Father’s Day Ideas – What To Do If Your Dad’s Perfume Collection Is Already Quite Healthy
Blame the geek in me: I’m always on the lookout for an excuse to make a new list. And I’ve just discovered that I haven’t addressed Father’s Day since 2011…
Blame the geek in me: I’m always on the lookout for an excuse to make a new list. And I’ve just discovered that I haven’t addressed Father’s Day since 2011…
Guide to the best oud perfumes by award-winning critic Persolaise (feat. Tom Ford, Amouage, Dior, Le Labo, Montale, Nicolai, Ajmal, Francis Kurkdjian)
In the non-perfume-related aspects of my professional life, I’m frequently reminded of a wise proverb: punish the sin, not the sinner. Journey Woman and Journey Man (both by Alberto Morillas…
Years ago, I used to argue with a food-loving, atheist friend of mine that there simply must be a God. He’d ask me for evidence. And my response would be…
Matthew Zhuk at Fenwick, the latest retailer to pick up Thirty Three Matthew Zhuk is in an interesting position right now: his brand, Ex Idolo, attracted serious attention in 2013,…
Don’t look now, folks, but I think we’ve made it to the end of another December. Rose-tinted nostalgia goggles aside, it’s probably fair to say that 2013 has been as…
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…
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…
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…
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…
This time, I seriously considered throwing in the towel. When Carrie asked us to pick one of the seven deadly sins for our next joint-list project, I immediately claimed ‘wrath’…
When I chatted with Alberto Morillas at the London launch of Penhaligon’s Iris Prima (the full interview will appear on Basenotes) I asked him about co-authoring Amouage‘s Opus VII with…
When my sample of Opus VII was delivered, Madame Persolaise’s parents were chez nous for tea and cakes. Such cross-generational, bi-gender opportunities are not to be missed: I immediately extricated…
Golden Chypre is an excellent name for this perfume, or at least for the first few stages of its development. A convincingly gilt-edged radiance accompanies the initial citrus notes as…
When I met Dora Arnaud at the London launch of L’Artisan Parfumeur‘s Caligna, I took the opportunity to ask about two other creations which brought her to the attention of…
You wouldn’t know it from the thin veil of ice that’s covering Maison Persolaise as I type these words, but spring is just around the corner… which means it’s time…
Pick a blotter… read the question… give a short, snappy answer! I have a feeling we’re going to hear Dora Arnaud‘s name more and more in the months to come.…
It’s not often I’m relieved to discover that a perfume is less than spectacular. I’ve got so many ‘must buy’ Amouages on my list, that the prospect of yet another…
You won’t be surprised to learn that I think my book would make an ideal present for Valentine’s Day: it’s pretty, it’s entertaining and it might lead the scentusiast (or…
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…