Italians Don’t Like Shalimar + End Of Summer Give-Away
Persolaise I need a few lessons in basic Buddhism. One of the main problems with having an extremely busy Day Job and a tendency to go away on long holidays is…
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…
If It’s Friday, This Must Be Grasse
Free Wifi hasn’t been as easy to find as I’d hoped, but I’m pleased to say that so far the holiday has gone very well (although I gather the situation…
Reviews: Shalimar Parfum Initial from Guerlain and Miss Dior Chérie Blooming Bouquet from Christian Dior (2011)
Okay, here we go. Time to bite the bullet and articulate my thoughts on what is unquestionably one of the most important perfume releases of the year, regardless of the…
Wake Up And Smell The PR – Episode 1 Of The BBC’s Perfume Documentary
Irony is alive and well… at least in the world of TV documentaries. After months of anticipation, those of us based in the UK finally got to watch part 1…
Twenty Blotters For… Vero Kern
Vero Kern interview by perfume critic Persolaise (2011, Vero Profumo, Twenty Blotters)
Persolaise Goes Mobile + BBC Four Perfume Documentary Broadcast Date
I’ve already mentioned this on Twitter and Basenotes, but just in case some of you aren’t yet aware: episode 1 of Ian Denyer’s perfume documentary will be broadcast on BBC…
Guest Post: Strangers When We Meet – Revisiting L’Heure Bleue by Carrie Meredith
I’m sure you all know the saying “When you love something, set it free. If it comes back to you, it’s yours”. Does that also apply to perfume? I set…
Review: Aqua Allegoria Jasminora from Guerlain (2011) and Aqua Fahrenheit from Christian Dior (2011)
I’m often asked if price is a good indicator of the quality of a perfume. When I’m told that I must restrict my answer to one word, I always say,…
Reviews: Cologne Du Parfumeur from Guerlain (2010), Un Jardin Sur Le Toit from Hermès (2011) & Aqua Universalis Forte from Maison Francis Kurkdjian (2011)
I may be a fan of Absolue Pour Le Soir, but Maison Francis Kurkdjian’s other releases never tempt me to reach for my credit card, so I was wary of…
Review: Coeur De Vétiver Sacré from L’Artisan Parfumeur (2010) + Guerlain Bottles + Kurkdjian’s Advice
Vetivert oil is such a multi-faceted material that people in some countries wear it as a complete fragrance all by itself. It’s capable of appearing both woody and green, earthy…
Did I Complain About Not Having Enough Time?
You know what they say about waiting for buses? Well, I think the adage could probably be applied to my appointments diary for the week beginning 11th April. After a…
Review: Taj Sunset from Escada (2011)
In my teenage years, I was an absolute sucker for idealistic sci-fi and detective stories. My favourites were always those in which the protagonist – whoever he or she happened…
Review: Dirty from Gorilla Perfumes (2004/2011)
Is mint becoming the new lemon? Perfumers are wary of using excessive quantities of the latter in their formulae because years of cultural conditioning have persuaded Western noses that its…
One More Day…
Tomorrow my little blog enters its difficult adolescent years. Don’t forget to come back for its birthday and check out the special prize draw I’ve organised for you, which will…
Review: Arsène Lupin Le Dandy & Arsène Lupin Le Voyou (2010) & Idylle Duet (2011) from Guerlain
Regardless of one’s views on his family firm’s recent output, it would be churlish to deny the importance of the work of Jean-Paul Guerlain. A CV that includes names like…
Chanel, Dior & Guerlain At Selfridges
A few mini-news items from a recent dash through the London branch of Selfridges. The Chanel ‘perfume boutique’ – a must-see if you haven’t yet been – now stocks the…
Paris 2010: Two’s A Crowd Chez Serge
It was only after I’d actually stepped inside Harrods the other day that my brain suddenly decided to remind me of the words ‘January’ and ‘sale’. I considered walking straight…
Smelly Bloggers
This is just a short entry to wish you all a great weekend and remind you that you’ve got until Sunday night (UK time) to enter the draw for a…
Paris 2010: Would Guerlain Notice If I Stole A Few Tiles?
I suspect this blog is going to mention bathrooms quite a lot over the course of the next few weeks. Or, to be more precise, one bathroom. The one and…