Stephan Matthews

Showing posts with label Givenchy. Show all posts

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”.

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Monday, 31 January 2022

4711 REMIX COLOGNE by Nathalie Lorson

When a company tries to reinvent itself for a new generation the results can often be decidedly mixed. The brand may veer off into unfamiliar territory or accidentally alienate their current customers, neither of which is a desirable outcome. One company that have absolutely achieved this reinvention however is 4711. Arguably the most famous cologne in the world, their yearly limited edition Remix Cologne collection continues to captivate both existing and new fans, to the extent that it’s now become a permanent addition to the catalogue. So, let’s get up to speed by discovering the 2021 edition, and join in the celebration of neroli.

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Monday, 25 October 2021

NAKED DANCE by Oddity

One of the aspects of perfumery that many people struggle to come to terms with is the worry that their observations of a scent might not match other people’s. The ingredient lists and fragrance stories all try to guide you to a particular scented impression, but it doesn’t mean that you’re actually going to get there. We all interpret scent differently, have different memories, and recognise different ingredients, so it makes sense that we’ll all pick up different aspects. This is the principle behind the newly launched Oddity fragrance brand and, with their full encouragement to trust your own instincts, it's time to discover Naked Dance.

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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”.

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Thursday, 27 August 2020

JASPÉ by Teo Cabanel

The thought of owning your own perfume company, or creating your own collection of scents, is something that goes through the mind of every fragrance fan at one time or another. It usually subsides as quickly as it appears, but sometimes forces outside of your own control make the decision for you. Imagine finding out that you are going to be given a perfume company and that its future rests solely on your shoulders. The pressure would be incredible. Well, that’s exactly what happened to Caroline Ilacqua when she inherited Teo Cabanel. With a collection of eleven scents now available, it's time to discover Jaspé.

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Monday, 9 March 2020

STEPHAN'S SIX - BAPTISTE BOUYGUES

A background in the gold mining industry might not be the usual start for the founder of a perfume company. When Baptiste Bouygues launched Ormaie, he had also had experience with Louis Vuitton and Givenchy so the world of fine fragrance was definitely in his blood. With such an unusual journey into the fragrance industry, I wondered what perfume memories he would reveal during “Stephan’s Six”.

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Monday, 2 March 2020

STEPHAN'S SIX - MARIE-LISE JONAK

A career spent working with the likes of Guerlain and Nina Ricci meant that it was only a matter of time before Marie-Lise Jonak, along with her son Baptiste Bouygues, decided to launch her own company. Ormaie is a natural brand that has an emphasis on the visual presentation as well as the scented experience. With this mind, I wondered what fragrance memories she would reveal during “Stephan’s Six”.

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Thursday, 7 November 2019

LE PASSANT by Ormaie

The knowledge that you accumulate as you go through life is always, whether you believe it or not at the time, a valuable resource that can be called upon in later years. This can be even more useful in the fragrance industry because it gives you plenty of inspiration for creations and ideas in an arena where individuality is key. It’s this idea of translating experiences and memories into scent that has seen the launch of Ormaie, the new natural fragrance brand. Created by a mother and son partnership, it contains many jewels but Le Passant was the fragrance that immediately called to me, and I couldn’t resist.

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Monday, 2 April 2018

OUI À L'AMOUR by Yves Rocher

In the never-ending hunt for the latest fragrance some customers turn to the high street whilst others opt for a more “niche” company. It’s this second option that many hope will mean that their perfume is less likely to turn up on a friend or colleague. Interestingly though, what is widely available in one country may be much harder to find in another, so does that mean it could be called niche-esque? One such company is Yves Rocher, which is available in France through its network of stores but only available in the UK by mail order. So, in case you missed it, let me introduce you to their 2017 release, Oui à l’Amour.

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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.

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Monday, 28 March 2016

STEPHAN'S SIX - LEIGHTON DENNY

Leighton Denny is far more than just the man behind the worldwide hit that shares his name. Originally a forklift truck driver in Bradford, you read that correctly, he quickly became one of the UK’s leading nail and beauty experts, also releasing a suncare and lip colour range. In 2014 Leighton was awarded the MBE for his achievements within the industry, published his autobiography entitled How I Nailed It, and launched his first fragrance called LIGHT & DARK. A busy man, 2015 saw two more fragrances added to his collection, but he still found time to answer "Stephan's Six".

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Monday, 22 February 2016

STEPHAN'S SIX - SOPHIA FANNON-HOWELL

A consultant in the oil and gas industry might not be the usual background for a perfumery owner, but that is exactly the background of Sophia Fannon-Howell. Deco London, the latest Niche brand, has launched six fragrances based around a love of the 1920s. So, what would we learn about Sophia's own history during "Stephan's Six"?

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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, 3 April 2023

Monday, 31 January 2022

Monday, 25 October 2021

Monday, 22 February 2021

Thursday, 27 August 2020

Monday, 9 March 2020

Monday, 2 March 2020

Thursday, 7 November 2019

Monday, 2 April 2018

Monday, 17 July 2017

Monday, 28 March 2016

Monday, 22 February 2016