Stephan Matthews

Showing posts with label Floral. Show all posts

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.

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Friday, 16 October 2015

Sylvaine Delacourte's White Orchid

One thing that has always been at the very heart of every Guerlain product is the scent. Whether it's a lipstick, a compact powder or even a makeup primer, every one has a very definite fragrance. Now, finding that your makeup has a wonderful aroma is something which Guerlain have always excelled at, but their efforts in skincare scent really push the boundaries.

No one that has ever smelt them will forget the famous rose in the Super Aqua range, the freshness of the old Pure Dew Cleansing Foaming Gel, the delicate lily in the Secret de Purette collection, or the edible chocolate that accompanied the Happylogy series. However, the crowning glory must surely go to the White Orchid fragrance that is found inside Orchdée Impériale. Let's seperate the scent from the serum for once, and truly appreciate this intoxicating perfume that debuted in 2006.

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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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Wednesday, 3 June 2015

LAYER ME

The question I get asked most often is, "How do I make my fragrance last longer?" There have always been a myriad of complimentary products to go with various scents but the quality of these has been pretty variable. Also, with the trend for using more than one fragrance at the same time to create a truly unique personal scent we've actually been missing the most vital piece of the puzzle. You wouldn't paint a wall before preparing the surface but we are happy to just spray perfume and hope. So, I went on the hunt for the perfect base for my spritzing, and I found it in the most unlikely of places. I went through lotions and creams, both fragranced and unfragranced, dry oils and even moisture mists, but nothing was doing what I wanted... "Support any fragrance that goes on top, prolong its life and bridge the gap between layered scents," and obviously moisturise as well.

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Monday, 1 June 2015

SOPHIA - Wear It With Passion

In 1981 Sophia Loren declined an offer to play the iconic role of Alexis Colby in "Dynasty", and so the part famously went to Joan Collins. However, the same year did see the release of the perfume SOPHIA by Coty. Described as “the fragrance of living and loving”, Sophia Loren told women to “wear it with a passion”. With an Italian sexuality that she was famous for, that message was clear. Thirty-five years later she would return to the world of fragrance in Dolce & Gabbana's Rosa Excelsa campaign, but for now, after a cold shower, I gently caressed the bottle to see whether the original passion could be rekindled!

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Sunday, 24 May 2015

I AM WOMAN ... Hear Me Purr

Fifteen years after the launch of her last perfume, Spectacular, Joan Collins returned to the stage with I AM WOMAN. The fragrance premiered on 28th February 2014, so a year on I think it's time to revisit and see whether the lady has aged gracefully. The perfume is part of a wider range called "Joan Collins Timeless Beauty", which also includes makeup and skincare, and was initially exclusively sold through QVC. Don't pull that face, QVC is now a major cosmetics outlet and companies ignore it at their peril; they can launch, maintain and promote any brand which takes their fancy.

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Friday, 15 May 2015

FOREVER KRYSTLE by Charles of the Ritz

The 1980s was the decade of shoulder pads and big hair, and it also gave rise to many perfumes that matched. Those ten years saw an incredible output of fragrances and it was impossible to keep up with each one. This meant that so many slipped under the radar. One that proved incredibly popular however was Forever Krystle from Charles of the Ritz. It was created to tap into the success that the television series Dynasty was enjoying at the time and the heroine, Krystle Carrington, was chosen to be the inspiration. Originally released in 1984, it’s time to see if the years have been kind.

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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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Thursday, 16 May 2019

Friday, 16 October 2015

Wednesday, 10 June 2015

Wednesday, 3 June 2015

Monday, 1 June 2015

Sunday, 24 May 2015

Friday, 15 May 2015