Monday 29 June 2020

LA TERRE by Floratropia

One of the battles that the perfume industry faces is having to balance the desire for sustainability against the demands for appearance. Many customers will say that they want less packaging, because they’d prefer a company to fit in with their own environmental concerns, but when confronted with a basic bottle they often feel that a little of the glamour is missing. It’s this challenge that causes problems for many companies, but is actually one where niche brands are managing to gain ground. One of the latest is Paris based Floratropia, and their debut collection of four fragrances takes sustainability to the next level.

Thursday 25 June 2020

THE EVERYMAN DISCOVERY BOX from The Perfume Society

Buying a fragrance as a gift can be difficult for anyone, but it becomes even harder if that person happens to be a man. I know that it sounds like I’m making a huge generalisation here, but the majority of men will find one scent and remain loyal to it until you manage to prise it out of their hand. Women are much happier to browse the latest releases, play with the free department store samples, and choose a new perfume for a new season. In an attempt to help take the hassle out of the high street, The Perfume Society has launched the latest in their Discovery Box series and it truly is designed for Everyman.

Monday 22 June 2020

SANDAL & PEONY by Sven Pritzkoleit

There will always be a demand for new and exciting fragrances from our favourite perfume houses, but quality is definitely sacrificed in many of the drives for quantity. If you bear in mind that some companies are releasing in excess of eight fragrances a year, then you can see how ideas might begin to dry up. Niche brands have a slightly easier job, because they’re not confined by trend, but even this market can find itself compromised when it starts chasing the accolades. One perfumer who manages to stay truthful to his style is Sven Pritzkoleit, and his latest Sandal & Peony fragrance shows that he is at the pinnacle of his game.

Thursday 18 June 2020

PENDRAGON by Karen Timson

Tradition seems to be a dirty word in perfumery these days. A constant demand for innovative fragrances and ingredients has seen “classic” styles relegated to the realm of “old fashioned.” Chypres and Orientals are constantly being renamed to appeal to a modern audience, but one category that is enjoying a well-deserved resurgence is fougère. This was temporarily relabelled aromatic by many brands but the traditional name has thankfully been dusted off. One of the perfumers embracing the style is Karen Timson, and her Pendragon fragrance promises some much-needed Arthurian legend.

Monday 15 June 2020

SANTAL SKY by Kierin NYC

One of the interesting things about the fragrance industry is its continual return to certain key ingredients. The constant demand for “newness” and “pushing the boundaries” is all very well for transient shoppers but, by also focusing on those perfume building blocks, attracting steadfast fans is the difference between success and failure. Sandalwood has long been revered as one of the most sensual woods that can be used in the creation of a scent, and so it’s not surprising that many companies have attempted their own version. One of the newest to try and capture its magic is Kierin NYC with their Santal Sky.

Monday 8 June 2020

ESCENTRIC 05 by Geza Schoen

One of the aspects of perfumery that has become incredibly popular in recent years is the desire for information about the actual ingredients that are used to create our favourite scents. There’s a real interest in wanting to know more about what goes into that bottle, and what all of those separate aromas are like. Many of the perfume brands now offer customers the chance to smell the raw materials that go into the latest release, but only one company actually builds a whole fragrance around an individual ingredient. Escentric Molecules has just released the fifth in their collection and it takes Cashmeran as its inspiration.

Thursday 4 June 2020

PRIMA by Carthusia

There have been many attempts to create fragrances that embody a place or a building, but these are always a little hit and miss. It’s very difficult to sum up in scent a particular environment because everybody will have a slightly different recollection or impression. To do it successfully you need your audience to be able to draw on a more universal memory. One example of a company doing just that is Carthusia with their theatre inspired Prima fragrance. With theatres currently closed, the chance to relive the smell of the greasepaint and the roar of the crowd was one that I simply couldn’t resist.

Monday 1 June 2020

ATTUNE SKINCARE - An Aromatic Explosion

The scent that you get when you open a face cream, or any beauty product for that matter, is seen by many as being just as important as the promised effects. It’s like the thrill of breaking the foil on a new jar of coffee, and being the first person to experience that aroma as it escapes from the sealed compartment. The fragrances within these potions and preparations can invigorate or relax, depending on what ingredients are chosen, but they can also be designed to appeal to a specific market. Attune Skincare is one of the latest to focus on the power of scent, and their citrus aromatic offering is absolutely stunning.