Stephan Matthews

Showing posts with label Natural Perfumery. Show all posts

Monday, 4 April 2022

LOWBROW JAZZ by Elementary

The launch of a new fragrance company is often accompanied by a “bells and whistles” approach to marketing, and the inevitable combined saturation of every social media channel. It absolutely gets you noticed, and very quickly, but whether this initial interest is lasting is another thing. That’s why more and more companies are taking the slow and steady approach, in the hope that they will create loyal customers that are genuinely interested in the brand. Elementary did exactly this when they launched at the end of 2019 and, now in their third year, it’s time to revisit the creative duo and rediscover Lowbrow Jazz.

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Monday, 1 November 2021

No.1 by Jones & Modha

I don’t know whether you would call it a trend anymore, because it feels like it’s now part of our everyday lives, but the drive for natural products shows no sign of slowing down any time soon. With a greater interest in what goes into our fragrances, creams and potions, a whole new group of companies have appeared with the promise that they can offer what customers are demanding. Balancing natural credentials with legal formulation requirements can often be difficult though, but one company that have achieved it with their debut fragrance is Jones & Modha. Let me introduce you to no.1 and their promise of “natural plant alchemy”.

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Monday, 7 June 2021

LAZY SAGE by Elementary

We often talk about the companies that had made plans for 2020 and, for obvious reasons, had to shelve or postpone them. What we seem to forget though are those brands that had literally launched at the end of 2019 and so had to navigate a very difficult online retail period. They had to be sensitive and not exploitative, informative as opposed to lecturing, and visible without being overbearing. Many companies fell down on these, even established brands, but there was one that sailed right through. It’s time to reintroduce you to Elementary and, with the sunshine starting to come through, bask in the joy of Lazy Sage.

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Monday, 25 January 2021

GENOA BAY EAU DE COLOGNE by Wild Coast Perfumery

The dream of launching your own perfume brand is one that many fragrance fans consider at some point, although few continue beyond that initial thought. The time that needs to be invested, not to mention the financial backing, can make it unattractive in the long term. However, if you do have the courage to take it further then you unlock a world of creativity. This is exactly what Laurie Arbuthnot did when she founded Wild Coast Perfumery in 2017. Located on Vancouver Island, her inspiration comes from the incredible surroundings, and it’s these that have resulted in the equally spectacular Genoa Bay Eau de Cologne.

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Thursday, 7 January 2021

DARYA, METSA, and SEPEIDEH by Marlese Assman

The past twelve months have seen a real push to support independent businesses because, as I’ve said repeatedly, the large organisations can look after themselves. However, the smaller companies need to remain firmly in our sights. There are so many brands that you may have never heard of, in locations that you would not expect, which is why it’s important to hunt them out. One such company is Bōbé Beauty which is based in Saskatoon. Founded by Marlese Assman, this Canadian company’s trio of natural alcohol-free perfumes offers some much needed escape, along with a promise of “serenity and independence.”

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Monday, 3 August 2020

OPTIMISM DIFFUSER by Eloise Hall

One of the challenges when creating a home fragrance is deciding whether it will be season specific or suitable for all year scenting, and choosing whether that aroma will be uplifting and expansive or comforting and embracing is often one of the most difficult decisions to make. The characteristics of summer citruses and winter warmers means that they often get associated with a particular time of the year, and so creating a scent that can truly transcend the seasons is a difficult task. That's why it was a great treat to discover the perfect ambience all-rounder in Eloise Hall’s wonderful Optimism Diffuser.

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Monday, 29 June 2020

LA TERRE by Floratropia

One of the battles that the perfume industry faces is having to balance the desire for sustainability against the demands for appearance. Many customers will say that they want less packaging, because they’d prefer a company to fit in with their own environmental concerns, but when confronted with a basic bottle they often feel that a little of the glamour is missing. It’s this challenge that causes problems for many companies, but is actually one where niche brands are managing to gain ground. One of the latest is Paris based Floratropia, and their debut collection of four fragrances takes sustainability to the next level.

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Thursday, 14 November 2019

LANTERN REED by Prosody London

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.

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Thursday, 31 October 2019

SOMETHING WICKED by Ivy's Poison

When we think about niche fragrance companies, or artisan if you prefer, we often conjure up images of perfumers hunched over a cluttered wooden desk with a single incandescent bulb burning dimly in the corner. It’s the world that Patrick Süskind described in his book, and later the film, Perfume. Now, things have thankfully moved on a lot since then but the important point about artisan perfumers is that they can work anywhere in the world. It’s this opening up of the industry that has resulted in some terrific new companies emerging, and one such example is the Canadian based Ivy’s Poison.

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Thursday, 10 October 2019

MADAME by Marie Krnakova

The selection of perfumes that is available to fragrance fans gets bigger every day, but so does the various qualities that these scents possess. From natural to organic, and vegan to mixed media, there really is something for everyone. Our individual tastes determine which direction we go in, but it’s often difficult to differentiate the fact from the fiction when it comes to a company’s values. Thankfully there are some out there that are wonderfully transparent, and one such company is MW Perfumes. A natural fragrance brand, and a Fragrance Foundation Award Nominee in 2019, it’s time to meet Madame.

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Thursday, 4 July 2019

NEROLI NUANCE by Prosody London

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.

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Thursday, 25 April 2019

PICAFLOR and CHOYITA by Perfumera Curandera

Even in the heavily publicised niche market there are still some companies that are quietly going about their business almost undiscovered. These individuals are the true artisans of their craft and they often don’t get the attention that they deserve. From sourcing ingredients, preparing tinctures, hand blending, and even bottling it themselves, there are absolute gems out their waiting to be uncovered. One such company is Perfumera Curandera. It was founded by Leanne Hirsh in 2009 and very quickly gathered a loyal band of followers. The twelve fragrances share a theme of healing, but there are two that absolutely grabbed me.

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Monday, 10 December 2018

OUD OCTAVO 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.

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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, 4 April 2022

Monday, 1 November 2021

Monday, 7 June 2021

Monday, 25 January 2021

Thursday, 7 January 2021

Monday, 3 August 2020

Monday, 29 June 2020

Thursday, 14 November 2019

Thursday, 31 October 2019

Thursday, 10 October 2019

Thursday, 4 July 2019

Thursday, 25 April 2019

Monday, 10 December 2018