A Fresh Intake Of Art
Persolaise 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…
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…
Persolaise Review: Interlude Man + Interlude Woman from Amouage + Light Blue Dreaming In Portofino + Light Blue Living Stromboli from Dolce & Gabbana (2012)
The subject of inspiration in perfumery often attracts sniggers. According to some critics, it’s acceptable for a creator to claim that a particular scent emerged from the experience of smelling…
Penhaligon’s Twitter Give-Away + Persolaise Review: Oud Ispahan from Christian Dior (2012) + Wood Mystique from Estée Lauder (2011)
It wasn’t too long ago that I was lamenting the inexorable rise in the number of oud-based releases. Although many people are willing to concede that some of these fragrances…
Persolaise Review: Beloved from Amouage (2012)
Image: Claudia Penrroz Scented storytelling is thriving at the house of Amouage, thanks to the unfailing efforts of Creative Director Christopher Chong. The brand’s latest release – put together by…
Persolaise In The FT
Two quickies from me today. Firstly, here’s a link to a Financial Times article from Saturday in which Bethan Cole includes Persolaise.com in her list of the best beauty blogs…
Persolaise Review: Opus VI from Amouage (2012) + Give-Away
Amber perfumes. Guerlain’s got one. Dior’s got one. Serge Lutens and Andy Tauer owe a great deal of their brands’ popularity to one. Indeed, many fragrance houses – both niche…
Smell With Your Guts: A Few Words From Kurkdjian + Opus VI Give-Away Preview
I interviewed Francis Kurkdjian a few weeks ago when he was in London to promote his new Oud, and at one point, our conversation turned to the unresolved issue of…
Amouage Home Scents
It’s not often that I publish a review of home scents on Persolaise.com – keeping up with ‘skin fragrance’ releases is hard enough – but every now and then, it’s…
I’ll Just Put The Kettle On
Sometimes, the most potent scent memories are the ones that come as a complete surprise. Deliberately smelling some vintage Fidji or Aramis in order to conjure a recollection of a…
London Perfume Shopping Guide (SEE BELOW FOR NEW VERSION)
ON 8th FEBRUARY 2012 THIS POST WON THE 2011 JASMINE AWARD FOR ‘BEST WEBSITE FEATURE ON FRAGRANCE’ *** THIS PARTICULAR VERSION OF THE LONDON PERFUME SHOPPING GUIDE IS NO LONGER…
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…
Perfume? What Perfume? I Just Came For The Party + Opus V Winner
What’s the ideal setting for trying a new perfume? How about this: a darkened room; loud music thumping in the background; twenty or so people engaged in animated conversations; plates…
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…
Zeta Winner + Smelling Oud For The First Time
Boozy fruit = Boozy Simnel I could do with a Bloggers’ Retreat. I’ve got so many things I’d like to tell you about, but the clock keeps ticking and the…
Maack, Jayne & Opus V
If numbers are anything to go by, last night’s Andrea Maack event at Les Senteurs was a runaway success. I’d never seen the place so packed before! Now I just…
Interview For BBC TV Documentary + Opus IV Sample Winner
Shall we start Sunday by picking a winner? Yes, I think we shall. In fact, I think we shall go one better. As the response to last week’s Amouage sample…
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…
Review: Opus IV from Amouage (2010)
The house of Amouage – one of a tiny number of international brands with bona fide Middle Eastern credentials – has often produced dazzling perfumes by taking classical, old-world structures…