Monday 23 July 2018

CONFIDENCE, VITALITY and CALM by Belsans

It is increasingly difficult to keep up with all of the new perfume brands that seem to appear on a daily basis, and even harder to smell all of their fragrances. With many companies veering towards a “quantity” strategy, in other words releasing something new every month, it is always refreshing to find a niche perfumer that starts with a small core collection. One such creator is Laura Gámez, the founder of Belsans. Taking inspiration from her aromatherapy roots, but also recognising that the fragrances must work on their own, Laura has created a series of three scents that promise a “unique and exquisite experience,” but do they deliver?

Monday 16 July 2018

EAU DE COLOGNE - LA VÉRITABLE by Cadentia

Summer is the perfect time to revisit the classic cologne, and by this I mean a fragrance that is structured in the traditional way rather than merely exhibiting a “freshness” and “effervescence” that has become associated with the style. Many companies offer scents which are described as “cologne” but have little to do with this wonderfully simple form of perfumery, but one brand still proudly specialising in these uplifting scents is Cadentia. A favourite in France, but fairly unknown outside of its native country, the company has just launched their Eau de Cologne - La Véritable range and the results are beautiful.

Monday 9 July 2018

PERFUMES: THE GUIDE 2018 by Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez

A critic, a reviewer, or an expert of any kind is never going to be able to please everybody. What one person sees as art another will see as wallpaper, what one person hears as music another will hear as white noise, and what one person smells as perfume another will smell as "pine-fresh lavatory cleaner". Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez have released their long awaited Perfumes: The Guide 2018, the follow-up to their 2008 industry-changing Perfumes: The A-Z Guide, and in the first two weeks of its release the internet has been flooded with smiles, laughter, tears and tantrums. So, what is it all about?

Monday 2 July 2018

SP PARFUMS by Sven Pritzkoleit

There is no doubt that the “niche” fragrance market is an exciting, if perilous, place to be at the moment. Anyone can set themselves up as a “perfumer” and attach a price tag to warrant an “exclusivity”, but it’s increasingly difficult to navigate through the new launches. One man who has been creating since 2006, and most definitely deserves to be more widely known, is Sven Pritzkoleit of SP Parfums. He was described by Luca Turin as having a “beguiling combination of directness and skill” and, with seventeen fragrances currently available, shows no signs of slowing down. So, let me introduce you to my favorites.