Best Perfumes Of 2014 – A Time For Looking Back
Persolaise If a pining for the past is a sign of social disquiet, then 2014 must have been a worrying year for the perfume industry: a significant proportion of new releases…
Christmas 2014 Perfume Recommendations – French Kisses, Vintage Handbags & A Great Big Nothing
I can’t start thinking about Christmas until we’ve seen the back of All Saints’ Day; any sign of Yuletide shenanigans before then makes my stomach turn. But we are now…
Persolaise Review: L’Incendiaire from Serge Lutens (Christopher Sheldrake; 2014)
I don’t often pass comment on the price of new perfume releases, but sometimes it’s hard not to. The latest scent from Serge Lutens – the first in what is…
Persolaise Review: 11 Semma from Odin (Phillippe Romano; 2014)
Serge Lutens‘ L’Orpheline recently impressed me with the endearing way it linked distinctiveness and quietness. And now, a very similar vibe appears in Phillippe Romano’s 11 from Odin, the newest…
Persolaise Review: L’Orpheline from Serge Lutens (Christopher Sheldrake; 2014)
Most press releases can be scanned and dismissed in a matter of seconds, but the ones from Serge Lutens are always worth a quiet read with a strong coffee and…
Persolaise Review: Amber Oud and Rose Oud from Nicolaï (Patricia De Nicolaï; 2013)
Ah, the power of peer pressure! A few years ago, you needed quite a few fingers to count the number of brands who said they’d “never do an oud.” Now,…
Persolaise Review: Laine De Verre from Serge Lutens (Christopher Sheldrake; 2014)
Uncle Serge is playing the trickster again. When he released the first of his Eaux (L’Eau De Serge Lutens, 2010) you could almost picture the wry smile on his face…
The Achilles Heel In Our Business: An Exclusive Interview With Frederic Malle (part 1)
If there’s one figure in the niche world who needs no introduction, it’s Frederic Malle. This is more than a little ironic, as the Frenchman owes his status and reputation…
Happy 2014!
A lemon blossom photographed in 2013 a short distance from Maison Persolaise Okay, it’s time to pack away the fairy lights and get this blog-shaped ball rolling again. A very…
Persolaise Pops Up On Cosmopolitan UK
Some of you may be aware that Cosmo UK have been holding a Beauty Fest on their site for the last month or so. After having turned the spotlight on…
Warmest Wishes For Easter 2013
A very happy Easter to all of you who celebrate the occasion. Enjoy the feasting… and the chance to wear a suitably paschal perfume. I’m trying to decide between Andy…
Win A Sample Of Andy Tauer’s Noontide Petals + Perfumes To Enhance Your Mood
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…
Persolaise Review: Dries Van Noten from Editions De Parfums Frederic Malle (Bruno Jovanovic; 2013)
After the phenomenal, double-whammy success of Géranium Pour Monsieur and Portrait Of A Lady, Frederic Malle had to consider his next move carefully. The latter scent in particular – a…
Persolaise Review: La Fille De Berlin from Serge Lutens (Christopher Sheldrake; 2013)
The latest from Lutens and Sheldrake is a delightful exercise in wrong-footing the wearer. At first, a potential buyer is likely to notice its colour: dense, purple and almost opaque,…
Perfumes For 2013: Girls From Berlin, Screaming Directioners… And More Naked Men
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…
Persolaise Review: Santal Majuscule from Serge Lutens + Alien eau de toilette + Alien Essence Absolue from Thierry Mugler + Amazingreen from Comme Des Garçons (2012)
Image: Papillio Asking whether a perfume contains real East Indian sandalwood is almost as pointless as asking whether it contains real oud: as has been widely reported, the finest quality…
Persolaise Review: L’Eau Froide from Serge Lutens + Lavender Palm from Tom Ford (2012)
When L’Eau Serge Lutens appeared in 2010, most fans were up in arms. They felt betrayed, they said, by a fragrance which seemed to fly in the face of the…
Review: Vitriol d’Oeillet from Serge Lutens (2011)
Uncle Serge and Christopher Sheldrake have been up to their old tricks again. Their latest release could easily be dismissed as an old-fashioned feminine, a woody floral stuck somewhere in…
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…
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.…