Showing posts with label Dior. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dior. Show all posts

Monday, 22 January 2024

ROCKIN' ROSE by EAU.MG

A bottle of the Rockin' Rose perfume from EAU.MG
Perfumery, like anything else that has an artistic bent, is often less about creating something new and more about presenting something in a different light. The ingredients that are open to a perfumer are, with the exciting advances in synthetics, almost limitless, but there are a few core ones that always demand attention. Patchouli, iris, vanilla, jasmine - all of these have an inbuilt familiarity that feels safe, but showcasing them in original ways is what customers are look for. Now, rose is such a well-known ingredient that finding an original take on it can be hard, but that’s exactly what you get with EAU.MG’s Rockin’ Rose.

Monday, 16 October 2023

STEPHAN’S SIX - PATRICK GALE

A picture of author Patrick Gale taken by Daniel Hall

Patrick Gale
jokingly confesses that he's never had what many would consider a “grown up” job but, with perseverance and an instinct for fascinating subjects, he has become a critically acclaimed author. From the BBC drama Man in an Orange Shirt through to his latest book Mother’s Boy, which looks at the life of the Cornish Poet Charles Causley, his seventeen novels have been described as “gripping”, “unflinching”, while at the same time being “playful and wise”. Now based down on the tip of Cornwall, I wanted to discover what scented secrets he would reveal during “Stephan’s Six”.

Monday, 15 May 2023

STEPHAN'S SIX - ALEXANDRE HELWANI

A picture of Alexandre Helwani

The world of perfumery is one that can draw an individual in many different directions, and that is certainly true of Alexandre Helwani. He's the founder and lead writer for The Perfume Chronicles, perfumer in his own right, and also the insightful brand ambassador for Histoires de Parfums. However, I thought it was time to dig a little deeper and discover his scented secrets during “Stephan’s Six”.

Monday, 1 May 2023

STEPHAN'S SIX - CATH KIDSTON-PADGHAM

A picture of Cath Kidston-Padgham taken by Gem Hall

There are few people whose name has become a brand in itself, but Cath Kidston-Padgham is definitely one of that illustrious group. With one successful business behind her, and her latest C.Atherley range of geranium-inspired products destined to become 2023’s most desired body products, I thought it was time to coax her from the greenhouse and discover her own scented secrets during “Stephan’s Six”.

Monday, 3 April 2023

STEPHAN'S SIX - NEIL CHAPMAN

A picture of Neil Chapman (aka Black Narcissus) taken by Duncan Hume

It’s time for the second of my lost pandemic interviews, and this time it’s from early 2021 when we seemed to be ricocheting between lockdowns and restrictions. Neil Chapman, aka The Black Narcissus, is a renowned perfume reviewer and writer, and also the author of Perfume: In Search Of Your Signature Scent. We managed to arrange an e-meet and, two years later, it’s time to finally share the fragranced memories and recommendations that he revealed during his “Stephen’s Six”.

Monday, 4 July 2022

BEAU DE PROVENCE by Fragonard

Fragonard Beau de Provence Perfume Bottle
The subject of gender in fragrance is something that is still being discussed at length, and it’s just as vocal in the niche sector as it is in the high street. The fragrances that you’ll find in the department stores are clearly split into masculine, feminine and unisex because this helps to guide customers to their “safe” choice. The more independent boutiques will split by fragrance family or style, but this does mean that the customer has to take a much bigger journey of discovery. It’s very hard for established companies to break this cycle, but that is exactly what Fragonard have done with Beau de Provence.

Monday, 5 April 2021

STEPHAN'S SIX - MONICA MANCINI


Described by The New York Times as “the glamorous vocal equivalent to diamonds flashing,” Monica Mancini is a double Grammy Award nominee. Daughter to the legendary film composer Henry Mancini, she has gone on to release five albums that truly are the perfect soundtrack to the imminent lazy summer days. So, put your feet up, grab a glass of wine, and discover Monica’s fragrance memories during “Stephan’s Six”.

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.”

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”.

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, 7 October 2019

STEPHAN'S SIX - SONIA CONSTANT


After training at ISIPCA in Versailles, Sonia Constant joined the world-famous Givaudan and went on to create for the likes of Guerlain, Narciso Rodriguez, and Alexander McQueen. She possesses the rare talent of combining passion with precision and so when I met her at the UK launch of her own perfume range, ELLA K, I wanted to discover the perfumer’s own fragrance memories during “Stephan’s Six”.

Monday, 30 September 2019

STEPHAN'S SIX - ISABELLE GELLÉ


With a perfume heritage stretching back to 1826, Isabelle Gellé has dedicated herself to the creation of natural fragrances. One hundred and eighty years later, in 2006, she finally launched her own company and currently has three collections that take inspiration from travel right through to time. With a new home series about to launch, it’s time to discover Isabelle’s own perfume memories during “Stephan’s Six”.

Thursday, 16 May 2019

IO and QUASI UNA ABSURDIA by Chris Rusak

With an increasingly crowded niche perfume market, companies are having to find inventive ways in order to attract customers to their brand. This is very challenging for the true artisans because, however they choose to become more visible, it still has to fit in with their beliefs. An interest in the creative process has seen many perfumers open their labs to the public but Chris Rusak has taken this one stage further by releasing a series of “works in progress.” These snapshots of his formula book have resulted in a collection of five scents that encourage introspection, and which also smell spectacular.

Monday, 22 April 2019

STEPHAN'S SIX - AMANDA BEADLE


A career in accountancy was not what Amanda Beadle originally envisaged for herself. A dream of going to art school was put to one side and a “sensible” job was encouraged instead. Many years later Amanda returned to her artistic roots, both as a painter and a perfumer, and went on to win the 2018 Art and Olfaction Artisan Award for her debut fragrance, Chienoir. So, after creating for others, it’s time to discover her own fragrance memories during “Stephan’s Six”.

Thursday, 18 April 2019

VALENTIN by Olivier Pescheux

There is nothing better than receiving a glowing review from Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez, but it does make the imminent launch of your new fragrance a little bit of a nail-biting experience. This was the position that Fragonard found themselves in this year after the reviewing pair fell for the charms of L’Aventurier. It had been created by Jordi Fernandez of Givaudan, and built upon the success of the previous Homme Élégant by Quentin Bisch, but 2019 had already been scheduled for the release of the company's new male fragrance. So, how does the romantic Valentin by Olivier Pescheux fare?

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”.

Monday, 26 June 2017

THE LOST GIRL by Carol Drinkwater

To say that we live in very uncertain times would be an understatement. Society has constantly gone through struggles and upheavals, but what is now different is that we follow every twist and turn on twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and by SMS. There is no passage of time while we wait for information to come through; it’s now relentlessly instant. For the plot of her latest novel, Carol Drinkwater has collided the 2015 Bataclan attack with the perfume fields of Grasse, and produced a work that uses scented references to lift the very words from the page and resonate with the reader. THE LOST GIRL is an emotional roller-coaster.

Monday, 12 June 2017

STEPHAN'S SIX - NICK STEWARD


It takes guts to start a new independent perfume company these days, but that is exactly what Nick Steward has done. After nineteen years working in the fragrance industry he has taken the plunge and launched Gallivant with a beautiful range of scents designed for “the traveller in us all”. So, let’s find out a little bit more about the man behind the passport as he answers “Stephan’s Six”.

Thursday, 8 June 2017

Three Fragrances For Father's Day

It’s almost Father’s Day and if you’ve already made your purchases then I’m very impressed. However, in a similar way to Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day and even Christmas Day, there will be a lot of frantic dashes to the high street in an attempt to get that last minute present. You are going to be confronted with walls of fragrances, some of which you will know but many that you won’t, and so I’ve chosen three classics for you which should cover most budgets. In the end it’s the thought that counts, but one of these is certain to impress. So, let's have a look at
Dior, Penhaligon's and Crabtree & Evelyn.

Monday, 15 May 2017

STEPHAN'S SIX - SHYAMALA MAISONDIEU


Shyamala Maisondieu is a Malaysian born perfumer who collaborated with Calice Becker and Nadège Le Garlantezec on L’Occitane’s Terre de Lumière. After studying at the Givaudan Perfumery School in Grasse, Shyamala moved to their Paris office and has worked with Comme des Garcons, Lancôme and Etat Libre d’Orange amongst others. Her love of Iris is well known, but what else would I discover during “Stephan’s Six”?