Persolaise Review: Iris Nazarena from Aedes De Venustas (Ralf Schwieger; 2013)
Persolaise Aedes De Venustas Iris Nazarena review by award-winning perfume critic Persolaise (Ralf Schwieger, 2013)
Persolaise Review: La Fin Du Monde from Etat Libre D’Orange (Quentin Bisch; 2013)
There are several reasons to be excited about La Fin Du Monde. Firstly, it’s this year’s only release from Etat Libre D’Orange, a house which consistently manages to combine quirkiness…
Persolaise Review: 1996 from Byredo (Jérôme Epinette; 2013)
I don’t envy perfume brands the task of coming up with a ‘story’ for a new release. It’s a thankless job, fraught with paradoxes. If the perfume is sub-standard, its…
Persolaise Review: Vaara (Bertrand Duchaufour) and Iris Prima (Alberto Morillas) from Penhaligon’s (2013)
I worry about reviewing another Bertrand Duchaufour creation almost as much as I worry about reviewing another oud scent. They are both extremely ubiquitous; some would say excessively so. I’m…
The Things You See At A Perfume Factory – A Visit To Robertet In Grasse
The photo above shows one of the sights that greeted me and Madame Persolaise when we visited Robertet’s Grasse factory in February*. A heap of mimosa, filling the air with…
Persolaise Review: Eau De Nuit from Armani (Marie Salamagne; 2013)
Knock me down with a blotter and throw me in a barrel of Pink Friday: for once we have a mainstream scent that actually delivers on its promises! Armani‘s Eau…
Persolaise Review: 1932 from Chanel (Jacques Polge; 2013)
I’ve finally understood my problem with 1932: its conclusion doesn’t live up to the promise shown by its opening. That’s hardly a profound insight – and I’m almost embarrassed to…
Persolaise Review: Cuir De Nacre + Perle De Mousse from Ann Gerard (Bertrand Duchaufour; 2012)
I should think the overlap between jewellery and fragrance is fascinating for perfumers to explore, and Bertrand Duchaufour certainly seems to have had a great deal of fun with the…
Sample Give-Away + Review: La Belle Hélène from MDCI (2011)
If there’s one thing Bertrand Duchaufour can do with envy-inducing finesse, it’s using smell to paint incredibly precise, near-holographic visual images. La Belle Hélène, the latest release from MDCI, showcases…
Review: Traversée Du Bosphore from L’Artisan Parfumeur (2010)
L'Artisan Parfumeur Traversee Du Bosphore perfume review by award-winning critic Persolaise (Bertrand Duchaufour, 2010)
Review: Opus III from The Library Collection by Amouage (2010)
If there’s one characteristic that Amouage‘s first three Library Collection scents have in common, it is a gauzy sheerness. Opus I conjures an image of florals preserved in a delicate…