Stephan Matthews

Showing posts with label Halston. Show all posts

Monday, 13 March 2023

VILLA SORRENTO by La Perla

Bottle of Villa Sorrento perfume by La Perla

Perfume was once the stuff of extravagant opulence and unbridled beauty, but recent years have seen that change somewhat. The gloriously bespoke bottles that accompanied a new launch have all but been replaced by pedestrian square-sided flasks, and there is very little beauty in a clear glass container. Of course, the juice inside the bottle is what really matters, but making it visually appealing to the eye doesn’t hurt either. When La Perla decided to reimagine their fragrance offering in 2021 it also extended to the bottle, and the result is magical. So, with warmer days on the horizon, it’s time to discover the sparkling Vila Sorrento.

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Monday, 14 March 2022

HALSTON 1-12 by Halston

When we talk about the newest fragrance, or the latest must-have release, our thoughts will instantly turn to those images of the bottles that we’ve seen in magazines or online. We instinctively look forward at what is to come, but there is a treasure trove of perfumes that are also waiting for us in the past. The idea of “newness” is often confused with “latest” but, if you stop and think about it, everything is “new” to someone. With finances getting a little tighter, some historic searching can turn up some fantastic fragrances at inexpensive prices. So, with that in mind, it’s time to rediscover Halston 1-12.

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Monday, 20 December 2021

My Favourite Five From 2021

To say that it’s been a challenging twelve months would definitely be an understatement but, for the second year running, the fragrance industry has refused to give in. Even with partial restrictions and a decidedly uncertain future, companies have continued to do their very best to bring us some much needed scented escape. Some of the fragrances have been new, some have been classics, but all of them have kept us smiling. So, as we approach the end of 2021, I thought it would be a good moment to look back at twelve months of articles, once again channel my inner Blyton, and pick My Favourite Five.

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Monday, 17 May 2021

NIGHTSCAPE by Ulrich Lang

The part of reviewing fragrances that I really enjoy is when you end up with connections that, until you stumble across them, hadn’t been mentioned before. This can be because journalists are nervous about veering too far from the company’s press release, for fear of upsetting the person that’s written it, or they’re financially tied in some way to the promotion of the scent. So, when the worlds of Netflix, perfume, and American fashioned collided spectacularly this week, I finally realised that I was sitting on a modern day classic. It’s time to revisit, or discover for the first time, the Ultrasuede styling of Nightscape by Ulrich Lang.

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Thursday, 13 May 2021

HALSTON Z-14 by Vincent Marcello and Max Gavarry

If you think about the vast number of fragrances that are launched every year you’ll understand why securing a following is so important. The constant stream of new releases can potentially result in us switching our allegiance to the new kid on the block, and then it’s very hard to tempt us back. It wasn’t always like this. In the past, the launches every year were only in double figures, and that actually may be one of the reasons why some have stood the test of time. One such fragrance is Halston Z-14 and, as it celebrates its forty-fifth birthday, I thought it was time to see whether the years had been kind.

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Monday, 15 March 2021

STEPHAN'S SIX - ISAAC MIZRAHI

How do you begin to describe Isaac Mizrahi? He’s a designer, an actor, a TV host, a writer, and a producer... and he is also unbelievably funny. Born in Brooklyn, he was torn between fashion and theatre, so decided to do both. He received early backing from Chanel, had a client list that included Naomi Campbell and Liza Minnelli, and also does the perfect imitation of Barbra Streisand. Isaac eventually released his autobiography, I.M. A Memoir, in 2019 but I wondered what extra scented secrets we’d discover during “Stephan’s Six”.

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Monday, 8 March 2021

STEPHAN'S SIX - JULIE HALSTON

How do you introduce someone like Julie Halston? She’s an award winning American actress and comedienne, she’s kept us entertained online during a “global pandemic” courtesy of Virtual Halsten, and her list of credits include everything from Hairspray to Sex and The City. Never one to shy away from a one-liner, I thought it was time to find out a little more about this Flushing girl and ask her “Stephan's Six”.

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Monday, 15 February 2021

HALSTON by Bernard Chant

The term “best seller” is one that gets thrown around with ease these days. Everything seems to qualify for the description, from fragrances through to books, so you often wonder what they’re actually being compared with? The days of the true “international best seller” are long gone, because customers demand constant variety and novelty, but it wasn’t always that way. Forty-six years ago a perfume was released by Max Factor that truly took the world by storm and, excusing a few reformulations, is still in production. Familiar to many, but possibly new to some, it’s time to rediscover the legend that is Halston by Bernard Chant.

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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”.

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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, 13 March 2023

Monday, 14 March 2022

Monday, 20 December 2021

Monday, 17 May 2021

Thursday, 13 May 2021

Monday, 15 March 2021

Monday, 8 March 2021

Monday, 15 February 2021

Monday, 24 August 2020