Thursday 30 January 2020

BARE & BOND - The Perfume Subscription Box

Anybody that was brought up in the seventies or eighties will probably have a bittersweet memory of the various subscription services that were available. There was one for everybody from records right through to that new-fangled medium of VHS, and don’t even start me on Radio Rentals. However, it was often quite tricky to get out of them once you had joined and, forty years ago, these items carried a hefty price tag. It was therefore with some trepidation that I approached Bare & Bond, a perfume subscription service, but I needn’t have worried. Offering a carefully curated selection, it’s every fragrance lover’s dream.

Monday 27 January 2020

N°7 by SG79

The great thing about the current variety of fragrances that are available is that the selection really is a worldwide affair because the days of perfume production being the sole domain of France, and closely followed by America and the United Kingdom, are long gone. It’s this wonderful chocolate box selection of scents that truly gives the customer such an eclectic mix to choose from, and at a wide range of prices. Romella International are based in Stockholm and their SG79 range has proved to be a big hit with fragrance fans, and this looks set to continue with the release of the new N°7.

Thursday 23 January 2020

VETYVER VANILLE by Le Jardin Retrouvé

One of the most common questions that I get asked by perfume companies that I work with is, “What do we do with our end of line products?” By this they usually mean last year’s limited edition or a fragrance that has been discontinued. Many end up in discount stores, or heavily reduced during those regular online sales, but this wasn’t the route that Le Jardin Retrouvé decided to go down. With many fragrance fans now despite to get their hands on vintage perfumes, the company started a “by request” service called La Collection Historique and, because of that, Vetyver Vanille is just waiting to be rediscovered.

Monday 20 January 2020

N'AIMEZ QUE MOI by Parfums Caron

Fragrances that are labelled as “classic” are generally well respected by the perfume industry but there's often a difference of opinion when we talk about “famous” scents. A perfume can become well known for a variety of reasons but, whilst popular with the public, it isn’t always held in the greatest esteem by the higher echelons. It’s worth remembering that there is often a divide between perfume customers and scented scholars, but both views are equally as important. One fragrance that sits squarely between “classic” and “famous” is N’aimez que Moi by Parfums Caron, and this year is the perfect time to revisit it.

Thursday 16 January 2020

17 NANDAN ROAD by Ulrich Lang

The reasons why someone launches their own perfume company are always so varied and that can also be said for the background of the founder. Some may have been inspired by a lifelong interest in fragrance whilst others may have already worked within the industry for many years. Both have their advantages and disadvantages but, because the nuts and bolts of releasing a fragrance are so much more than just creating the scent, a little bit of inside knowledge can be helpful. This can certainly be said of Ulrich Lang whose most recent fragrance, 17 Nandan Road, definitely hits the right note in both scent and styling.

Monday 13 January 2020

LAMPLIGHT PENANCE by Chatillon Lux

The storytelling that is attached to the perfume industry goes hand in hand with the actual fragrances themselves and can often transform an adequate scent into something more appealing. However, occasionally a fragrance comes along that seems to transcend its own marketing and the combination of ingredients works perfectly without any narrative. Everyone likes a story and so when the inspiration and the perfume perfectly merge then you know that you’re in for a real treat. Chatillon Lux is based in St Louis and their Lamplight Penance fragrance blends the evocative with a wash of beauty to create something exceptional.

Thursday 9 January 2020

JUNIOR by Carthusia

There’s an often repeated theory that the younger you manage to tempt a person to start using a company’s fragrance the more likely they are to stay loyal to that brand. Now, whether this still holds true in the current arena of thousands rather than hundreds of perfume companies is open to debate. The vast choice and availability of fragrance has made loyalty a prized possession in the industry, and that is one of the reasons why Carthusia has launched Junior. The scent is aimed squarely at the children’s market but it has also proved irresistible to adults who love their powdery floral scents.

Monday 6 January 2020

MILANO CENTO - The Original Just Got Stronger

I wonder how many bottles of fragrance end up languishing in the forgotten corner of a cupboard or get passed on to a friend with the greeting of “I think that this will suit you more than it does me.” When we find a perfume that we love it often becomes our signature and, understandably, others that are gifted or purchased can sometimes compare unfavourably next to it. Even the act of moving from an Eau de Toilette to an Eau de Parfum can prove problematic so, with this in mind, has Milano Cento successful managed to intensify its signature scent to match the expectations of a new decade?