Thierry Wasser was on fine form during a recent visit to London. When one of the writers in attendance suggested that Boots is the British equivalent of Sephora, he begged…
As Égoïste has now been allowed to take its rightful place at all UK Chanel counters (until very recently, it was available only at the brand’s own boutiques) the time…
There are several reasons to be excited about La Fin Du Monde. Firstly, it’s this year’s only release from Etat Libre D’Orange, a house which consistently manages to combine quirkiness…
I keep smelling Amouage‘s Epic Man everywhere! Perhaps the substances responsible for its distinctive, ghosts-of-antiquity woodiness are becoming more readily available to perfumers. Or maybe other brands just want to…
Fabrice Pellegrin is particularly skilled at finding a balance between accessibility and distinctiveness. In The Odd Fellow’s Bouquet (one of two works he’s created for the revived house of Atkinson’s,…
Those who take an interest in such matters will be aware that Le Labo mentioned the arrival of its Dubai exclusive quite some time ago; at one point it seemed…
Neela Vermeire‘s eponymous brand has reached the perfumery equivalent of the difficult second album. Her three debut scents (all composed by Bertrand Duchaufour… ever heard of him?) made such a…
I’m not sure why L’Artisan Parfumeur have given us the Explosions D’Émotions mini-range, but there we are: the logic of fragrance releases isn’t always easy to work out. As a…
I often wonder if some perfume manufacturers enjoy having a laugh at our expense. It’s the kind of straw-grasping idea that pops into my head when I try to understand…
I worry about reviewing another Bertrand Duchaufour creation almost as much as I worry about reviewing another oud scent. They are both extremely ubiquitous; some would say excessively so. I’m…
This was one I approached with dread. “It’s an oud,” I was told. ‘Just kill me now,’ I thought to myself. “It’s exceptionally good,” they said. ‘Please, make it quick,’…
I confess I don’t find the overarching concept of this year’s Tom Ford Private Blend quartet as convincing as last year’s. In 2012, the house released four scents under the…
When Aramis released their commendable Perfume Calligraphy, I saw the move as an attempt to corner the Arabic sector of the chest-beating, alpha-male, testosterone-fuelled territory the brand has long claimed…
Get Lippie said it best. She and I were amongst several other writers at the press launch of Aqua Vitae and as she breathed in the scent, she closed her…
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…
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…
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…
You can’t blame me for getting excited by the prospect of two new colognes from Jean-Claude Ellena. If there’s one thing the man knows how to do well, it’s producing…
Knock me down with a blotter and throw me in a barrel of Pink Friday: for once we have a mainstream scent that actually delivers on its promises! Armani‘s Eau…
Is Tom Ford on a gender-bending mission? Last year he energised the masculine market with the female-friendly Noir (recent winner of the Perfume Extraordinaire award at the UK’s FiFis). Now…
Persolaise