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”.
Showing posts with label Estée Lauder. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Estée Lauder. Show all posts
Monday, 3 April 2023
STEPHAN'S SIX - NEIL CHAPMAN
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”.
Labels:
Calvin Klein,
Chanel No.19,
Dior,
Estée Lauder,
Fahrenheit,
First,
Givenchy,
Meo Fusciuni,
Neil Chapman,
Obsession,
Odor 93,
Pi,
Rive Gauche,
Stephan's Six,
The Black Narcissus,
Van Cleef & Arpels,
Youth Dew,
YSL
Monday, 13 February 2023
GINGER by LUSH
I know that many people will swear by the mantra “never look back”, but I’m one of millions that is happily enjoying the continued wave of 1980s nostalgia. This was the decade that saw me enter my teens, clumsily plant my first kiss, and begin to notice that the world was rapidly changing around me. From the strikes to the Big Snow, and of course the exciting arrival of the UK’s fourth television channel, these were ten tumultuous years. So, grab your Sony Walkman, and set the VCR to record Crossroads, because we’re heading back to 1988 to discover Ginger from Cosmetics To Go (aka LUSH).
Labels:
1980s,
Brookside,
Bunny Galore,
Channel 4,
Cosmetics To Go,
Crossroads,
Estée Lauder,
Ginger,
Independent,
Lauder For Men,
Liz Weir,
Lush,
Mark Constantine,
Niche,
Noele Gordon,
Revlon
Monday, 16 August 2021
STEPHAN'S SIX - REBECCA HARRISON
After an impressive career working with some of the world’s finest fragrance and beauty houses, Rebecca Harrison decided that the time was right to launch her own perfume company, Vines House Parfum. Having split her time between Dorset and the southwest of France, the collection drew on the parallels between the wine and fragrance industries, and proved an instant hit with customers that were looking for perfumes with a story. So, as they celebrate their second birthday, I thought it was time to learn a little more about Rebecca during “Stephan’s Six”.
Monday, 8 March 2021
STEPHAN'S SIX - JULIE HALSTON
Labels:
Duane Reade,
Estée Lauder,
Evyan,
Halston,
Julie Halston,
Old Spice,
Pavlova,
Payot,
Prince Matchabelli,
Private Collection,
Stephan's Six,
Taboo,
Vanilla,
White Shoulders,
Wind Song,
Z-14
Monday, 22 February 2021
STEPHAN'S SIX - EGLIJA VAITKEVICE
Studying 'Slavic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics' in Lithuania is certainly not the start that many perfumers take, but that is what Eglija Vaitkevice specialised in before retraining at the Grasse Institute of Perfumery. Her Exaltatum London collection of fragrances display an incredible skill at conjuring specific emotive moments in time, but what of the perfumer herself? I thought it was time to discover her scented memories during “Stephan’s Six”.
Labels:
24 Fauberg,
Boucheron,
De Profundis,
Detchema,
Eglija Vaitkevice,
Estée Lauder,
Exaltatum London,
Fidji,
Givenchy,
Guy Laroche,
Hermes,
Jaipur,
Lolita Lempicka,
Revillon,
Serge Lutens,
Stephan's Six
Thursday, 21 January 2021
The New Jo Loves Fragrance Paintbrush
One of the hardest challenges facing the fragrance industry, even in the days when you could actually get near a shop, was how to bewitch your customer into buying your perfume. A cold wall of bottles staring starkly back may have worked in the past, but companies are always having to dream up inventive ways to entice people to purchase. Getting the product onto the skin is always the challenge, that is unless you’re the undisputed Queen of persuasion. Jo Malone changed the perfume industry forever with her scented services, and the tradition continues with her newly relaunched Fragrance Paintbrush.
Thursday, 14 January 2021
APERTURE by Ulrich Lang
The whole perfume industry is currently going through one of its biggest ever upheavals. All of the established rules of launching, promoting, and selling fragrance have been thrown up in the air because our personal interactions have completely changed. With more of a reliance on the internet and social media, the way we view and experience scent has dramatically altered. This means that we're literally living life through somebody else’s lens, and it was this idea that brought to mind Ulrich Lang’s high definition Aperture. Originally launched in 2014, this seven year old photo-collaborative fragrance is the perfect example.
Monday, 4 January 2021
JO'S RHUBARB by Jo Loves and Zara
Welcome to 2021 and a whole new year of perfume releases. To say that the past twelve months have been challenging would be an understatement but, thankfully, there’s already some scented excitement to kickstart an overcast January. The idea of finding designer names at high street prices is still a quest that, more often than not, turns up few results. However, when Zara decided to collaborate with Jo Malone, the person rather than the company, it heralded a whole new collection of scents under the Emotions banner. Originally a series of eight, it’s time to welcome the latest arrival to the range as we enjoy a taste of Jo’s Rhubarb.
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”.
Labels:
Aramis,
Carter Weeks Maddox,
Chronotope,
Clubman,
Dior,
Diorling,
Estée Lauder,
Gucci Rush,
Halston,
Independent,
L'air du Temps,
Matthew Camp 8.5,
Niche,
Playalinda,
Polo Green,
Red Door,
Tom Ford,
Tommy Hilfiger
Monday, 27 July 2020
APSU by Ulrich Lang
If there is one fragrance style that is guaranteed to excite as well as uplift then it has to be one of those gloriously green scents. These perfumes that were once abundant in the electrically charged galbanum have, in more recent years, relied on man-made ingredients to conjure up cut grass and green leaves. However, when you skilfully combine the two then you can end up with a scent that transcends summery playfulness, adds in a dash of autumnal vegetation, and hints at tropical humidity. This is exactly what you get with Ulrich Lang’s 2016 fragrance Apsu. It may not be the latest, but it’s definitely one of the brightest.
Monday, 13 April 2020
FANTASY by Britney Spears
Everybody loves a birthday and the world of perfume is no different. With so many fragrances released annually it’s often hard for some of them to even reach a second birthday, let alone a very impressive fifteenth. Capturing the moment and securing a fan base is what every new launch strives to do, and that is exactly what happened in 2005. In the year that she sang “I see you lookin' at me,” Britney Spears launched the first of her Fantasy perfumes and it took the celebrity fragrance to new heights. So, fifteen years on, let’s go back to where it all began and see if it still leaves “a tantalising trail of embracing sensuality.”
Monday, 25 February 2019
BEAUTIFUL BELLE by Estée Lauder
When a company decides to launch a new fragrance, the decision faced is whether to branch out in a totally new direction or to trade on familiarity. A scent that is already well known has the advantage of being recognisable and, with careful branding, you can really capitalise on this. One company that have built an entire series around this idea is Estée Lauder and their Beautiful collection. The quote, “You are never too old to reinvent yourself” could have been written about Estee Lauder’s Beautiful Belle, the latest addition to the series, but will it be a permanent addition or a merely a two-year novelty?
Monday, 16 April 2018
STEPHAN'S SIX - ROB BLANDFORD
Rob Blandford is a successful blogger, vlogger and fragrance writer who originally hails from Hereford. A relocation to Australia may have changed the temperature but did nothing to cool his love of scent. A regular contributor to online forums, as well as his own website, I thought it was about time to find out some of his own scented secrets during “Stephan’s Six”.
Labels:
Amouage,
Estée Lauder,
Guerlain,
Héritage,
Hops,
Jil Sander,
Lumière,
Lyric Man,
Revson,
Rob Blandford,
RobLovesPerfume,
Rochas,
Sander for Men,
Stephan's Six,
Ultima,
Youth Dew
Monday, 4 September 2017
FIREDANCE by Ruth Mastenbroek
Autumn feels as though it is well and truly here with the first leaves starting to change colour, the weather getting cooler and the nights beginning to draw in. With wood stocks starting to be replenished ready for open fires and thoughts turning to bonfire night, the timing of the latest perfume release from Ruth Mastenbroek couldn't be more perfect. The combination of leather, rose and oudh is nothing new, but in her talented hands the results are devilishly sensual, delightfully mysterious and truly intoxicating. With the release of Firedance, Ruth Mastenbroek shows once again why she is at the top of her profession.
Thursday, 10 August 2017
MISSONI PARFUM POUR HOMME by Euroitalia
In the wonderful world of fragrance we see companies come and go with regularity. The top-selling brand one year can be almost forgotten a mere twelve months later. It becomes even harder when the “brand” is actually a designer name that has been franchised out to a perfume producer. This was the case with Missoni. A fashion house that was founded in 1953, its fragrance license has passed around a few companies over the years but in 2015 it transferred to Euroitalia. This month sees the release of Missoni Parfum Pour Homme, the first male fragrance for twenty years, but have the years been kind?
Thursday, 27 July 2017
MONOÏ EAU DES VAHINÉS by Yves Rocher
There are times when, because I wear something so often, I assume I must have written about it. That's why it was such a surprise when I realised that Monoï Eau des Vahinés by Yves Rocher was absent from my list of Perfume Reviews. It was one of the first Yves Rocher fragrances that I remember smelling and I was surprised at just how well they had achieved the balance between summer sunshine and exotic sweetness. Yves Rocher are everywhere in France but in the UK they just exist as a mail order company. So, let me introduce you to sandy beaches, delicious florals and a scent that screams summer.
Monday, 17 July 2017
What's New To You?
Every year we see literally thousands of fragrances released both worldwide and also in specific countries. We are already half way through 2017 and if you have managed to smell every one of those launched so far this year then I am very impressed, but also more than a little sceptical. Every time you turn around there seems to be a new advertising campaign, a new “exclusive” ingredient, and a new dreaded flanker. So, you can be forgiven for missing a few of these new releases along the way. This week I was told, “everything is new to someone”, and in the world of perfume releases that couldn't be truer.
Labels:
Basil & Neroli,
Bergamote Calabria,
Eau de Campagne,
Estée Lauder,
Givenchy,
Guerlain,
Jo Malone,
Lancôme,
Les Parfums Worth,
Modern Muse,
O de Lancome,
Pagan,
Pi,
Picot,
Poême,
Sisley
Thursday, 22 June 2017
PERFUME at Somerset House
Somerset House in London has to be one of the most beautiful venues for any exhibition, but it's even better on a hot summer evening. This is how it was on Tuesday when I visited the new installation simply entitled PERFUME. With a tag line describing it as “a sensory journey through contemporary scent” I really had no idea what to expect. Except for a few slips from Lizzie Ostrom, aka Odette Toilette, during a day out with baby Ostrom it was a total surprise. So, was my original impression that it covered everything from "semen to cookies" correct? Come with me into a "world of pure imagination".
Thursday, 4 May 2017
The Age Of Transparency
"Transparency" is a word that you often hear mentioned when it comes to the perfume industry. For many years perfume houses would release fragrances under their own name, or assign them to an in-house "nose", when they had actually been created by an outside company. This wasn't done maliciously; it was just the way the industry worked. Customers were not particularly interested in who had made the juice in the bottle, just that it came with their favourite company's logo on the glass. Of course there had always been fans that wanted to know every detail but it’s only recently that "transparency" has become the industry's key word.
Labels:
Bourjois,
Dior,
Ernest Beaux,
Estée Lauder,
Firmenich,
Fragrance Foundation,
Givaudan,
Guerlain,
IFF,
Jo Malone,
L'Occitane,
No.5,
Parfums Chanel,
Robertet,
Soir De Paris,
Sylvaine Delacourte,
Symrise,
YSL
Thursday, 23 March 2017
Three Fragrances For Mother's Day
Mother's Day is almost upon us and the usual quandary of what present to buy rears its head again. Ultimately most Mums are happy with whatever they are given, although from personal experience I always find that the card is the most important part. If you haven't bought anything yet then the chances are that it will be a mad dash to the high street on Saturday with a slight "rabbit in the headlights" look. So, with this in mind, I thought it would be useful to suggest some fragrances that make the perfect present. There are three to choose from with very different price tags, but each is guaranteed to make your mum feel special.
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