Give-Away Teaser + Reasons To Be Thankful
Persolaise We’re surrounded by empty suitcases. The washing machine has been whirring away for hours. There’s a heap of unopened junk mail in the bin. All this means we’re back at…
New Cure For Insomnia: Counting Perfume Releases
It’s the final week of August, the holiday’s nearly over and life will soon have to return to normal at Maison Persolaise. It’s going to take a little while for…
What’s My Credit Card Limit Again…?
It’s always at this point in our epic summer holidays that Madame Persolaise and I wish we could slow down time. There’s still so much to do, so much to…
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…
Poisonous Candles + Roja Dove At The Wellcome Collection
I hope you’re all behaving yourselves while I’m catching up on my summer reading. I’m just breaking my cyber-silence for a few moments to let you know that an article…
Ciao For Now – Summer Break 2011
It’s hard to believe, but almost twelve months ago to the day, I published a post saying that Madame Persolaise and I were busy packing for our summer holiday. Well,…
Persolaise Inhales Again
I don’t want to speak too soon, but I think it’s safe to say that the Invasion Of The Day Job (Summer 2011) is just about over. If you experience…
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…
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…
Bertrand Eases The Crossing
An empty crib at Maison Persolaise There’s no point trying to deny the fact: normal life is just around the corner. It’s time to resume routines and slip back into…
Rude, Unhelpful And Snobby. Must Be French…?
This is when I really start to enjoy the Christmas break. The madness of the last two days has faded away, and I can just sit around the house, being…
Returning To A Pine-Scented House
Preparations for Christmas are the most important item on the agenda at the moment, so I’m afraid I haven’t got any time to spare for writing, but I will just…
Off To Look For Number 68
You won’t hear much from me for a few days, because the snow has cleared – thank goodness! – and I’m off to persuade the SAs at Guerlain, Montale and…
Fougère Royale Winner + A Pre-Christmas Escapade
Thanks to all of you who entered last week’s draw. I can now reveal that the destination for my pre-yuletide getaway with Madame Persolaise is Quite a predictable…
Fougère Royale Giveaway
Things are starting to get busy again at Maison Persolaise, mostly because of getting ready for Christmas (every year, I forget how long it takes to wrap presents) but also…
A Failure To Communicate
“Absolutely typical” are two words that have been on my mind since Friday. I was looking forward to a few days off work, I’d set aside some time for perfume…
New Event At Harrods Perfume Diaries + Autumn Calls
A quick post to share a piece of info some of you may find interesting. One final event has been added to the Harrods Perfume Diaries calendar: on Thursday 30th…
Who Needs Bleu
My month in Mumbai is well and truly over and I’m back at home, trying to restore my routines. Normal life can’t fully recommence just yet, though, because from tomorrow,…
Blissful Attack
It really is impossible to over-emphasise the prominence and importance of smells in Mumbai. My last post was just a brief, tip-of-the-iceberg sample of the stream of chemicals that constantly…
A Two-Minute Walk In Mumbai
You stroll past a sugar-cane juice seller and catch a whiff of an incense cone: rich and smoky, a Catholic scent that feels out of place amidst the noise of…