Left Pleasantly Unmoved
Persolaise For the last few days I’ve been thinking about the d-word. Derivative. It’s an issue to consider in the analysis of any creative pursuit. But I’d say it’s particularly pressing…
perfume review
Persolaise Review: Black Orchid eau de toilette from Tom Ford (2015)
I’ve always been suspicious of Black Orchid. Something about its strident assertiveness – its poking, prodding, finger-stabbing insistence – has made me feel that its facade conceals a quagmire of…
Persolaise Review: Ryder from Ex Idolo (2015)
Indie scent creations tend to be either reactionary monsters or paeans to the past (or both, come to think of it). Ryder, the latest from Matthew Zhuk‘s UK brand, Ex…
Persolaise Review: J’Adore Touche De Parfum from Christian Dior (François Demachy; 2015)
The J’Adore family welcomes a glamorous new cousin, dubbed Touche De Parfum. With her oil-based constitution, she may well have been brought into the fold to woo the Middle Eastern…
Persolaise Review: Sauvage from Christian Dior (François Demachy; 2015)
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…
Persolaise Review: Panorama from Olfactive Studio (Clément Gavarry; 2015)
Edmond Roudnitska‘s words about the way in which a great perfume ought to begin have been widely documented. Years ago, he wrote that a scent should elicit a ‘shock’ from…
Persolaise Review: Noir Extreme from Tom Ford (2015)
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…
Persolaise Review: Marni Spice from Marni (Daniela Andrier; 2015)
Hats off to the people at Marni for the way in which they’re handling their perfume portfolio. They hired an excellent creator, Daniela Andrier, to put together their first scent.…
Persolaise Review: Smoke For The Soul from Kilian (Fabrice Pellegrin; 2014)
I’ve always thought there was something hollow at the heart of the Kilian brand. It goes without saying that it certainly isn’t the only perfume house which tries to seduce…
Persolaise Review: Cologne Indelebile from Editions De Parfums Frederic Malle (Dominique Ropion; 2015)
Frederic Malle Cologne Indelebile review by award-winning perfume critic Persolaise (Dominique Ropion, 2015)
Persolaise Review: A*Men Ultra Zest from Thierry Mugler (Jacques Huclier & Quentin Bisch; 2015)
What’s that you’re saying? You want to stick a slice of orange in my coffee? Feel free. If it works as well as it does in this new fragrance, it’ll…
Persolaise Review: Misia from Chanel (Olivier Polge; 2015)
I confess my heart sank a little when I discovered that Misia, Olivier Polge‘s debut for Chanel (he’s gradually taking over from his father Jacques as the brand’s in-house perfumer)…
Persolaise Review: Pichola from Neela Vermeire Creations (Bertrand Duchaufour; 2015)
Only the sunlight moves. As it rises above the bamboos and the white rooftops, it casts everything it touches into immobility. Even the waters of the lake appear to quieten,…
Persolaise Review: Le Jardin De Monsieur Li from Hermès (Jean-Claude Ellena; 2015)
At the Paris launch of his fifth ‘garden’ scent for Hermès – which he refused to concede would be his last – Jean-Claude Ellena stated that Le Jardin De Monsieur…
Persolaise Review: Amber Aquilaria from Electimuss (2014)
Far too many brands around today rely on aspirational marketing, bling and hackneyed ideas to try to make an impact on potential buyers. Cue: Electimuss, a perfect example of rather…
Perfume Mini-Reviews From Twitter – October to December 2014 [part 1]
Here’s another instalment of my regular compilation of mini-reviews from Twitter, covering October to December 2014. Nevermore from Frapin (Anne Sophie Behaghel; 2014)*** Curious mix of metallic rose, ozonic note…
Persolaise Review: Icon from Dunhill (Carlos Benaïm; 2015)
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…
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…
Persolaise Review: Coco Noir extrait from Chanel (Jacques Polge; 2014)
Considering that it hasn’t been pushed in any significant way by Chanel‘s daunting marketing machine, Coco Noir has won an impressive number of followers. The general consensus amongst critics was…
Persolaise Review: La Religieuse from Serge Lutens (Christopher Sheldrake; 2015)
Waiting for the next Lutens release has almost become like anticipating the next movie from Terrence Malick. Granted, Uncle Serge doesn’t exercise our patience quite as much as Malick does,…