Showing posts with label Nahema. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nahema. Show all posts

Monday, 1 May 2017

STEPHAN'S SIX - DARIUSH ALAVI (Persolaise)


If you don’t recognise the name Dariush Alavi then you might know the man by his pseudonym, Persolaise. He first appeared on March 11th 2010 and since then has challenged, praised and critiqued hundreds of fragrances via his Blog and in many publications. A Jasmine Award Winner, a flamboyant dresser and a mean hand at jam making, I thought it was time to discover Dariush’s own perfume memories during “Stephan’s Six”.

Monday, 17 April 2017

STEPHAN'S SIX - SUSIE WILLIS


Susie Willis is no stranger to success. She sold her first company, Plum Baby, in 2010 for £10m but she still had a desire to further investigate the natural ingredient market. So, in 2016 she launched the skincare range Romilly Wilde and their first fragrance, Idle, was listed in two categories in the 2017 Fragrance Foundation Awards. With nominations for Best New Fragrance In Limited Distribution and Best New Independent Fragrance, I wanted to find out Susie's own perfume memories during "Stephan's Six".

Thursday, 17 November 2016

GUERLAIN'S TOP FIVE by Stephan Matthews and Monsieur Guerlain


It's difficult to imagine having to choose your top five Guerlain fragrances, but that's exactly what Monsieur Guerlain and I were asked to do. We were set the challenge of deciding our favourites from those that are still in production, and hopefully it will inspire you to add one, or possibly two, onto your Christmas list. Fragrances mean different things to different people and, whilst our choices have some similarities, there are some interesting differences. Monsieur Guerlain's five are firmly rooted in the company's classic period, but one of my choices will definitely cause a few raised eyebrows. So, get a stiff drink and let's begin the Guerlain Boys' Top Five.

Thursday, 22 September 2016

Creating at MOLINARD

Molinard is one of three perfumeries still operating out of Grasse in the South of France. The other two are Galimard and Fragonard, and together they form the “tourist trio”. You would be very unwise to dismiss these companies out of hand because they have all managed to survive changing fashions and still produce iconic fragrances. Fragonard has Belle de Nuit, Galimard has Yavana and Molinard has Habanita. All three also have Perfume Workshops with the only real difference being the range of ingredients used. As it’s something that I always enjoy, I was very happy to be invited to experience Molinard’s L’Atelier des Parfums.

Monday, 5 September 2016

L'INSTANT MAGIC Reappears

In 2007 Guerlain were looking for a follow-up to their popular fragrance Insolence, which had launched the previous year. Insolence had been marketed as a fragrance for the woman who "never has to apologise", and whilst it championed independence it also lacked romance. So, Sylvaine Delacourte called on Randa Hammami to create a Floral Musky fragrance which would eventually be called L'Instant Magic. On the eve of its tenth birthday let's revisit the fragrance which coined a new, if short lived, olfactory description and ultimately struggled to find its place after it was reclassified as an "exclusive".

Thursday, 11 February 2016

The Imagery of MONSIEUR GUERLAIN

Fan-sites are nothing new, especially in the realm of perfume, but what is unusual is when one of them takes the trouble to create original artwork. This was one of the unique aspects of Monsieur Guerlain’s website, along with an unstinting appreciation and knowledge of the Guerlain brand. It was disappointing then when it became known that Guerlain had demanded the immediate closure of his Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Vimeo accounts on February 5th. The main website is currently dormant [all of his accounts are now active] so let’s take a moment to look back at some of the amazing images that Monsieur Guerlain has given us over the past few years.

Monday, 14 December 2015

STEPHAN'S SIX - MONSIEUR GUERLAIN


When Monsieur Guerlain started his website back in 2006 it was because there was so little information available about the company. Apart from a few books there was no dedicated site. A lifelong fan, he started to pull together every piece of information that he could find, and his impartiality meant that he has become the unofficial authority on Guerlain. Always writing under his nom de plume, what would we learn about him from "Stephan's Six"?

Tuesday, 13 October 2015

NAHÉMA - An All Consuming Passion

Jean-Paul Guerlain’s creative output was truly astounding, and his contribution to the perfume industry is legendary. A true romantic and a self-confessed ladies man, he loved turning to flowers for inspiration, and in particular his beloved rose. In 1975 he created the incredible Parure and in 1983 the exquisite Jardins de Bagatelle, but what came in 1979? Well, after reportedly working on the fragrance for four years, Nahéma was finally unveiled to the world. A Floral Oriental if you live in the UK, or a Fruity Floral if you live in France, even this friendly disagreement lends itself perfectly to the spirit of Nahéma.