Persolaise Review: Oumma from 777 (Stéphane Humbert-Lucas; 2013)
Persolaise 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,…
perfume review
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 –…
Persolaise Review: Épice Marine from Hermès (Jean-Claude Ellena; 2013)
If only all press packs were as helpful as the one for Épice Marine. Amongst the various bits and pieces of info provided by Hermès for this latest addition to…
Persolaise Review: Phi – Une Rose De Kandahar from Tauer Perfumes (Andy Tauer; 2013)
I wonder if Andy Tauer has ever smelt the original Fougère Royale. I had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of Paul Parquet‘s masterpiece quite recently at the Osmothèque in…
Persolaise Review: Égoïste from Chanel (Jacques Polge; 1990) + No 5 Jumps In The Bath
As Égoïste has now been allowed to take its rightful place at all UK Chanel counters (until very recently, it was available only at the brand’s own boutiques) the time…
Persolaise Review: La Fin Du Monde from Etat Libre D’Orange (Quentin Bisch; 2013)
There are several reasons to be excited about La Fin Du Monde. Firstly, it’s this year’s only release from Etat Libre D’Orange, a house which consistently manages to combine quirkiness…
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: 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: 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: 1996 from Byredo (Jérôme Epinette; 2013)
I don’t envy perfume brands the task of coming up with a ‘story’ for a new release. It’s a thankless job, fraught with paradoxes. If the perfume is sub-standard, its…
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: Modern Muse from Estée Lauder (Harry Fremont; 2013)
The people at Lauder are calling Modern Muse their biggest feminine fragrance launch since Beyond Paradise (Calice Becker‘s otherworldly garden of green jasmine from 2003). The advertising campaign would certainly…
Persolaise Review: Ashoka from Neela Vermeire Créations (Bertrand Duchaufour; 2013)
Neela Vermeire‘s eponymous brand has reached the perfumery equivalent of the difficult second album. Her three debut scents (all composed by Bertrand Duchaufour… ever heard of him?) made such a…
Persolaise Review: Skin On Skin, Amour Nocturne and Déliria from L’Artisan Parfumeur (Bertrand Duchaufour; 2013)
I’m not sure why L’Artisan Parfumeur have given us the Explosions D’Émotions mini-range, but there we are: the logic of fragrance releases isn’t always easy to work out. As a…
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: 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: 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: 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: Rive D’Ambre, Shanghai Lily, Fleur De Chine and Plum Japonais from Tom Ford (perfumers unknown; 2013)
I confess I don’t find the overarching concept of this year’s Tom Ford Private Blend quartet as convincing as last year’s. In 2012, the house released four scents under the…