Stephan Matthews

Showing posts with label Chypre. Show all posts

Monday, 16 December 2019

UNSCHEDULED WANDER by Elementary

Starting a new perfume company is a venture that can be fraught with delays and disasters but, if you’re lucky, can also prove to be one of the most exciting rides of your life. Everyone offers opinions on bottle styles, graphics, and even launch dates so navigating people’s good intentions can be tricky. Sometimes coming at the whole enterprise from a different angle can reap its own rewards and this is where we find ourselves with the latest addition to the perfume market. Elementary has launched Unscheduled Wander, an olfactory Time Machine that positively revels in the androgynous beauty of the chypre fragrance.

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Thursday, 26 September 2019

ENGLISH LAVENDER by Atkinsons

It’s impossible to predict which fragrance will become the iconic scent in a company’s range and it’s even harder when the perfume company has fans across the world, but that is exactly the case with Atkinsons. The company recently went through a major rebrand worldwide but its Italian market still demands some of the original packaging and scents, including the legendary English Lavender. By combining fashionability with familiarity, Atkinsons have succeeded in rejuvenating the legacy for their existing customers whilst still managing to attract new ones. Happily, there’s even room for a little bit of retro.

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Thursday, 23 May 2019

CHIENOIR by Amanda Beadle

Chypre fragrances have made a huge comeback in the past few years, although some would say that they never really went away. Many companies merely started to refer to them more as “woody” scents, because it was easier than explaining the term “chypre,” but they also started to pull back on the mossy quality of the perfumes. This forest-floor earthiness was what truly defined this style and so it is wonderful to see it alive and well in Amanda Beadle’s award winning fragrance, Chienoir. This self-taught perfumer has stripped back the chypre and revealed the glorious layers that have been hidden for too long.

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Thursday, 25 April 2019

PICAFLOR and CHOYITA by Perfumera Curandera

Even in the heavily publicised niche market there are still some companies that are quietly going about their business almost undiscovered. These individuals are the true artisans of their craft and they often don’t get the attention that they deserve. From sourcing ingredients, preparing tinctures, hand blending, and even bottling it themselves, there are absolute gems out their waiting to be uncovered. One such company is Perfumera Curandera. It was founded by Leanne Hirsh in 2009 and very quickly gathered a loyal band of followers. The twelve fragrances share a theme of healing, but there are two that absolutely grabbed me.

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Thursday, 1 November 2018

THURIBLE by Rook Perfumes

When a new perfume company launches it can follow one of two paths, a sudden burst into the public consciousness or a slow and steady growth. The latter could be argued to be the more successful, because it develops a loyal customer base, and this can definitely be said of the new boy on the block, Rook Perfumes. Started in May 2018, and now boasting a collection of eight fragrances, this self-taught perfumer has impressed with the variety of scents in his catalogue and also his wonderful disregard for convention. It’s time to see what Nadeem Crowe, the founder of Rook Perfumes, has to offer.

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Monday, 23 July 2018

CONFIDENCE, VITALITY and CALM by Belsans

It is increasingly difficult to keep up with all of the new perfume brands that seem to appear on a daily basis, and even harder to smell all of their fragrances. With many companies veering towards a “quantity” strategy, in other words releasing something new every month, it is always refreshing to find a niche perfumer that starts with a small core collection. One such creator is Laura Gámez, the founder of Belsans. Taking inspiration from her aromatherapy roots, but also recognising that the fragrances must work on their own, Laura has created a series of three scents that promise a “unique and exquisite experience,” but do they deliver?

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Monday, 7 May 2018

STEPHAN'S SIX - DAISY WAUGH

Born into a famous literary family, Daisy Waugh forged an enviable career both as a journalist and author before starting to write under the pseudonym of E. V. Harte. The first of her Dolly Greene books featured cheap scent and tarot cards but what fragrances hold special memories for Daisy? I caught up with her at the launch of her new book, The Case Of The Fool, and managed to unearth some scented secrets for “Stephan’s Six”.

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Thursday, 7 December 2017

TREE PRESENCE by 4160 Tuesdays

Some perfume companies continue to surprise and delight us with a seemingly never-ending imaginative output. Not subject to the shackles of the commercial sector, these independent perfumeries are able to experiment and, in the process, create some wonderfully abstract scents that can truly challenge. One of these is 4160 Tuesdays, which was founded by Sarah McCartney, and this Christmas they have released a limited edition room spray called Tree Presence. Festive offerings sometimes end up with a tinge of “pine fresh” lavatory cleaner, but nothing could be further from the truth with this evocative marvel.

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Monday, 5 June 2017

DRYAD by Papillon Perfumery

Sexy is different to sensual and sultry is not the same as provocative, but what these words all have in common is that they can be applied to every fragrance from one of Britain's finest independent perfumers. If Agatha Christie is the Queen of Crime then Liz Moores is surely the Siren of Scent. She always weaves a sexuality through her fragrances and this continues with her latest addition. An already impressive range of four fragrances is joined this month by a fifth in the form of the eagerly awaited Dryad, and it promises to entice and challenge in exactly the same way that her previous creations have.

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Monday, 12 December 2016

CHARLIE ... A Most Original Fragrance

"Legendary status" are two words that seem to be written very easily about today's fragrances, but one was released in 1973 that truly is "legendary". It was reacting to a period of change for women when they were gaining more independence and finally making a dent in the long struggle to sexual equality. Released by America's sweetheart, Revlon, this powerful aldehydic floral would remain a firm favourite because it was sold with an affordable drugstore price tag. Forty-three years after its launch it's about time we lavished some well deserved praise on this ignored classic. So, come with me as we rediscover CHARLIE!

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Monday, 18 July 2016

RUTH MASTENBROEK - The Lost Interview

When Ruth Mastenbroek took part in “Stephan’s Six” back in April 2016 her wonderful answers were unfortunately too long to use in their complete form, so I had to edit them down. However, when I was looking through some old files last week I came across her original interview and realised that what had been removed actually provided a great insight into her creative inspirations. Since launching her own brand, Ruth Mastenbroek has released three fragrances, Signature, Amorosa and Oxford. So, with Ruth’s kind permission, let’s finally read the answers that escaped last time … we'll call it the “lost interview”.

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Monday, 30 November 2015

STEPHAN'S SIX - ROJA DOVE

The boy who famously pestered Robert Guerlain into giving him a job, Roja Dove has never lost his passion for fragrance. After twenty years he left Guerlain to open his Haute Perfumery in Harrods, selling only the fragrances that he loved, before finally starting to create his own. What would he make of "Stephan's Six"?

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Monday, 2 November 2015

Galimard Slashes Its Catalogue

It happens every day, but it doesn't make it any easier. Perfume companies cannot keep everything in permanent production, and so some fragrances inevitably get discontinued. Sometimes this is due to ingredient regulation, but more often it is simply because of a fall in sales. So, it is with deep regret that I have to be the bearer of bad news. Galimard have taken the mammoth decision to discontinue thirteen of their heritage range!

One of these is the fragrance that relaunched the company back in 1946, but that customers have unfortunately turned their backs on, and the others are also pre-2000. They are available while stocks last, but don't wait too long because quantities are limited and they are already out of production. Here is a rundown of my favourites from the list, along with a description of each one.

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Monday, 14 September 2015

Guerlain Lavande - The 1920s Mystery

With their vintage recreations now totalling fifty, Thierry Wasser and Frèdèric Sacone have allowed perfume fans to experience some of Guerlain's most famous fragrances. Obviously choices have to be made, and not all of the perfumes can be included. One of those which is missing is Lavande. It might not sound very impressive, but unraveling the truth has made me realise just how special it really is.

My interest in Lavande began because of contradictions that littered various blogs and websites. Nothing about this old girl seemed to add up. There were various release dates, various ingredients and even various creators. So I thought it was time to rediscover this forgotten gem, and maybe try a recreation of my own.

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Friday, 28 August 2015

Guerlain's 1904 Vintage

In 1996 Olivier Cresp was chosen over Jean-Paul Guerlain to create the fragrance Champs-Élysées. Described as the essence of a chic woman, it couldn't have been more different to the 1904 version by Jacques Guerlain. It was never intended to be compared with the original Parfum des Champs-Élysées, and until Thierry Wasser recreated the "vintage" as part his curatorship of the Guerlain legacy it wasn't even possible. So, leaving the current "Radiant Floral" rose petal and almond wood edition, let's travel back to a time when the Champs-Élysées was a very different place.

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Wednesday, 10 June 2015

ENJOLI - A Woman CAN Have Everything

A fragrance for the modern woman who wanted it all; a career, a husband, and to still look sexy as she read her children a bed-time story. My personal experience of the latter is that you're usually exhausted and covered in baked beans! Created by Charles of the Ritz in 1978, Enjoli promised an "eight hour perfume for the twenty-four hour woman". Boasting the female ability to "bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan and never, never, never let you forget you're a man", the Enjoli woman allowed her husband to think he was in charge, although really she was. So, thirty seven years later, has the perfume stood up to changing tastes?

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Thursday, 28 May 2015

CHIQUE Chypre

The chypre fragrance was to the seventies what the Floral Oriental would be to the eighties, and there were lots to choose from. With a complete contrast to the emerging "youth" scents, that were full of bouncy freshness, and even the gloriously "simple" Penhaligon's florals, which were actually far from simple, the chypre provided a scent full of maturity and elegance. The most famous chypre of the Seventies was surely Charlie by Revlon, although it was marketed as an Aldehydic Floral, but Yardley wanted a piece of the action. Their release was the powerful CHIQUE, and this oakmoss overdose is still in production.

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Saturday, 23 May 2015

SCOUNDREL - A Bumpy Ride

The 1980s were a difficult decade for Revlon, especially as they were approaching the ten year anniversary of Charlie with no new masterpiece in sight. Enter Scoundrel with the slogan "Seize the moment". Launched in 1980, the first three years of its life went largely unnoticed, but then the reigning "bitch" of prime time television swept in and changed its future forever, well at least until 1986.

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After twenty successful years as an actor, I decided the time was right to begin a new career, and that was in the perfume industry. Scent had always been a passion of mine, and working alongside a new group of creative minds ended up being the perfect fit.

As a Brand Consultant, Evaluator, Copywriter and New Business Advisor, the variety of work is exciting, and definitely draws on my acting background. Every day brings new challenges, experiences and delights to a workplace that is crammed full of new releases, evergreens, and fading classics.

This website brings together my ramblings on all aspects of the perfume industry from bottle design to fragrance, companies to noses, and everything in between.

Opinions are my own and do not in any way represent the views of the companies mentioned. Where products or services have been provided by the companies it is stated at the end of the article.

Companies and readers are welcome to contact me by using the Send Me A Message option below.

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Monday, 16 December 2019

Thursday, 26 September 2019

Thursday, 23 May 2019

Thursday, 25 April 2019

Thursday, 1 November 2018

Monday, 23 July 2018

Monday, 7 May 2018

Thursday, 7 December 2017

Monday, 5 June 2017

Monday, 12 December 2016

Monday, 18 July 2016

Monday, 30 November 2015

Monday, 2 November 2015

Monday, 14 September 2015

Friday, 28 August 2015

Wednesday, 10 June 2015

Thursday, 28 May 2015

Saturday, 23 May 2015