Monday 28 June 2021

SCENTED SUNCREAM - Perfume, Protect, Support

When we hear the word “fragrance” our thoughts instantly turn to the type that gets spritzed out of our favourite perfume bottle. We often forget about the millions of items that also have a scent within them. From fabric conditioner to dishwasher tablets, or shower gel to shampoo, functional products are often made more attractive because of their fragrance. The same goes for your suncream. Often seen as an annoying interruption to getting that all-over tan, it’s time to discover how this vital piece of sun protection can actually be used as your daily perfume, and also learn about Escentual’s #SunPoverty campaign.

Thursday 24 June 2021

DIVINE L'ÉTERNEL FÉMININ by Richard Ibanez

If there’s one thing that the past twelve months have taught me it’s that I really do need to reach into the back of my cupboards a little more often. We all have a tendency to focus on what’s right in front of our noses, quite literally with perfume, and so often miss the treasures that are hiding in the shadows. New purchases are placed at the front and old favourites get forgotten. This became clear when I was having a rummage recently and came across a 2014 bottle of pure delight. So, after seven years of waiting patiently, it’s time to rediscover the exquisite magic of Divine L’éternel Féminin by Richard Ibanez.

Monday 21 June 2021

CÉCILE by To The Fairest

As much as we try not to be influenced by the box or the bottle that a fragrance comes in, sometimes it’s just impossible not to be swayed by appearance. Obviously the ultimate test is when the perfume is sprayed onto the skin, but any kind of extra persuasion that gets you to spritz a new scent is invaluable for any new company. The colour of a box can often be the first thing that grabs your attention, and that is especially true of Cécile from the British company To The Fairest. Sporting a blue jacket that could have walked off the Farrow & Ball colour chart, I was mesmerised before I had even smelled the scent.

Thursday 17 June 2021

CELIE & COUCH by Jordan Bryan

When a new perfume company launches you always hope to find at least one fragrance amongst their opening collection that you fall in love with. When it’s an independent company the hopes are even higher that there will be something in there that grabs you. So, to find a niche brand that has launched with three fragrances and each of them is an absolute joy to wear is very rare. However, that is exactly the situation with Celie & Couch. Get ready to be entranced as I introduce you to self-taught perfumer Jordan Bryan and his Yorkshire themed Skellered, Scran On Th’ Garth, and Moor An’ Th’ Loike.

Monday 14 June 2021

LX LAB CANDLES by Laurent Guinci

How you describe a fragrance can often be just as important as the actual product itself. Aiming it at your audience with playful mischief, as opposed to gratuitous sexualisation, can form a connection to the customer that draws them in rather than pushes them away. Add in the discussion around what makes a fragrance masculine or feminine and you’ll appreciate that it’s a complicated road to navigate. One company that has achieved it effortlessly is LX Lab Candles. With a new range of scents inspired by liaisons, both adventurous and innocent, your only choice is whether you want to celebrate the chase or the conquest.

Thursday 10 June 2021

INVISIBLE BEN by 4160 Tuesdays

Fashion and trends have a habit of repeating themselves, and this is because new generations often rediscover something and regard it as “retro”. There’s also the realisation from older groups that their haste to embrace “newness” may have been overly zealous. Nothing sums this up better than the continuing resurgence of vinyl records. June 12th is World Record Store Day, so I thought it would be fun to pick my favourite vinyl purchase so far this year and set it to scent. Grab your disco shoes because it’s time to turn up the volume on Jimmy Somerville’s Homage and spritz liberally with Invisible Ben from 4160 Tuesdays.

Monday 7 June 2021

LAZY SAGE by Elementary

We often talk about the companies that had made plans for 2020 and, for obvious reasons, had to shelve or postpone them. What we seem to forget though are those brands that had literally launched at the end of 2019 and so had to navigate a very difficult online retail period. They had to be sensitive and not exploitative, informative as opposed to lecturing, and visible without being overbearing. Many companies fell down on these, even established brands, but there was one that sailed right through. It’s time to reintroduce you to Elementary and, with the sunshine starting to come through, bask in the joy of Lazy Sage.

Thursday 3 June 2021

HOOHAA - The Ultimate Perfume Subscription

The anticipation of a knock at the door heralding the arrival of the post has become a highlight for many over the past year. Being stuck at home meant that everyday activities were seriously affected, and that included shopping for anything that wasn’t a necessity. So it’s hardly surprising that this period saw the launch of many subscription services, and an increase in the availability of discovery boxes, with the perfume industry definitely leading the charge. Obviously the quality of the offerings varied dramatically, but one company that has absolutely nailed it is HooHaa. If you haven’t heard of them then it’s time that you did.