Sigh sigh sigh. There are several springboards from which I could leap into my review of Dior‘s new Sauvage (composed by in-house perfumer, François Demachy), but despite my best efforts…
I don’t know where Tom Ford has been eating his kulfi, but I’m pretty sure it isn’t the same place where I’ve been eating my kulfi. The taste of the…
Carlos Benaïm‘s recent collaboration with Frederic Malle – the scintillating Eau De Magnolia – was seen by many critics as a modern rendition of 70s-style chypres, chiefly Edmond Roudnitska‘s Diorella…
A few months ago, I was interviewed by Lucia Van Der Post for an article she was writing about fragrances for men. Her piece was published in the FT’s How…
Dior Homme parfum review by award-winning perfume critic Persolaise (Francois Demachy, 2014)
It’s probably fair to say that Guerlain is in a tricky position. On the one hand, it has to satisfy its owners by churning out a steady stream of till-friendly…
They say men mellow with age. Whether the statement is true is up for debate – last time I checked, grumpy old codgers weren’t exactly thin on the ground –…
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…
Azure is ghastly. Think of all the most mind-numbing masculine scents from the mainstream, and you’ll know exactly what this waste of resources smells like. Generically ‘citrusy’ top. Aromatic mid-section.…
Monsieur makes me angry. Sure, it displays the high levels of technical competence that we’ve now come to expect from Pierre Guillaume – it’s diffusive, long-lasting and generally cohesive –…
*** For background information on my Osmothèque Reviews, please click here *** Oh, what a monster we’ve created! Mention the word ‘fougère’ nowadays to a knowledgeable perfume lover, and you’re…
My recent review of Aramis’ Perfume Calligraphy Rose and my suggestion that Etro’s current male clothing collection would go well with Tauer’s Une Rose Chypree prompted several interesting emails from…
I often wonder if some perfume manufacturers enjoy having a laugh at our expense. It’s the kind of straw-grasping idea that pops into my head when I try to understand…
Wow! Cover me with slices of lemon and sprinkle me with a pinch of salt. Eau De Monsieur is back. Sadly, I never had a chance to smell the original…
Is bitterness now seen as old-fashioned in masculine scents? I asked myself the question the other day when I decided to wear Chanel’s Pour Monsieur. Don’t get me wrong, I…
When Aramis released their commendable Perfume Calligraphy, I saw the move as an attempt to corner the Arabic sector of the chest-beating, alpha-male, testosterone-fuelled territory the brand has long claimed…
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…
It’s not often I’m relieved to discover that a perfume is less than spectacular. I’ve got so many ‘must buy’ Amouages on my list, that the prospect of yet another…
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…
The pixies and elves of Marketing Land would have us believe that Bang Bang is for “men who
Persolaise