmetics Ltd – the company that currently owns the licence for Robert Piguet Parfums – was always going to face a tricky, ‘turning the corner’ moment at…
Persolaise Review: La Petite Robe Noire + Déserts D’Orient from Guerlain (2012)
Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire perfume review by award-winning critic, Persolaise (2012, Thierry Wasser, fragrance)
The Enigmatic Illusionist – An Interview With Jean-Claude Ellena
It’s interesting to consider why Jean-Claude Ellena attracts as much reverence as he does. The simplest explanation might be that he deserves it for his work. After all, Déclaration, Terre…