Monday 24 December 2018

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Well, that’s me signing off for another year. I’ve been lucky enough to experience some wonderful fragrance launches in 2018 and have also met the most incredible perfumers, writers, owners, and readers of this blog. There are lots of exciting things planned for 2019 but, after writing sixty-eight articles for this website alone, it’s time for me to take a few weeks off. Thank you all for your continued support and for your wonderful emails, I'll always reply even if it takes me a few weeks. So, have a wonderfully fragrant Christmas and New Year, and I’ll see you all again on 7th January 2019. Best wishes, Stephan x

Monday 17 December 2018

Opening THE BOX OF DELIGHTS with 4160 Tuesdays

In 1935 John Masefield wrote a children’s book that would end up entertaining generations of youngsters, and also maintain a loyal following as they grew into adulthood. It was a dark fantasy that put the hero, Kay Harker, very firmly in his own “story”, and the book went on to be adapted for radio, television, and also the stage. The Box of Delights is a masterpiece of description that perfectly embodies the world of 1934 England but the one thing that it lacks is scent. To my mind there is only one perfume house that can possibly fill in this missing piece, and that is Sarah McCartney and 4160 Tuesdays.

Monday 10 December 2018

OUD OCTAVO by Prosody London

As many readers will already know, I’ve always found the “natural perfumery” side of the fragrance industry fascinating because the challenges that are experienced are not for the faint hearted. Synthetic ingredients are great at providing multifaceted layers and so the natural perfumer needs to be creative and knowledgeable in order to make their finished fragrance truly rounded. This can certainly be said of Oud Octavo by Prosody London. Created by Keshen Teo, it takes the star ingredient but presents it in a wonderfully accessible way that is missing from many of the other oud fragrances on the market.

Thursday 6 December 2018

CULT PERFUMES by Tessa Williams

One of the problems with writing about fragrance is that it can very easily become dry and dusty. Long lists of ingredients, technical terminology, and descriptive language that would make even Shakespeare roll his eyes are commonplace when the subject of perfumery is discussed. This means that truly successful books on the subject are few are far between and, with the exception of Lizzie Ostrom’s Perfume: A Century Of Scent, there is only one other book that I regularly recommend to fragrance fans. For the perfect gift, or a treat for yourself, let me introduce you to the 2013 Cult Perfumes by Tessa Williams.

Monday 3 December 2018

PAISLEY by Geo F Trumper

The word “traditional” can often bring to mind thoughts of old fashioned and out of date companies. It’s unfair because “traditional” also refers to quality craftsmanship and a secure understanding by a brand of their customer and his or her expectations. One company that is proudly “traditional” is Geo F Trumper. With a history stretching back to 1875, and an impressive range of products that encapsulate over two hundred years of trading, they've released a new fragrance to sit alongside their current collection. With such a loyal clientele, how will Paisley fair in the world of the cutthroat razor?