Persolaise Review: Aquilaria from Nancy Meiland (Nancy Meiland; 2014)
Persolaise An oud by any other name… would smell more oud-y?? When I saw that one of the scents released by the new, UK brand Nancy Meiland – founded by the…
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…
Kicking Up A Stink – The Definitive Guide To The Best Oud Perfumes
Guide to the best oud perfumes by award-winning critic Persolaise (feat. Tom Ford, Amouage, Dior, Le Labo, Montale, Nicolai, Ajmal, Francis Kurkdjian)
Persolaise Review: Journey Woman and Journey Man from Amouage (Alberto Morillas and Pierre Negrin, 2014)
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…
Persolaise Review: Opus VIII from Amouage (Pierre Negrin & Richard Herpin; 2014)
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…
A Product Of The Blogosphere – An Interview With Matthew Zhuk Of Ex Idolo
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,…
Best Perfumes Of 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…
Persolaise Review: Bottega Veneta Pour Homme from Bottega Veneta (Daniela Andrier & Antoine Maisondieu; 2013)
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…
Persolaise Review: Cuir 28 from Le Labo (Nathalie Lorson; 2013)
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…
Persolaise Review: Perfume Calligraphy Rose from Aramis (perfumer unknown; 2013)
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…
Persolaise Review: Fate Woman (Dorothée Piot) & Fate Man (Karine Vinchon) from Amouage (2013)
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…
Wrath In A Bottle – Seven Sinfully Angry Perfumes
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’…
Alberto Morillas On Making Amouage’s Opus VII
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…
Persolaise Review: Opus VII from Amouage (Pierre Negrin & Alberto Morillas; 2013)
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…
Persolaise Review: Golden Chypre from Grossmith (perfumer unknown; 2012)
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…
Dora Arnaud On Working With Amouage’s Christopher Chong
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…
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…
Twenty Blotters For… Dora Arnaud
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.…
Persolaise Review: Beloved Man from Amouage (Alexandra Carlin; 2013)
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…
Love At Chapter One: Perfumes For Valentine’s Day 2013
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…