Stephan Matthews

Showing posts with label Harrods. Show all posts

Monday, 17 February 2025

SILKY WOODS by Goldfield & Banks

A bottle of the Goldfield & Banks perfume Silky Woods

Whether you’re thinking about music, film, theatre or perfume, there are certain examples in every genre that demand to be referenced as the ultimate interpretation. This can be because they have captured the public’s imagination, maybe won the applause of the critics, but ultimately they stand alone on a pedestal. When it comes to perfume, there is arguably only one ingredient that truly bucks this trend. Oud has been a mainstay of the fragrance market since 2007, but its tenacity has made it challenging for many. It would take fourteen years for its heart to be truly revealed, and that was in Silky Woods from Goldfield & Banks.

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Monday, 27 January 2025

BECOME by Bentley

When we talk about luxury fragrances the focus is often firmly fixed on the rarity of ingredients, the limited quantity produced, and even the perfumer behind the scent. It all goes to create that appearance of luxury, and to explain the price that is usually attached to the perfume. However, the other way to simulate luxury is to align with an existing luxurious product. Whether that’s a celebrity, a destination, or a clothing brand, their kudos brings an established and dedicated following. This was the route that Bentley took when they entered the perfume market, and their latest fragrance Become continues the experience.

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Monday, 21 October 2024

SH**TY DAY by NOYZ

A bottle of the perfume Sh**ty Day from NOYZ

In a world that is dominated by pictures of the perfect body, the most sumptuous living room, or the ideal holiday getaway, it can begin to feel like there is no possible way of measuring up to these often-enhanced images. This important discussion around what real life actually looks like, versus the doctored online perceptions, isn't a subject that you would necessarily think would form the inspiration for a perfume brand. Well, it has. In an attempt to make things decidedly more “real”, NOYZ has arrived to cut through the fictitious and replace it with fact, and they’ve begun with their scented antidote to a Sh**ty Day.

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Monday, 20 February 2023

SUNSET HOUR by Goldfield & Banks

A bottle of Sunset Hour perfume from Goldfield And Banks

One of the hardest things for any perfume company to do is try and improve on an already loved fragrance. It often results in numerous flankers, which is industry speak for variations on a theme which may or may not bear any resemblance to the original. These can be fleeting novelties, or misjudged disasters, and so they should always be approached with caution. However, the other option is to present the original fragrance in a freshly inspired bottle. This is usually accompanied by a price increase, which is why the limited edition of Goldfield & Banks’ Sunset Hour is such a welcome change and the perfect scent to take us into spring.

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Monday, 5 April 2021

STEPHAN'S SIX - MONICA MANCINI

Described by The New York Times as “the glamorous vocal equivalent to diamonds flashing,” Monica Mancini is a double Grammy Award nominee. Daughter to the legendary film composer Henry Mancini, she has gone on to release five albums that truly are the perfect soundtrack to the imminent lazy summer days. So, put your feet up, grab a glass of wine, and discover Monica’s fragrance memories during “Stephan’s Six”.

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Thursday, 20 February 2020

INCENSE CITY by AllSaints

The idea of a clothing company expanding their range to include a fragrance line is nothing new. From the early days of Chanel right through to a more modern Missoni, giving the customer the opportunity to own something more than just fashion or makeup encourages them to fully immerse themselves in the brand. Now, this has been done with varying degrees of success, mainly down to the quality of the final scent, and it’s widely recognised as a bit of a risky enterprise. However, for every failure there is also a triumph and that can certainly be said of AllSaints and their remarkable Incense City.

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Monday, 3 February 2020

TABAC ROSE by bdk Parfums

You often hear the word “exclusive” applied to perfumes within a company’s range but, more often than not, they tend to be a discontinued fragrance that’s been rereleased under a new name. This is wonderful news for fans of the original but it can smack of a laziness on the part of the company. What is always exciting though is when an “exclusive” is released from a young niche brand because, as they don’t have a huge archive, the fragrance is likely to be a new creation. This is the case with Tabac Rose from bdk Parfums, the Harrods exclusive that has definitely set temperatures racing.

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Monday, 20 January 2020

N'AIMEZ QUE MOI by Parfums Caron

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.

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Monday, 6 January 2020

MILANO CENTO - The Original Just Got Stronger

I wonder how many bottles of fragrance end up languishing in the forgotten corner of a cupboard or get passed on to a friend with the greeting of “I think that this will suit you more than it does me.” When we find a perfume that we love it often becomes our signature and, understandably, others that are gifted or purchased can sometimes compare unfavourably next to it. Even the act of moving from an Eau de Toilette to an Eau de Parfum can prove problematic so, with this in mind, has Milano Cento successful managed to intensify its signature scent to match the expectations of a new decade?

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Monday, 14 January 2019

OLD BOOKS by The Perfumer's Story

In the world of fragrance, new perfume releases seem to come so quickly that it’s impossible to catch every one at the time if its debut. Perfumes get overlooked or overshadowed by brighter, bigger, or louder launches, and some real gems can often get lost amongst the noise. One such fragrance is Old Books by Azzi Glasser for The Perfumer’s Story. It arrived on the scene in 2015 and is still something of a secret amongst patchouli lovers. In a market saturated with voluminous scent, Azzi has always retained her delicacy of touch and Old Books truly is an emotional breath of fresh air.

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Thursday, 8 March 2018

AFTER HOURS by The Perfumer's Story

The fragrance industry gets more competitive every year and so companies have to constantly produce new and exciting scents in order to keep ahead of the game. One company that seems to take this in their stride is The Perfumer’s Story. Dreamt up by Azzi Glasser, of Agent Provocateur fame, their catalogue now numbers fourteen perfumes with the latest two released just days apart. Kingsman TGC and After Hours were both launched in September 2017 but it’s the latter that I’m going to look at here. After Hours is described as “glamorous, magnetic and sensual”, but does it really live up to expectations?

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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?

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Monday, 16 January 2017

STEPHAN'S SIX - ROBERTO GRECO

The days of “point a camera at a bottle of perfume” have well and truly gone because a sense of creativity is now demanded by every company. One person who certainly has this gift is Roberto Greco, an incredible photographer who splits his time between Paris and Geneva. From Le Galion to Liquides Imaginaires, his work has been featured in the Harrods magazine as well as by The Perfume Society. So, I thought it was time to find out a little bit more about Roberto in the first of a new series of “Stephan’s Six”.

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Thursday, 3 November 2016

The "Delightful" Leighton Denny

The wait is over! LIGHT & DARK DELIGHTFUL, Leighton Denny’s fourth fragrance, is finally released in its 70ml size on Monday. You probably already know that LIGHT & DARK DESIRE won a coveted Fragrance Foundation award this year, but did you know that his whole perfume range was almost never made? Now, I've known Leighton since 2006, when we were both based in Harrods, but I thought it was time to find out more about his “perfume journey” over a good old-fashioned Sunday roast.

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Monday, 1 August 2016

STEPHAN'S SIX - VICTORIA CHRISTIAN

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”?

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Thursday, 16 June 2016

MILANO CENTO is back

Many reviewers describe fragrance as a "time machine" which can take you on a journey into your past, but that is always dependent on your having a link to the fragrance in the first place. What if a perfume came along which catapulted you back to the eighties without ever having smelled it before? I'm not going to lie, I was a little scared of this beast initially because the late eighties and early nineties were not known for subtlety. However that is exactly the joy of this powerhouse, which is back after a twenty four year absence. Pick up your VHS, reach for your Dynasty shoulder pads, and let me reintroduce you to Milano Cento.

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Thursday, 25 February 2016

AMBRE ÉTERNEL by Guerlain

When Guerlain launched Santal Royal in October 2014 it is fair to say that its success took everyone a little by surprise. It seemed that every week brought a new Oud fragrance, and the market was becoming saturated. Somehow this black beacon, itself a reworking of the classic Aqua Allegoria bottle, grabbed the attention of the customer and its place in Guerlain's catalogue was secured. However, in the way of all perfume houses, its success meant that there had to be a successor. It arrived in January 2016 and was called Ambre Éternel. With a lot to live up to, what would the new fragrance bring to this once classic brand?

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Monday, 8 February 2016

STEPHAN'S SIX - LORNA McKAY

Lorna McKay is very at home in the beauty departments around the word, she helped to shape them after all! As a buyer at Harrods and QVC, advisor to Liberty and creative consultant for Liz Earle her knowledge and passion is without question. Cofounder of the Perfume Society, what would she reveal about her own habits during "Stephan's Six"?

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Monday, 30 November 2015

STEPHAN'S SIX - ROJA DOVE

The boy who famously pestered Robert Guerlain into giving him a job, Roja Dove has never lost his passion for fragrance. After twenty years he left Guerlain to open his Haute Perfumery in Harrods, selling only the fragrances that he loved, before finally starting to create his own. What would he make of "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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