Persolaise Review: Beloved Man from Amouage (Alexandra Carlin; 2013)
Persolaise 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…
perfume review
Persolaise Review: La Fille De Berlin from Serge Lutens (Christopher Sheldrake; 2013)
The latest from Lutens and Sheldrake is a delightful exercise in wrong-footing the wearer. At first, a potential buyer is likely to notice its colour: dense, purple and almost opaque,…
Persolaise Review: Jour D’Hermès from Hermès (Jean-Claude Ellena; 2012)
Although it’s been around only for a couple of months, Jean-Claude Ellena‘s latest creation for Hermès‘ ‘mainstream’ collection has already attracted tremendous amounts of praise. Despite an embargo on media…
Persolaise Review: Tea For Two from L’Artisan Parfumeur (Olivia Giacobetti; 2000)
I have no problem at all with the fact that brands need to streamline their portfolios every now and then, but I confess I wanted to curse the gods of…
Persolaise Review: Le Beau Male from Jean-Paul Gaultier (Francis Kurkdjian; 2013)
Back in 1995, Jean-Paul Gaultier released his first fragrance for men. You may have heard of it. It’s called Le Male, it’s sold in a bottle shaped likely a finely-toned…
Persolaise Review: Eros from Versace (Aurelien Guichard; 2012)
Call me insane, but I actually thought this one would turn out to be all right. The advertising campaign and the packaging are so gloriously over-the-top, I began to believe…
Persolaise Review: Marni eau de parfum (Daniela Andrier; 2013)
There are two, closely related opening statements I could’ve used for this review. The first is that debut scents from fashion houses have recently attained high standards of quality (check…
Persolaise Review: Peoneve extrait from Penhaligon’s (Olivier Cresp; 2012)
Peoneve, one of the scent highlights of 2012, has crept into a few Penhaligon’s boutiques in a new extrait form. In order to create it, Olivier Cresp returned to his…
Persolaise Review: L’Heure Vertueuse from Cartier (Mathilde Laurent; 2012)
Over the course of the festive season, I thought I could smell Mathilde Laurent‘s L’Heure Vertueuse everywhere. When I was chopping sprigs of thyme, tarragon and rosemary to go into…
Playing Catch-Up: Autumn/Winter 2012 (part 2) – from Balmain to Liz Earle
As promised last week, here’s the second phase of my move to tick a few names off my ‘Should Review’ list. Apart from oud, if there was one trend that…
Playing Catch-Up: Autumn/Winter 2012 (part 1) – from Lauder to Piguet
Maintaining a regular blogging schedule isn’t always easy when you’re meeting the demands of a full-time job, pursuing other writing interests and trying to have some sort of personal life.…
Persolaise Review: Lys Du Desert from Decennial + Coeur En Mai from MDCI + J’Adore L’Absolu from Christian Dior (2012)
It’s not often that a perfume brand celebrates the arrival of a reformulation, but that’s exactly what’s happened with MDCI. 2009’s Coeur En Mai recently fell foul of IFRA guidelines,…
Persolaise Review: Ambre Doré from Maître Parfumeur Et Gantier (2012) + La Petite Robe Noire extrait from Guerlain (2012) + Miss Dior Le Parfum from Dior (2012) + Cloon Keen Atelier (2011)
In the same way that theatre producers use Macbeth to get bums on seats, perfume houses tend to use vanilla-based scents as their cash cows. And more often than not,…
Persolaise Review: Poudre De Riz from Huitième Art + Djhenné from Parfumerie Générale + Orangers En Fleurs from Houbigant + Vanitas edt from Versace (2012)
In a field where most products fall under the ‘pleasant but forgettable’ category, anything that’s even remotely challenging or perplexing deserves to be welcomed with open arms. Enter: Pierre Guillaume‘s…
Persolaise Review: Hommage À L’Homme from Lalique (2011) + Volutes from Diptyque (2012)… And Some More Thoughts On A*Men Pure Leather
Please click here to be taken to my Glass Magazine reviews of Diptyque’s Volutes, Lalique’s 2011 masculine, Hommage À L’Homme and Mugler’s new A*Men Pure Leather. If you’ve got a…
Persolaise Review: Florabotanica from Balenciaga + Fetish Pour Homme from Roja Parfums + Pétale Noir from Agent Provocateur (2012)
This week, I give you three interesting twists on familiar themes. First up is Florabotanica, the latest from Balenciaga. Basically, it’s yet another rose, but thanks to the skill of…
Persolaise Review: Noir from Tom Ford + Blackberry & Bay from Jo Malone + Loretta from Tableau De Parfums (2012)
Loretta has a secret, but she hides it in plain sight. The first time she digs her claws into your neck, you experience a moment of fear, but you quickly…
Persolaise Review: Arquiste (2011) + Jovoy (2011) + Terry De Gunzburg (2012)
Of all the new niche brands that have popped up recently, three keep returning to my thoughts as they seem to represent the broad categories into which emerging perfume houses…
Persolaise Review: The Afternoon Of A Faun + Dangerous Complicity from Etat Libre D'Orange (2012)
Ladies and gentlemen, we are in the presence of greatness. But first we need to get something less exciting out of the way. Dangerous Complicity – one of two new…
Persolaise Review: Fragrances Of Leather (Angel, Alien & Womanity) + A*Men Pure Leather from Thierry Mugler + Printemps from Laggridore (2012)
I wonder if the clever folk at Parfums Mugler are being economical with the truth. They’ve claimed that in order to create their latest quartet of limited editions, all they’ve…