Thursday, 28 April 2016

THE CELEBRITY FRAGRANCE

They arrive in a blaze of publicity and either hold onto their market share or silently disappear. I'm talking about CELEBRITY FRAGRANCES. There has been a lot of talk about the scourge of this genre recently, but in my opinion the reviewers are missing the point. The world has changed since Guerlain launched Mitsouko in 1919 and L.T. Piver gave us Rêve D'Or in 1889, not least because of the number of releases every year, so are Beyoncé and Rihanna being unfairly criticised? Let's compare a century of perfume habits and see whether twelve months might actually become the norm for a fragrance's life.

Monday, 25 April 2016

STEPHAN'S SIX - THOMAS DUNCKLEY (CandyPerfumeBoy)


Perfume bloggers are two a penny, I know because I'm one of that crowd. What is different about some though is that their passion and measured approach are in perfect unison. That is the way to best describe Thomas Dunckley who created the enigma that is CandyPerfumeBoy. A Jasmine Award winner and a self-confessed champion for Mugler’s Angel, what would we learn about his wider fragranced memories during “Stephan’s Six”?

Thursday, 21 April 2016

LYNX - THE NEW FINE FRAGRANCE

They’re at it again! Love them or hate them there is no getting away from them. I am talking about LYNX, or AXE if you live outside of the UK. As I’ve said in the past, they were originally used with the same gusto as Brut, their older relative. They stormed the market in 1983 with Amber, Musk and Spice before tempting in a new generation with a more “homage” approach. Body Sprays that resembled Fahrenheit, Aqua Manda, even Guerlain’s L’Instant started appearing in 2008, and I’ve mentioned these affordable creations in a previous article. However, this year has seen the launch of the first three scents in their Daily Fragrance range. A departure for the brand because this time they are taking a more “fragrance trend” approach, and I guarantee that people are going to be shocked. So, let’s take a look at the power three and see whether you’re Signature, Urban or Adrenaline.

Monday, 18 April 2016

STEPHAN'S SIX - ELIZABETH CHADWICK


Elizabeth Chadwick is a bestselling historical novelist of more than twenty books, with a particular interest in the Medieval period. Her novel The Greatest Knight, about the legendary William Marshal, was a New York Times bestseller in 2012. She says she "collects perfumes for the sheer joy and curiosity of the experience", so what treasures would she unearth during "Stephan's Six"?

Thursday, 14 April 2016

L'HOMME IDEAL EDP by Guerlain

New releases are usually trumpeted from afar but Guerlain have been surprisingly quiet with the launch of their new L'homme Idéal Eau de Parfum. This is the third version to bear the L'homme Idéal name and, with the second release unfortunately missing the mark by becoming a weak interpretation of the masculine original, there were high hopes when this one was announced last year. With the Press courted and the store exclusive periods confirmed, it's finally time to discover if this latest addition to the Guerlain masculine range is a novelty or a serious contender for Habit Rouge's crown.

Monday, 11 April 2016

STEPHAN'S SIX - RUTH MASTENBROEK


After leaving Britain at the age of four Ruth Mastenbroek’s fascination for perfumery began to show itself. This led to a career creating fragrances for many famous companies, before she took the decision to release her own range of perfumes. Taking a clear influence from classic styles, but with a modern interpretation, what would she reveal of her own perfume history during “Stephan’s Six”?

Thursday, 7 April 2016

Estée Lauder's Scented Decadence

Those cautious steps into a room that you knew were out of bounds were often met with the scent of powder and perfume, along with an array of bottles and jars. Hanging heavily in the air you didn't know exactly what it was as a child, but when you rediscover those scents in adulthood the feeling can be startling. Regulations and reformulation mean that some of them have been lost forever. Fragrance free, paraben free, lanolin free, the list of changes since those early days is long. Obviously a lot of these were necessary but have we lost a window into the past? Not completely. I stumbled across my own time machine by accident a few weeks ago, and it's all thanks to Estée Lauder.

Monday, 4 April 2016

STEPHAN'S SIX - NICK GILBERT


Many people that work within the perfume industry claim to be experts. Whether it’s perfume composition, creation or reviews their knowledge can sometimes be looked on as questionable. One person who this doesn't apply to is Nick Gilbert. He previously worked for Penhaligon’s as their Training and Development Manager before becoming freelance, and is also one half of @fragrantreviews which publish twitter’s best 140 word perfume reviews. So, with all of this in mind what would Nick Gilbert make of “Stephan’s Six”?