Persolaise Review: Aquilaria from Nancy Meiland (Nancy Meiland; 2014)
Persolaise An oud by any other name… would smell more oud-y?? When I saw that one of the scents released by the new, UK brand Nancy Meiland – founded by the…
French Coca-Cola In New York – Cartier’s Mathilde Laurent On Working With Oud
In 2014, when Cartier launched their three oud scents – Oud & Rose, Oud & Musc and Oud & Oud (yes, really) – I confess I was rather disappointed. Yet…
Persolaise Review: Oud Satin Mood from Maison Francis Kurkdjian (Francis Kurkdjian; 2015)
I confess I find it extremely interesting to watch what Francis Kurkdjian does with his brand. He has made it clear that he does not wish the scents released under…
Persolaise Review: No. 10 White Oud from Agonist (2014)
Before you scream in horror at the sight of that dreaded three-letter word, let me tell you one thing: No. 10 White Oud is an oud which doesn’t even pretend…
News: Persolaise Shortlisted For 2014 Jasmine Awards
A brief item from me today, just to let you know that my scribblings have been recognised by this year’s Jasmine Award judges. Three of my articles have been shortlisted…
Kicking Up A Stink – The Definitive Guide To The Best Oud Perfumes
Guide to the best oud perfumes by award-winning critic Persolaise (feat. Tom Ford, Amouage, Dior, Le Labo, Montale, Nicolai, Ajmal, Francis Kurkdjian)
Persolaise Review: Wonderoud from Comme Des Garçons (Antoine Maisondieu; 2014)
I know, I know, it was only a few weeks ago that I vowed never again to review any scent with ‘oud’ in its name, and here I am, going…
Persolaise Review: Amber Oud and Rose Oud from Nicolaï (Patricia De Nicolaï; 2013)
Ah, the power of peer pressure! A few years ago, you needed quite a few fingers to count the number of brands who said they’d “never do an oud.” Now,…
Luxury Is About Privacy – An Audience With Frederic Malle (part 2)
For part 1 of this record of Frederic Malle’s Q&A session with an audience at Liberty, please click here. Could you tell us a bit about your collaboration with Dries…
A Product Of The Blogosphere – An Interview With Matthew Zhuk Of Ex Idolo
Matthew Zhuk at Fenwick, the latest retailer to pick up Thirty Three Matthew Zhuk is in an interesting position right now: his brand, Ex Idolo, attracted serious attention in 2013,…
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…
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: London, Tobacco Oud, Oud Fleur & Oud Wood from Tom Ford (2013)
Back when YSL‘s M7 was worthy of the image of a naked, hairy martial arts expert, I bought myself a bottle of one of the scent’s ancillary products, a so-called…
Persolaise Review: Thirty Three from Ex Idolo (perfumer unknown; 2013)
This was one I approached with dread. “It’s an oud,” I was told. ‘Just kill me now,’ I thought to myself. “It’s exceptionally good,” they said. ‘Please, make it quick,’…
Persolaise Review: Oud Noir from Versace (perfumer unknown; 2013)
In the seemingly endless torrent of ‘oud’ scents pumped out by the mainstream, every now and then, something vaguely interesting raises its head above the water. Versace‘s Oud Noir is…
Buttons, Dots And A Whole Load Of Gatsby Dresses – London’s FiFi Awards Ceremony
My FiFi evening began with a wardrobe malfunction. Just as Madame Persolaise and I were about to step onto the red carpet at the entrance to London’s Brewery, I felt…
Persolaise Review: Oud Mood from Maison Francis Kurkdjian (Francis Kurkdjian; 2013)
I guess it’s not surprising that Francis Kurkdjian decided (or was persuaded?) to release more agar wood perfumes. His Oud was easily one of the best scents of 2012 and…
Persolaise Shortlisted Twice For 2012 Jasmine Awards
Drum roll, please: the shortlists for this year’s Jasmine Awards have just been announced. In the ‘Digital’ category, not one, but three examples of my work have been singled out…
Best Perfumes Of 2012
What a year it’s been. Madonna and Gaga clashed in a celebrity scent battle. A little black dress went viral on YouTube. Brad Pitt spouted nonsense about journeys in an…
Persolaise Review: Mukhalat Malaki from Swiss Arabian + Perfume Calligraphy from Aramis + Encounter from Calvin Klein (2012)
It’s always round about this time of year (can’t think why) that I tend to be asked what makes so-called Arabic-style perfumes smell so… Arabic. If I were a chemist…