Are you a bibliophile, a bibliophage or a reader? The joy of disappearing into a book is something that the world rediscovered during the years of lockdown and, forgiving the slight downturn as the world reopened, has remained strong during 2024. New authors come and go, new subjects are touted as the next new thing, but there are some book categories that remain solid sellers. Perfume and horticulture are two such topics, which does beg the question, “why has it taken so long to combine them into the perfect coffee table tome?” Well, the wait is finally over as we welcome Fragrance: From Plant To Perfume.
There are few things as instantly pleasurable as being confronted with a little piece of French history, especially when it doesn’t come with an auctioneer’s price tag. The act of holding something that harks back to a simpler time, a pre-social media time, is sometimes the much-needed reset that we all crave. Now, achieving this through genuine antiques can be costly, but that’s where companies that use traditional crafts as their inspiration can thrive. Maître Parfumeur et Gantier is one such company, and their grasp of timeless French tradition goes “hand in glove” with what a modern audience is searching for.
Every time you speak with a member of staff in a department store, or pick up one of the various perfume discovery boxes that are available, your recommendations will often be decided “for” you rather than “with” you. The sales assistant may be on commission for a certain brand, the boxes may be filled with what’s available rather than what’s requested, and so it’s not really a true indication of what suits you. In-depth and unbiased perfume consultations are available in some stores, but what happens if you’re not near one of them? Enter Fiole, which promises to be “the world’s first virtual perfumery”.
Scent has always been great at conjuring up memories and emotions, and it’s one of the reasons that certain perfumes will resonate so deeply with us as individuals. We all have our own favourite aromas that remind us of special times and, when you find these within a fragrance, it’s often what cements your love affair with that particular perfume. Scents that are evocative of a place are always slightly harder to capture, because it’s so personal, but Keshen Teo has managed it perfectly with the release of his latest fragrance, Ocean Commotion. An early hint of summer fun, it’s time to dive into the water.
Fragrances that are labelled as “classic” are generally well respected by the perfume industry but there's often a difference of opinion when we talk about “famous” scents. A perfume can become well known for a variety of reasons but, whilst popular with the public, it isn’t always held in the greatest esteem by the higher echelons. It’s worth remembering that there is often a divide between perfume customers and scented scholars, but both views are equally as important. One fragrance that sits squarely between “classic” and “famous” is N’aimez que Moi by Parfums Caron, and this year is the perfect time to revisit it.
When companies launch with a strong début collection it’s always interesting to see what direction future releases will take. Many brands stay firmly within their established style but others take the opportunity to experiment. Certain fragrances can quickly attract a loyal following and so you risk dividing your audience if you steer too closely to a favourite. This is the situation that Prosody London found themselves in after launching their original series of six perfumes. From Neroli Nuance through to Oud Octavo, the fragrances spanned refreshing to resinous but the new Lantern Reed sits apart with its evocative night-time warmth.
The general speed of fragrance has gone from sedate to supersonic when it comes to the number of releases that a company will tend to launch in a year. In an effort to keep their customers interested, and in order to generate those much needed column inches in the press, new launches seem to come thick and fast. Whilst this offers quantity it doesn’t always offer quality. One perfumer who takes a much more measured approach to her creations is Ruth Mastenbroek. Two years since her last release, this month sees the launch of the much anticipated Dagian and it has most definitely been worth the wait.
With the summer weather now starting to tease us with its sunshine warmth, it’s natural that our thoughts should turn to fragrances that have a more zesty edge to them. Our instinct is to reach for those gloriously mouthwatering citrus scents that accentuate the radiant heat or even the cooling aromatic ones if you long for a little respite from the constant humidity. Unfortunately, it’s pretty rare to find a perfume that truly offers a combination of the two, whilst also providing a depth of scent that can carry you well into the balmy evenings. However, that is until you try the devilishly sensual Neroli Nuance by Prosody London.
As many readers will already know, I’ve always found the “natural perfumery” side of the fragrance industry fascinating because the challenges that are experienced are not for the faint hearted. Synthetic ingredients are great at providing multifaceted layers and so the natural perfumer needs to be creative and knowledgeable in order to make their finished fragrance truly rounded. This can certainly be said of Oud Octavo by Prosody London. Created by Keshen Teo, it takes the star ingredient but presents it in a wonderfully accessible way that is missing from many of the other oud fragrances on the market.
The turkey has been ordered, the tree has been brought down from the loft, and that unlabelled box has just provided twenty metres of unexpected tinsel. It can only be Christmas. Along with the seasonal decorations, every home will be lighting this year’s chosen candle to scent the house during the festivities. Whether it’s an old favourite or a new discovery, scented candles are big business and literally come in every shape, size, and smell. With such a daunting selection to have to choose from it’s time for me to give you a little helping hand with my Top Five Candles For Christmas 2018.
If your father owned one of the most luxurious perfume brands then it seems inevitable that you would end up sharing his passion, but for Victoria Christian it was a performing career which first interested her. After studying Ballet and Theatre Studies at Urdang Academy, and performing in London’s West End, she eventually chose to give up the stage and has become the Brand Ambassador for Clive Christian Perfumes. So, what secrets would we discover during “Stephan’s Six”?
