Review: Santal 33 from Le Labo (2011)
Persolaise When I first sprayed Le Labo’s latest, I immediately went on Twitter and posted the word, “Wow,” thereby breaking my personal rule about jumping to conclusions. This was India in…
Review: Honour Man & Honour Woman from Amouage (2011) + Perfume Names
Amouage perfumes don’t exactly keep themselves to themselves. Bold and emphatic, they tend to conquer every lily-livered weakling in their path, showing no mercy and taking no prisoners. But Honour…
Review: Aqua Allegoria Jasminora from Guerlain (2011) and Aqua Fahrenheit from Christian Dior (2011)
I’m often asked if price is a good indicator of the quality of a perfume. When I’m told that I must restrict my answer to one word, I always say,…
Review: Blessings eau de parfum from Belinda Brown (2011)
I think my brain’s vocab centre has had a slight melt-down. I need a synonym for ‘fuzzy’, but none of the ones I’ve come up with so far capture the…
Review: Week-end À Deauville from Nicolaï (2011)
Generally speaking, there are two types of perfume labelled with the word ‘leather’: those which take their inspiration from the stench of a tannery and those which aim to evoke…
Reviews: Cologne Du Parfumeur from Guerlain (2010), Un Jardin Sur Le Toit from Hermès (2011) & Aqua Universalis Forte from Maison Francis Kurkdjian (2011)
I may be a fan of Absolue Pour Le Soir, but Maison Francis Kurkdjian’s other releases never tempt me to reach for my credit card, so I was wary of…
Sample Give-Away & Review: Opus V from Amouage (2011)
Some orris perfumes accentuate the material’s austere, chilly demeanour, whereas others are clearly an exercise in taking its characteristic feature – the parched, poetic, woody bleakness – and placing it…
Sample Give-Away + Review: Zeta – A Linden Blossom Theme from Tauer Perfumes (2011)
Although I haven’t got the world’s greenest thumbs, I’ve somehow managed not to kill all the trees in our garden, two of which produce an annual crop of rich, dark…
Sample Give-Away + Review: La Belle Hélène from MDCI (2011)
If there’s one thing Bertrand Duchaufour can do with envy-inducing finesse, it’s using smell to paint incredibly precise, near-holographic visual images. La Belle Hélène, the latest release from MDCI, showcases…
Review: Taj Sunset from Escada (2011)
In my teenage years, I was an absolute sucker for idealistic sci-fi and detective stories. My favourites were always those in which the protagonist – whoever he or she happened…
NEWS – Voting Open For UK FiFi & Basenotes Awards
The shortlist for this year’s FiFi UK Best Niche Perfume award has just been revealed on Basenotes and it features a few of my favourite releases of 2010. Here’s the…
Review: Dirty from Gorilla Perfumes (2004/2011)
Is mint becoming the new lemon? Perfumers are wary of using excessive quantities of the latter in their formulae because years of cultural conditioning have persuaded Western noses that its…
Review: Jeux De Peau from Serge Lutens (2011)
First thing’s first: contrary to Monsieur Lutens’ claims – which are probably meant to be taken with a pinch of baking powder anyway – this perfume doesn’t smell of bread.…
Review: Betrothal from Grossmith (1895/2011) + The Return Of Disqus
The perfume blogosphere appears to be divided on the subject of long-dead fragrances being reissued. Some people believe that ancient ghosts ought to remain buried. Others enjoy what they consider…
Review: Archives 69 from État Libre D’Orange (2011)
You can’t accuse ÉLdO of cowardice. The instant accessibility of last year’s commendable Like This may have raised fears that one of perfumery’s cockiest houses was starting to play it…
New Year Wishes + Sample Give-Away: Opus IV from Amouage
Happy New Year everybody! I’d like to wish all of you nothing but happiness, peace and good health for the next twelve months… not to mention lots and lots of…