Persolaise Review: Dior Homme Parfum from Christian Dior (François Demachy; 2014)
Persolaise Dior Homme parfum review by award-winning perfume critic Persolaise (Francois Demachy, 2014)
Persolaise Review: L’Homme Ideal from Guerlain (Thierry Wasser; 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…
Persolaise Review: Fahrenheit Le Parfum from Christian Dior (François Demachy; 2014)
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 –…
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: Azure (Mathilde Bijaoui; 2014) and Bentley For Men Absolute (Michel Almairac; 2014) from Bentley
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.…
Persolaise Review: Monsieur from Huitième Art (Pierre Guillaume; 2013)
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 –…
The Osmothèque Reviews: Fougère Royale from Houbigant (Paul Parquet; 1882/1884?)
*** 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…
I Love You, Man – Male Relationships In Pictures
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…
Persolaise Review: Made To Measure from Gucci (perfumer unknown; 2013)
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…
Persolaise Review: Eau De Monsieur from Annick Goutal (Annick Goutal / Camille Goutal & Isabelle Doyen; 1980/2013)
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…
Persolaise Review: Pour Monsieur from Chanel (Henri Robert; 1955)
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…
Persolaise Review: Perfume Calligraphy Rose from Aramis (perfumer unknown; 2013)
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…
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: Beloved Man from Amouage (Alexandra Carlin; 2013)
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…
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: Jardin Du Poete from Eau d’Italie and Bang Bang from Marc Jacobs (2011)
The pixies and elves of Marketing Land would have us believe that Bang Bang is for “men who
Review: Kokorico from Jean-Paul Gaultier (2011)
There’s at least one person in the world who thinks Kokorico is a work of genius. A couple of weeks ago, when I picked up the scent’s tester at a…
Review: Vitriol d’Oeillet from Serge Lutens (2011)
Uncle Serge and Christopher Sheldrake have been up to their old tricks again. Their latest release could easily be dismissed as an old-fashioned feminine, a woody floral stuck somewhere in…
Reviews: Yuzu Man from Caron (2011) & Hiroshima Mon Amour from Nez À Nez (2011)
The spirit of orientalism is alive in the latest masculine from Caron. Yuzu takes its inspiration from the East Asian (predominantly Japanese) fruit of the same name, and as you’d…
Reviews: Juniper Sling, Esprit Du Roi & Eau Sans Pareil from Penhaligon’s (2011)
Would it be too cruel to say that Penhaligon’s Anthology series of re-issues comes to a close not with a bang, but a whimper? Eau Sans Pareil is pleasant enough,…