Christian Dior Dioriginals showcase review (2026)
Persolaise – This isn’t the sort of thing that happens very often. In fact, it may well be a first. Francis Kurkdjian, current in-house perfumer at Christian Dior, has gone back…
classic
Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Crush Absolu (Olivier Polge; 2026) and ‘new’ No. 5 eau de toilette reviews
If Gabrielle is the Chanel perfume I most frequently forget exists, then Coco Mademoiselle is the one I most struggle to understand. Goodness knows, I’ve smelt it enough times. Since…
Van Cleef & Arpels First, Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess, Jovoy showcase and other reviews – 2026
Please click on this link for my YouTube and Substack reviews of: the entirety of the Jovoy range, vintage Davidoff Zino, Guerlain Absolus Allegoria Florabloom, Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess (2026),…
“A Family Mission” – Live Interview With Veronique Spoturno & Christopher Sheldrake
A few years ago, Veronique Spoturno — Francois Coty’s great-granddaughter — launched the Spoturno perfume brand with the legendary Christopher Sheldrake (Ambre Sultan, Muscs Koublai Khan, A La Nuit, amongst…
Coty Ambre Antique, Solferino showcase, Vranjes showcase and other reviews – 2025
My recent set of Love At First Scent broadcasts spanned the entire timeline of modern perfumery, from Fougere Royale via the 25th anniversary of Kenzo Flower to two brand new…
Brioni Les Extraits, Chanel Pour Monsieur, L’Entropiste Ensang Noir and other reviews – 2025
Foxes, wolves and serpents — just three of the creatures that came up in my recent set of Love At First Scent episodes, during which I covered new releases from…
The Black Narcissus & Persolaise On Chanel Antaeus
My friend Neil Chapman (of The Black Narcissus) and I recently indulged in a chat about a vintage bottle of Chanel Antaeus, but if you don’t mind, I won’t write…
Guerlain Shalimar L’Essence review – Delphine Jelk; 2025
– How do you mark the 100th anniversary of the release of one of the most important perfumes of all time? If you’re at Guerlain, then the answer would appear…
Creed Centaurus & Delphinus, Matiere Premiere extraits, vintage Caron Yatagan & Jean Patou Joy reviews – 2024
If ever there was a set of videos that highlighted the stark difference between modern perfume releases and those from a few decades ago, it was the one I broadcast…
Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan Review – The Favourites – Christopher Sheldrake; 1993
— I’m pretty sure our first encounter was at a perfumery in Nice. It was part of a large Lutens display — an austere assembly of those slim, rectangular bottles,…
Top 10 Classic Eaux De Cologne – The Perfect Pick-Me-Up
It may be the oldest perfumery genre in existence, but it’s taken me until now to present my list of the Top 10 best eaux de cologne, for reasons which…
Vintage YSL Opium, Faberge Brut & Shulton Old Spice reviews
The time warps went into overdrive on my YouTube channel the other day when I presented reviews of not one, but three vintage versions of some of the best known…
Chanel Comete, Frederic Malle Acne Studios, Serge Lutens La Fille Tour De Fer reviews – 2024
It was time to roll out the big guns over on YouTube the other day, with new releases from Chanel (Comete), Frederic Malle (Acne Studios) as well as Serge Lutens…
Guerlain Habit Rouge, Vetiver & L’Homme Ideal parfums review – Delphine Jelk; 2024
Why entice us with just one scent when three bottles lined up next to each other look so much better in a photo? Perhaps that’s what the Powers That Be…
Estee Lauder Legacy Collection review – Carlos Benaim, Anne Flipo & Bruno Jovanovic; 2024
Talk about opening a can of worms. At first glance, the project seems quite simple: Frederic Malle wants to reimagine a few classic Estee Lauder scents, so he enlists the…
Knize Ten 100th Anniversary Review – Francois Coty & Vincent Roubert; 1924
Perfume databases on the internet aren’t 100% accurate. And although many state that Knize Ten first appeared in 1924, it’s important to point out that some claim the launch date…
Widian Luban, BDK Pas Ce Soir extrait, Ojar Encens Cuivre and other reviews – 2024
For the year’s first regular episode of Love At First Scent, we had an incense theme running through many of the scents, notably the new releases from Widian and Ojar.…
Chanel Coco review – Jacques Polge; 1984
It’s currently cool to be dismissive of Coco, in much the same way that it’s deemed acceptable to be snooty about Chance. Curiously, there’s a whiff of ageism in the…
Gucci Guilty Elixir Pour Femme & Pour Homme, Puente Eaden, Ulrich Lang Suncrest and other reviews – 2023
For this year’s final regular episode of Love At First Scent, we went all the way from sunny peaches to asteroid-bound rocket fuel, via delicate orange blossom and butcher-than-expected lavender,…
Frederic Malle Heaven Can Wait Review – Jean-Claude Ellena; 2023
It is to his credit that Frederic Malle continues to make us wait a whole year between new releases: he could so easily have given in to the temptation to…