Change Is Here – Estée Lauder Buys Frederic Malle
Persolaise It’s been only a few days since the announcement was made that Editions De Parfums Frederic Malle is to be bought by Estée Lauder, but already the finger-waggers are crawling…
Frederic Malle
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: Eau De Magnolia from Editions De Parfums Frederic Malle (Carlos Benaïm, 2014)
There’s a moment in a short promotional film for Eau De Magnolia in which Frederic Malle raises his hand into the air and mimes running a fine thread through his…
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,…
Luxury Is About Privacy – An Audience With Frederic Malle (part 2)
For part 1 of this record of Frederic Malle’s Q&A session with an audience at Liberty, please click here. Could you tell us a bit about your collaboration with Dries…
Taking The Highway – An Audience With Frederic Malle (part 1)
At the end of my interview with him at Liberty, Frederic Malle – the niche world’s foremost ‘scent editor’ – faced an audience of admirers who wanted to ask him…
You Have To Be Modest Sometimes – An Exclusive Interview With Frederic Malle (part 2)
The first instalment of this exclusive interview ended with Frederic Malle commenting on the pressure he places on his perfumers – and on himself – to aim for the highest…
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…
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…
Home Scents For Christmas 2013 – From Diptyque’s Mechanical Air To Kurkdjian’s Supernatural Jasmine
You can keep your boughs of holly and your clove-encrusted oranges. If there’s one thing that’s enjoyable about the yuletide season, it’s the opportunity to scent your home with olfactory…
Persolaise Review: Coming To My Senses by Alyssa Harad (2012) + A Give-Away!
In her Author’s Note at the start of Coming To My Senses, Texas-based Alyssa Harad explains that she decided not to reveal the identity of some of the perfumes she…
Persolaise Review: Un Jardin Sur Le Nil from Hermès (Jean-Claude Ellena; 2005)
There seems little point in reviewing Un Jardin Sur Le Nil. After all, it was granted a status bestowed upon few perfumes when it was placed centre stage in Chandler…
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…
Love At Chapter One: Perfumes For Valentine’s Day 2013
– This post has been moved to my Substack. To read it, please click on this link: Top 10 perfumes for fictional couples. Persolaise
The Many Uses Of Allergen Labelling
A conundrum for you. There’s a new perfume on the market. Its price per ml places it in the upper stratosphere of ‘luxury’ scents. It’s sold as an eau de…
The Enigmatic Illusionist – An Interview With Jean-Claude Ellena
It’s interesting to consider why Jean-Claude Ellena attracts as much reverence as he does. The simplest explanation might be that he deserves it for his work. After all, Déclaration, Terre…
Persolaise Review: Fils De Dieu Du Riz Et Des Agrumes from Etat Libre D’Orange (2012)
Image: Nitzan Klamer Ralf Schwieger’s ability to inject humour into his creations is well documented; smell the first few notes of his Lipstick Rose for Frederic Malle and you’ll see…
Persolaise Christmas 2011 Recommendations + Ormonde Jayne Give-Away
My love of list-making isn’t often reflected on my blog – mainly because I rarely seem to have the time to indulge in this most boyish of activities – but…
Guest Post: Burning Desire – Candles From Editions De Parfums Frederic Malle by Olfactoria
Who doesn’t love Frederic Malle’s perfumes? Anyone? Well, I certainly do, so when he introduced a home scent line in 2009, I paid attention. But somehow, I never got around…