Persolaise Review: L’Orpheline from Serge Lutens (Christopher Sheldrake; 2014)
Persolaise Most press releases can be scanned and dismissed in a matter of seconds, but the ones from Serge Lutens are always worth a quiet read with a strong coffee and…
leather
Persolaise Review: Cuir Cannage from Christian Dior (François Demachy; 2014)
When the arrival of Cuir Cannage was first rumoured, the story went that François Demachy wanted it to represent his memories of his mother’s handbag. This very personal anecdote now…
Persolaise Review: Ingrid from Tableau De Parfums (Andy Tauer; 2013)
You probably won’t believe this, but I assure you it’s true. When I first sniffed Ingrid, before I knew anything about the movie character on which it’s based, it seemed…
Persolaise Review: Oud from Reminiscence (2012)
As soon as I adopt a policy of never using the word ‘oud’ again, along comes an agar perfume which deserves a mention.The Côte d’Azur-based brand Reminiscence may seem like…
Persolaise Review: Oumma from 777 (Stéphane Humbert-Lucas; 2013)
If you’re going to do something that’s been done before, you’d better do it well. And if the thing you’re going to do is artistically suspect and quite possibly mercenary,…
A Little Bit Of Oud – Alberto Morillas On Making Iris Prima For Penhaligon’s
When Alberto Morillas (CK One, Kenzo Flower) hopped over to London a few months ago to launch Penhaligon’s Iris Prima, he revealed that the perfume contains – shock horror –…
Persolaise Review: Bottega Veneta Pour Homme from Bottega Veneta (Daniela Andrier & Antoine Maisondieu; 2013)
I keep smelling Amouage‘s Epic Man everywhere! Perhaps the substances responsible for its distinctive, ghosts-of-antiquity woodiness are becoming more readily available to perfumers. Or maybe other brands just want to…
Persolaise Review: The Odd Fellow’s Bouquet from Atkinsons (Fabrice Pellegrin; 2013)
Fabrice Pellegrin is particularly skilled at finding a balance between accessibility and distinctiveness. In The Odd Fellow’s Bouquet (one of two works he’s created for the revived house of Atkinson’s,…
Persolaise Review: Cuir 28 from Le Labo (Nathalie Lorson; 2013)
Those who take an interest in such matters will be aware that Le Labo mentioned the arrival of its Dubai exclusive quite some time ago; at one point it seemed…
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…
Persolaise Review: George from Jardins D’Ecrivains (perfumer unknown; 2012)
The marketing of perfume tends to be an intensely gender-specific business, so it’s always interesting to think about which materials and accords signify ‘feminine’ or ‘masculine’ at any given moment…
Persolaise Review: Opus VII from Amouage (Pierre Negrin & Alberto Morillas; 2013)
When my sample of Opus VII was delivered, Madame Persolaise’s parents were chez nous for tea and cakes. Such cross-generational, bi-gender opportunities are not to be missed: I immediately extricated…
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…
Persolaise Review: Cuir Velours from Naomi Goodsir (Julien Rasquinet; 2012)
It’s so wonderful to be able to approach a perfume with almost no prior knowledge of its construction, especially when it turns out to be as impressive as Cuir Velours.…
Persolaise Review: Fragrances Of Leather (Angel, Alien & Womanity) + A*Men Pure Leather from Thierry Mugler + Printemps from Laggridore (2012)
I wonder if the clever folk at Parfums Mugler are being economical with the truth. They’ve claimed that in order to create their latest quartet of limited editions, all they’ve…
Persolaise Review: Beloved from Amouage (2012)
Image: Claudia Penrroz Scented storytelling is thriving at the house of Amouage, thanks to the unfailing efforts of Creative Director Christopher Chong. The brand’s latest release – put together by…
Persolaise Review: Myrrhiad from Huitième Art (2011) + Cuir Fétiche from Maître Parfumeur Et Gantier
I find this hard to credit from the vantage point of a chilly winter in Britain, but when I was a child growing up in the Middle East, temperatures of…
Review: Honour Man & Honour Woman from Amouage (2011) + Perfume Names
Amouage perfumes don’t exactly keep themselves to themselves. Bold and emphatic, they tend to conquer every lily-livered weakling in their path, showing no mercy and taking no prisoners. But Honour…
Review: Week-end À Deauville from Nicolaï (2011)
Generally speaking, there are two types of perfume labelled with the word ‘leather’: those which take their inspiration from the stench of a tannery and those which aim to evoke…
Guests On Persolaise + IFRA Interview + Review: Carillon Pour Un Ange from Tauer Perfumes (2010)
Okay, the countdown’s over: the Invasion Of The Day Job has well and truly begun. For the next 8 to 10 weeks, free time is going to be almost non-existent,…