Monday 31 August 2020

STEPHAN'S SIX - GAY SOPER


There are few actresses that deserve the title of “The Queen of the West End” more than Gay Soper. With an incredible career that has spanned more than fifty-five years, including a definitive performance as Madame Thenardier in Les Misérables, Gay is a welcome fixture of London’s theatre scene. A member of the original London production of Godspell, and the iconic voice of BBC Television’s The Flumps, I thought it was time to find out her scented secrets during “Stephan's Six.”

Thursday 27 August 2020

JASPÉ by Teo Cabanel

The thought of owning your own perfume company, or creating your own collection of scents, is something that goes through the mind of every fragrance fan at one time or another. It usually subsides as quickly as it appears, but sometimes forces outside of your own control make the decision for you. Imagine finding out that you are going to be given a perfume company and that its future rests solely on your shoulders. The pressure would be incredible. Well, that’s exactly what happened to Caroline Ilacqua when she inherited Teo Cabanel. With a collection of eleven scents now available, it's time to discover Jaspé.

Monday 24 August 2020

STEPHAN'S SIX - CARTER WEEKS MADDOX


The perfume industry is usually thought of as a kind of diaphanous world of late lunches and canapés. Well prepare to have that blown out of the water by Carter Weeks Maddox, the founder of the latest niche brand from Florida called Chronotope. This self-taught perfumer is going to take us from Estée Lauder to bathhouse slings, and everything in-between, as we discover more about him during “Stephan’s Six”.

Thursday 20 August 2020

TOUJOURS ESPOIR and ÉTOILE CÉLESTE by Villa des Parfums

When we think of Grasse the first thoughts that come to our heads are of idyllic flower fields, women collecting blooms in their aprons, and the thrill of working in perfume’s spiritual home. We’ve had this story recounted so many times to us that it’s become the accepted narrative of the town, but it’s literally this “rose tinted glasses” view of the scented destination that often means we miss the challenges that they actually face. This was the reason that Parfums de Vie was founded and why, ten years later, the charity launched their wonderful duo of non-profit fragrances under the name of Villa des Parfums.

Monday 17 August 2020

VIA VENETO by Strada Parfumerie

How often have you fallen in love with a city and thought, “I wish that I could bottle the way I’m feeling?” Well, this is exactly what perfumers try to do when they use places as the inspiration for fragrances. The success of this style of scent depends upon your having a connection with the city or, if the location is new to you, the perfume simply being fantastic. Many companies have attempted this and unfortunately many of them have been less than successful, but that hasn’t stopped more trying. The latest to pick up their passport is Strada Parfumerie, and it’s time to head to Rome to experience Via Veneto.

Thursday 13 August 2020

INFINITE by Ilsa Fragrances

In the current climate of transparency within the perfume business it’s becoming more acceptable for the unseen creatives to finally step forward and take a bow. This long overdue change is introducing many more names to the eager fragrance community, and it’s also seen a lot of those creatives branch out and launch their own perfume brands. However, finding the theme to ultimately hang the fragrances on is no easy task. It will be the perfumed persona that customers will latch onto, and it needs to resonate. Ilsa Fragrances has taken female empowerment as its cornerstone and woven it into Infinite No.1 and Infinite No.2.

Monday 10 August 2020

FOUGÈRE INTENSE by SP Parfums

The niche sector of perfumery still looks like a rapidly growing market, even in the current uncertain climate. New companies continue to appear, also vanishing with a similar speed, all hoping that they will be become the latest “new young thing.” To many it felt like a certainty that there was room for ever increasing brands but, more recently, it definitely seems like only those with dedication, talent, and drive can succeed. One perfect example of this is German born Sven Pritzkoleit. He’s once again taken the traditions of French perfumery and mixed them with some contemporary magic to create the beautiful Fougère Intense.

Monday 3 August 2020

OPTIMISM DIFFUSER by Eloise Hall

One of the challenges when creating a home fragrance is deciding whether it will be season specific or suitable for all year scenting, and choosing whether that aroma will be uplifting and expansive or comforting and embracing is often one of the most difficult decisions to make. The characteristics of summer citruses and winter warmers means that they often get associated with a particular time of the year, and so creating a scent that can truly transcend the seasons is a difficult task. That's why it was a great treat to discover the perfect ambience all-rounder in Eloise Hall’s wonderful Optimism Diffuser.