The Perfume Scene In Britain
Persolaise I realise I’m running the risk of turning this blog into a daily whine, but I’m afraid I still feel like letting off a bit of steam about the scarcity…
Sub-Zero Please
Following on from yesterday’s post, I would just like to say that an Arctic blast across Old Father Time’s beard would be very welcome right now. Did we really gain…
Review: The One Gentleman by Dolce & Gabbana (2010)
I confess this one had me fooled for a while. The initial impression it made was undeniably positive; in fact, the sweep of citrus, woods and irones had me making…
Reviews: The Smell Of Freedom & Orange Blossom by Gorilla Perfumes (2010)
It’s always helpful to be reminded that snobbery has no place in perfume appreciation. A branch of Lush – with its cheerfully dressed-down aesthetics – may not be the first…
Sartorial Draw Winner + Mini Reviews, including J'Adore L'Or by Christian Dior (2010)
I spent a couple of hours wandering around shops the other day, trying to find some excitement in the glittery Christmas parcels that the major brands are desperate to thrust…
Review: Kalimantan by Chantecaille (2010)
Do we really need another ambery oriental? The answer’s probably No, but maintaining a negative stance is problematic when you’re faced with as elegant an example of the genre as…
Sample Giveaway + Review: Sartorial by Penhaligon’s (2010)
Any artist who manages to breathe new life into an old form deserves praise, but if you’re not especially fond of the form itself, you might find it difficult to…
Review: Memoir Man & Memoir Woman by Amouage (2010)
My experience of living in the Middle East taught me that Gulf Arab men tend to have no qualms about wearing scents that would be considered far too heady and…
Tauer Perfumes Draw + Review: Eau d'Épices by Tauer Perfumes (2010)
Some truths are worth repeating: excellent fragrances feature a delicate harmony of all their disparate components. Few contemporary perfumers are as acutely aware of this as Andy Tauer, creator of…
Review: Shalimar – Ode De La Vanille & Idylle eau de toilette by Guerlain (2010)
You can’t say that Guerlain aren’t keeping Thierry Wasser busy. This year saw the release of the third version of Homme, a new Aqua Allegoria and an exclusive, limited edition…
Review Showcase: Vero Profumo
A few years ago, Swiss aromatherapist-turned-perfumer Vero Kern released three extrait-strength fragrances that have since developed a loyal following. She has now formulated distinctly different, eau de parfum versions of…
Review: Bang by Marc Jacobs (2010)
Some fragrances impress you with the coherence of the entire package in which they arrive: the name, the colour of the juice, the bottle, the poster… they all interlock into…
Review: Bleu De Chanel by Chanel (2010)
More often than not, a spray of a new men’s perfume leaves me sorely disappointed. Most of the recipes follow the same, cardboard-cutout pattern: a mono-dimensional burst of citrus leading…
Review: Une Rose Vermeille by Tauer Perfumes (2010)
Tauer Une Rose Vermeille perfume review by award-winning critic Persolaise (2010, Andy Tauer, scent)
Review Showcase: Tauer Perfumes
Andy Tauer’s creations have just been added to the lines stocked at London’s Les Senteurs, which makes this is a perfect time for a retrospective review of one of the…
No Formula Changes Permitted
I recently decided to celebrate my return to the real world by popping out for some pre-holiday shopping, an activity which is always accompanied by a certain amount of perfume…
Review: A*Men Sunessence Edition Orage D'Ete by Thierry Mugler (2010)
As far as I’m aware, Mugler’s key scents (Angel, Alien and A*Men) are still serious commercial contenders. So I don’t quite understand why the firm insists on diluting their impact…
Sample Giveaway + Les Senteurs + Review: Like This by Etat Libre D'Orange (2010)
How do you bite your thumb at the stream of cynical sub-scents that emerge every summer? Here’s a pretty good, two-word answer: Like This. Need more detail? Well, you start…
Review: Gucci By Gucci Sport Pour Homme by Gucci (2010)
Ah, the dangers of prejudice. When I saw that a sample of this new flanker had made its way into one of my shopping bags, I immediately condemned it to…
Sample Giveaway + Review: Wonderwood by Comme Des Garçons (2010)
What kind of scent is conjured up in your mind by the words “wood gone mad”? Not, I reckon, a scent like Wonderwood, although that’s precisely the term CdG are…