Monday 29 March 2021

STEPHAN'S SIX - FREDDIE ALBRIGHTON


The emergence of self-taught perfumers continues to create wonderfully artistic waves in the perfume industry, and the latest person to try his hand is self-confessed wanderer Freddie Albrighton. This successful tattooist launches his debut collection on Saturday and so, to get us in the mood for the arrival of Mabel’s Tooth, Boys, and Bernadette Margaret Evelyn Theresa, it's time to find out his scented secrets during “Stephan’s Six.”

Thursday 25 March 2021

BEYOND THE STARS with Marina Barcenilla

Marina Barcenilla Out Of This World Fragrances Doctor Who Tardis
“It’s the end, but the moment has been prepared for.”
These immortal words were uttered by Tom Baker in 1981 as he shuffled off his Doctor Who persona, but they also perfectly sum up the events of 29th April 2019. That was the day Marina Barcenilla Parfums closed its doors. Whilst the fragrances that bore her name were gone, the space age AromAtom project that she’d founded took centre stage. Her educational journey to the stars produced the Award-nominated perfume Out Of This World and, after almost two years, Marina is back with a new trio of fragrances and has her eyes firmly set on some serious space travel.

Monday 22 March 2021

STEPHAN'S SIX - SIERRA BOGGESS

Sierra Boggess Broadway Actress

An Olivier Award nominated actress, Sierra Boggess made her Broadway debut playing Ariel in Disney’s The Little Mermaid, but is probably still best known for her role as Christine in The Phantom of the Opera and Love Never Dies. She's currently putting the finishing touches to her new album with actor Julian Ovenden, Together... at a Distance, so I thought it was a good time to learn more about her fragrance memories during “Stephan’s Six”.

Thursday 18 March 2021

SUPERFUSION by J.U.S Parfums

Time has most definitely raced by over the past twelve months, although it might not have always felt like that when we were living it. This lost year has meant pauses to perfume schedules and a quieting down of the usual advertising, so you could be forgiven for having missed some emerging brands. One such company is J.U.S Parfums, which celebrates its third birthday this year. Their credentials are honestly through the roof and, whilst it’s true that the collection really does have something for every taste, I was instantly entranced by the shimmering, musk-laden Superfusion from Céline Ellena.

Monday 15 March 2021

STEPHAN'S SIX - ISAAC MIZRAHI


How do you begin to describe Isaac Mizrahi? He’s a designer, an actor, a TV host, a writer, and a producer... and he is also unbelievably funny. Born in Brooklyn, he was torn between fashion and theatre, so decided to do both. He received early backing from Chanel, had a client list that included Naomi Campbell and Liza Minnelli, and also does the perfect imitation of Barbra Streisand. Isaac eventually released his autobiography, I.M. A Memoir, in 2019 but I wondered what extra scented secrets we’d discover during “Stephan’s Six”.

Thursday 11 March 2021

TOBACCO FRANKINCENSE & CARDAMOM by Matt Meleg

When we think about the process of creating a perfume it often ends up becoming a romanticised image of a pair of hands holding a mound of jasmine petals, or a perfumer surrounded by a bank of meticulously laid out essential oils. What we don’t usually consider is that the intimate process of creating a perfume can actually also be a means of dealing with personal trauma and managing mental health. One perfumer that has spoken openly about his past and present struggles, and how they feed into his creativity, is Matt Meleg - and this shines radiantly through in his exceptional Tobacco Frankincense & Cardamom fragrance.

Monday 8 March 2021

STEPHAN'S SIX - JULIE HALSTON


How do you introduce someone like Julie Halston? She’s an award winning American actress and comedienne, she’s kept us entertained online during a “global pandemic” courtesy of Virtual Halsten, and her list of credits include everything from Hairspray to Sex and The City. Never one to shy away from a one-liner, I thought it was time to find out a little more about this Flushing girl and ask her “Stephan's Six”.

Thursday 4 March 2021

ROSE GERANIUM & PETITGRAIN by 1000 Flowers

Over the past twelve months the main thing that I've learned about myself and my surroundings is how refreshing simplicity can be. Having the metaphorical rug pulled out from under us all threw our preconceived ideas and entrenched habits out of the window as well. What we were left with was almost the essence of what we all individually needed, and personal lessons have been learned that shouldn’t be forgotten. Perfume has a habit of being complicated and shrouded in mystery, and so finding a scent that revels in this idea of simplicity is rare. That is until you discover the exquisite Rose Geranium & Petitgrain from 1000 Flowers.

Monday 1 March 2021

STEPHAN’S SIX - SARAH IRELAND


Many people dream of starting their own perfume brands but few actually turn it into a reality. One person who did, and went on to be award nominated, was Sarah Ireland. Originally a teacher, her debut collection of four fragrances are described as “a small story shared.” After recently launching the charity cologne Speranza, I thought that it was time to find out a little more about Sarah Ireland as I asked her “Stephan’s Six”.