Persolaise Review: 1932 from Chanel (Jacques Polge; 2013)
Persolaise 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…
Notes On A Meeting With Thierry Wasser (London, November 2012)
Thierry Wasser doesn’t hold back. Or at least, he doesn’t appear to. With every expletive, wry quip and dropped name, he gives the impression of someone who speaks first, thinks…
Persolaise Review: Coco Noir from Chanel and Grand Bal from Christian Dior (2012)
Whilst watching Joe Wright’s over-egged version of Anna Karenina, I wondered if the impeccably groomed counts and countesses waltzing across the screen could possibly have worn François Demachy‘s new Grand…
Poisonous Mistakes – An Interview With Givaudan (Part 2)
In the first instalment of this interview, Givaudan’s Jean Guichard and Hervé Fretay explained the cross-cultural ethos they now follow when selecting new students for their world-famous fragrance creation course.…
Playing With Pyramids Again
Image: Chanel Above you’ll find an image that’s featured in the press pack of the new Chanel flanker: Allure Homme Sport Eau Extrême. I’ve published it here as I think…
Review: Jersey from Chanel (2011) + Sample Give-Away
A curious release, this one. Subjectivity aside, it’s a musky lavender in which Jacques Polge has chosen to emphasise the lemony, herbaceous aspects of Provence’s ubiquitous sachet-filler whilst placing it…
Review: No. 19 Poudré from Chanel (2011) and Miriam from Tableau De Parfums (2011) + Miriam Winners
There’s a lot of anti-Chanel feeling around at the moment. Before the venerable house had given everyone an opportunity to recover from the various Chance flankers, they released Bleu which…
Dior’s New Maison De Parfums At Selfridges + FiFi USA Public Vote
For several personal reasons, I’ve got huge affection for Dior. Ever since I was about 7 years old, many of the firm’s perfumes have become synonymous with significant people and…
Review: Bleu De Chanel by Chanel (2010)
More often than not, a spray of a new men’s perfume leaves me sorely disappointed. Most of the recipes follow the same, cardboard-cutout pattern: a mono-dimensional burst of citrus leading…
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,…