Thursday 30 May 2019

PORTAL by Kingdom Scotland

Finding the right inspiration for a new perfume brand is often the springboard that leads to its success. Many have tried to find that magic “something” but it often proves illusive even to those with boundless energy and drive. When Imogen Russon-Taylor decided that she wanted to launch her own fragrance house she had to hunt for the individuality that would set her apart from everybody else, and she found it very near to home. Kingdom Scotland launched at the end of 2018 with a collection of three scents and success was clearly on the horizon. A Fragrance Foundation Award Nominee, it's time to head to Edinburgh.

Monday 27 May 2019

COCOROSA BEAUTY - The Sweet Smell of Success

It’s unusual to go through our daily lives without experiencing scent in one form or another. Sometimes natural and sometimes artificial, it's often designed to make us react to a product or an environment in a certain way. However, scented ingredients can also go far beyond merely fragrancing, they can be part of the reason something actually works. Cocorosa Beauty launched in 2018 and is a natural skincare brand that uses essential oils as its active ingredients. Alongside the restorative benefits, the combinations have resulted in the most beautiful aromas and can definitely be said to have “the sweet smell of success.”

Thursday 23 May 2019

CHIENOIR by Amanda Beadle

Chypre fragrances have made a huge comeback in the past few years, although some would say that they never really went away. Many companies merely started to refer to them more as “woody” scents, because it was easier than explaining the term “chypre,” but they also started to pull back on the mossy quality of the perfumes. This forest-floor earthiness was what truly defined this style and so it is wonderful to see it alive and well in Amanda Beadle’s award winning fragrance, Chienoir. This self-taught perfumer has stripped back the chypre and revealed the glorious layers that have been hidden for too long.

Monday 20 May 2019

THE HOUR OF DUSK AND GOLD by Parterre

We often forget that the United Kingdom, and Croydon in particular, had a rich heritage of growing lavender. It was prized around the world and was actually more expensive than anything coming out of France at the time. Land use, and war, altered the fortunes of many producers but recently the fields have starting turning to “blue gold” once more. This encouragement, and also a desire for “a simpler way of life,” saw Julia and David Bridger launch Parterre Fragrances at Keyneston Mill. Four years later, and with three scents already under their belt, they have now released the romantically titled The Hour of Dusk and Gold.

Thursday 16 May 2019

IO and QUASI UNA ABSURDIA by Chris Rusak

With an increasingly crowded niche perfume market, companies are having to find inventive ways in order to attract customers to their brand. This is very challenging for the true artisans because, however they choose to become more visible, it still has to fit in with their beliefs. An interest in the creative process has seen many perfumers open their labs to the public but Chris Rusak has taken this one stage further by releasing a series of “works in progress.” These snapshots of his formula book have resulted in a collection of five scents that encourage introspection, and which also smell spectacular.

Monday 13 May 2019

WINTER WOODS by The Burren Perfumery

Perfumery always used to be thought of as a French industry but, whilst it is still the dominant player, there are other countries now vying for a piece of the pie. You often hear the United Kingdom mentioned for its plethora of independent companies and creators but, back in 1972, a poet by the name of Brian Mooney introduced fragrance to Western Ireland’s County Clare in the guise of The Burren Perfumery. Still the oldest fragrance company in the Republic, and now owned by Sadie Chowen, it boasts an impressive collection of seven scents and is definitely the jewel in the perfumery crown of the Emerald Isle.

Thursday 9 May 2019

DELICATE ROMANCE by Lola's Apothecary

In the perfume calendar there can’t be a more beautiful month than May because, after a year of hard pruning and careful tending, the expansive rose fields of Grasse and Bulgaria succumb to the start of their annual harvest. This is still carried out by hand and so is incredibly labour-intensive. When you think that it requires around ten thousand kilograms of rose blossoms to produce one kilogram of oil then you can understand the sheer workload that is involved. Now, we can’t all go and pitch in with the pickers but we can bring a little of the rose scented magic home in the form of Delicate Romance by Lola’s Apothecary.

Monday 6 May 2019

RICH MESS by Ryan Richmond and Christophe Laudamiel

The Art and Olfaction Awards have been running for six years and have the goal of raising awareness of, and celebrating, independent perfumers. This band of artisan creators regularly push the boundaries of what is expected from fragrance and often influence the latest releases from the large companies. Winners can come from across the globe and this year saw one such recipient fly in from New York. Ryan Richmond’s first fragrance as creative director is Rich Mess, and it won the Independent Award. With perfumer Christophe Laudamiel responsible for realising the scent it was always destined to be special.

Thursday 2 May 2019

WHITE ROSE & RASPBERRY by Bronnley

Continuing a regular series can be a challenge for any perfume company but it’s made especially difficult when you’re having to follow an award winner. This is the situation that Bronnley found itself in with the release of their latest fragrance in the Contemporary Collection, and may even explain its slight delay. The third perfume in the range continues the theme of florals combining with fruits and, with a nod to the previous two scents, perfectly complements those past releases. One hundred and thirty-five years after originally launching, will Bronnley continue its legacy with the new White Rose & Raspberry?