Monday, 18 September 2023

FIREFLY by Adscenture

A bottle of the perfume Firefly by Adscenture
The act of finding a new fragrance is one that can seem like a tangle of suggestions, opinions and emotions. We’re often influenced by the season, even the occasion that the perfume is going to be worn at, but hopefully the final decision is something we trust to our own noses. It’s still often hard though to cut through the marketing messages and get to the heart of the scent, but it’s this constant quest for discovery that makes it a true vocation and an exciting “scent adventure”. You'll see that Adscenture have cleverly combined these words to form their name, and their Firefly fragrance is the perfect way to start your own scented travels.

Monday, 11 September 2023

MAGIC + SCIENCE by Thursday Fragrance

A bottle of the perfume Magic + Science from Thursday Fragrance
Anybody that launches a new perfume brand in the current climate either needs a huge round of applause for throwing all of their common sense out of the window, or a serious talking to about the inevitable pitfalls that they will experience. However, when a person’s passion to create bubbles to the surface, it’s often impossible not to follow that dream. You obviously have a better chance of survival if you study hard and take expert advice, and that’s the case with Thursday Fragrance. One of the latest cabs off the rank in terms of perfume companies, they’ve done their homework, and it shows in their debut trio of scents.

Monday, 4 September 2023

GARRIGUE by Maître Parfumeur et Gantier

A bottle of Garrigue perfume by Maître Parfumeur et Gantier
There are few things as instantly pleasurable as being confronted with a little piece of French history, especially when it doesn’t come with an auctioneer’s price tag. The act of holding something that harks back to a simpler time, a pre-social media time, is sometimes the much-needed reset that we all crave. Now, achieving this through genuine antiques can be costly, but that’s where companies that use traditional crafts as their inspiration can thrive. Maître Parfumeur et Gantier is one such company, and their grasp of timeless French tradition goes “hand in glove” with what a modern audience is searching for.

Monday, 28 August 2023

1828 by Histoires de Parfums

A bottle of the 1828 perfume from Histoires de Perfumes in front of two Jules Verne books
The quest for new experiences and undiscovered places is something that seems to resonate deeply with fragrance fans. This may be because the ingredients that are used in perfumery come from all around the world, perhaps it’s because we understand the exciting link between science and synthetics, or it could just be that we’re an inquisitive bunch. Whatever the reason, linking fragrance to the idea of mysterious lands and vast oceans is irresistibly tantalising. When Histoires de Parfums used Jules Verne as the inspiration for a scent it was always destined to have a nod to travel, so get ready to set sail with 1828.

Monday, 21 August 2023

LEMON by Tessa Williams

A picture of Tessa Williams' Lemon candle
Simplicity is a word that seems to be rarely used in the world of fragrance, and is almost seen as a negative concept that should be avoided at all costs. Perfumes and aromas need to be complex, they need to have a structure that fascinates and astounds the wearer, but is it starting to become exhausting? Fragrances have always been experimental, but more and more they’re becoming an assault on the senses. Thankfully, in amongst the explosions, there’s someone that continues to strip back their scents and present the beauty of simplicity. I’m talking about Tessa Williams, and specifically her Lemon Candle.

Monday, 14 August 2023

STEPHAN'S SIX - JANE JOHNSON

A picture of author Jane Johnson

Disappearing into a book is something that was instilled into me from childhood, and it’s still a wonderful alternative to costly airfares and long journeys. Jane Johnson is a Cornish author who splits her time between Mousehole and Morocco, and is lucky enough to work from home as a Fiction Publishing Director for HarperCollins. Her latest book, The Black Crescent, uses scented descriptions to help conjure emotions and locations, and so it’s the perfect time to discover her own fragrance memories in “Stephan’s Six”.

Monday, 7 August 2023

G CLEF by Sarah Baker Perfumes

A bottle of G clef perfume on top of a copy of Agatha Christie's Dead Man's Folly book
The way each of us interprets a fragrance is often, in a great way, completely different. The ingredients stir up memories that are individual to the wearer and, even though the perfume company may have given us their inspiration and fragranced story, the ultimate reaction to the spritzed scent is very personal. It’s also often the case that fragrances cross over into our other passions and interests, and that’s exactly what happened with G Clef from Sarah Baker Perfumes. Originally designed as a salute to “live jazz and waterfront clubs”, in my crime fiction-filled head it evoked the boathouse murder scene from Agatha Christie’s Dead Man’s Folly.

Monday, 31 July 2023

STEPHAN'S SIX - DAVID BENEDEK

Photograph of David Benedek, founder of bdk Parfums

Launching a fragrance company is something that isn’t for the faint hearted, but the success of bdk Parfums shows that it’s possible when quality and dedication isn’t compromised. David Benedek founded the company in 2016 with a quintet of fragrances, and the collection now numbers an impressive nineteen. With a family link to fragrance that drew him to create bdk Parfums, I thought it was time to discover David’s scented memories during “Stephan’s Six”.