It’s not unusual to see numerous fragrance releases from a company in a single year. After all, it’s all about keeping their customers engaged. However, to launch an additional collection of five in one go is a little less usual. It doesn’t happen often because the amount of planning and execution that is required is immense, and it’s also a very risky decision. It takes a brand that isn’t afraid of a little hard work, and that company is LUSH. Their new Florence Collection is a series of five scents that are designed to realign the body's humours. The question is, how would this translate to contemporary fragrance?
Showing posts with label Oriental. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Oriental. Show all posts
Thursday, 21 May 2020
Thursday, 28 March 2019
GODDESS BEAUTY OIL by Ancienne Ambiance
When it comes to answering the age-old question of how to make your fragrance last longer, the response is always to make sure that the skin you’re spraying the perfume onto is moisturised. The act of hydrating your skin can dramatically increase the longevity of your scent, but finding one that goes with your particular perfume can be a challenge. A decade ago a product was launched that has become my “go to” recommendation and, on its tenth birthday, it’s time for me to introduce it to you as well. More than just a body moisturiser, say hello to Ancienne Ambiance’s Goddess Argan Beauty Oil.
Thursday, 22 November 2018
COLONIA NINE by Ancienne Ambiance
Launching a fragrance range is a minefield in today’s market but life wasn’t any easier back in 2004 either. We were in the middle of the “celebrity culture” and everybody wanted to smell like his or her favourite pop star or film icon. Into the middle of this sequin and Lycra party came a company that was the exact opposite. Using the ancient world as its inspiration, and deliberately trying to offer their customers something that wasn’t on the high street, Ancienne Ambiance was launched. Fourteen years later, and with five beautiful fragrances in the collection, it is as successful as ever but Colonia Nine is particularly special.Monday, 12 November 2018
STERLING and HATTERAS by Fulton & Roark
When we think about perfume we rarely also think about gadgets. The world of fragrance is almost revered and the prospect of having it sullied with gimmicks and novelties would be sacrilege. However, there have already been many questionable bottles and applicators, but the latest “gadget” owes a lot to a much-loved part of perfume’s history. Fulton & Roark have launched a range of solid fragrances that draw on the earliest tradition of having your scent contained within a wearable wax. Encased in a magnetic sliding container, they have made solid perfumes sexy. Let me introduce you to some streamlined silver.
Monday, 29 October 2018
SHALIMAR by Guerlain
One of the joys of writing about scent is that I occasionally get the chance to revisit a fragrance that can truly be described as a “classic” in the history of perfumery. The word is used too frequently to describe all sorts of fragrances, and it often feels as though it has lost a little of its importance. However, when it comes to Shalimar by Guerlain the word is absolutely spot on. For a fragrance that is ninety-three years old, this matriarch of a scent still has something to offer to younger generations, especially those who dare to be different. Let me reintroduce you to this Jacques Guerlain classic.
Monday, 16 July 2018
EAU DE COLOGNE - LA VÉRITABLE by Cadentia
Summer is the perfect time to revisit the classic cologne, and by this I mean a fragrance that is structured in the traditional way rather than merely exhibiting a “freshness” and “effervescence” that has become associated with the style. Many companies offer scents which are described as “cologne” but have little to do with this wonderfully simple form of perfumery, but one brand still proudly specialising in these uplifting scents is Cadentia. A favourite in France, but fairly unknown outside of its native country, the company has just launched their Eau de Cologne - La Véritable range and the results are beautiful.
Labels:
Cadentia,
Cologne,
Cologne And Cotton,
Frédéric Robin,
Jasmine,
Jean d'Aigle,
Jean des Salines,
La Veritable,
Lavender,
Marc Florens,
Natural,
Oriental,
Rose,
Royal Amber,
Stephanie Dargent,
Vetiver,
Violet
Thursday, 3 May 2018
Le Jardin Retrouvé's PERFUME REVIVAL PROJECT
When a company chooses to release a new fragrance it usually goes through various hoops before it hits the shelves. From evaluation to IFRA compliance checks, most of these happen behind closed doors with the first glimpse being reserved for focus groups. Le Jardin Retrouvé have chosen a different approach for the launch of their latest fragrance and have invited perfume fans to vote for their favourite out of four options via their #PerfumeRevivalProject. Using original formulas discovered in Yuri Gutsatz’s archive, Le Jardin Retrouvé’s offerings run the gamut from solar floral to oriental, but which one did I choose?
Monday, 5 December 2016
ORIGINAL MUSK by Kiehl's
There are times when you suddenly rediscover a lost favourite and wonder why you ever stopped using it. This happened to me a few weeks ago, and the emails that I got after I mentioned it on twitter made me realise that it needed to be reviewed again. We are constantly bombarded with perfume release after perfume release but it’s an occasional glance back to the past that makes you realise some of these "new" fragrances actually owe a lot to earlier scents. I’m talking about ORIGINAL MUSK by Kiehl’s, their most famous fragrance, and getting to know it again has been a pretty sexy experience.
Thursday, 10 March 2016
Carnal Lust at 4160Tuesdays
When I was invited last July to spend a day with Sarah McCartney of 4160Tuesdays you would have thought that I would jump at the chance. Unfortunately I could never get the dates of her perfume courses to work for me. So imagine my delight when I heard that there was space on one in January, and that I could finally go. Perfume creation is not something that is new to me, but workshops have always been a fairly formal affair with structures and briefs so I was curious what format Sarah's would take. As she is also known for being wonderfully entertaining I knew that anything could happen and probably would.Wednesday, 19 August 2015
Eau de ROOM SPRAY
It's time to admit it, we've all done it. At one point or another you've spritzed yourself with room spray instead of your favourite "perfume". Sometimes this has been accidentally, and sometimes very much on purpose, but unless it was made by Glade nobody probably noticed. So what exactly IS the difference between your room spray and the worlds finest perfumes? Well, brace yourselves because you might be surprised at the answer.
Labels:
Amber,
Cologne,
Glade,
Guerlain,
IFRA,
L'Occitane,
Mitsouko,
Oriental,
Room Spray
Wednesday, 10 June 2015
ENJOLI - A Woman CAN Have Everything
A fragrance for the modern woman who wanted it all; a career, a husband, and to still look sexy as she read her children a bed-time story. My personal experience of the latter is that you're usually exhausted and covered in baked beans! Created by Charles of the Ritz in 1978, Enjoli promised an "eight hour perfume for the twenty-four hour woman". Boasting the female ability to "bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan and never, never, never let you forget you're a man", the Enjoli woman allowed her husband to think he was in charge, although really she was. So, thirty seven years later, has the perfume stood up to changing tastes?
Wednesday, 3 June 2015
LAYER ME
The question I get asked most often is, "How do I make my fragrance last longer?" There have always been a myriad of complimentary products to go with various scents but the quality of these has been pretty variable. Also, with the trend for using more than one fragrance at the same time to create a truly unique personal scent we've actually been missing the most vital piece of the puzzle. You wouldn't paint a wall before preparing the surface but we are happy to just spray perfume and hope. So, I went on the hunt for the perfect base for my spritzing, and I found it in the most unlikely of places. I went through lotions and creams, both fragranced and unfragranced, dry oils and even moisture mists, but nothing was doing what I wanted... "Support any fragrance that goes on top, prolong its life and bridge the gap between layered scents," and obviously moisturise as well.
Monday, 1 June 2015
SOPHIA - Wear It With Passion
In 1981 Sophia Loren declined an offer to play the iconic role of Alexis Colby in "Dynasty", and so the part famously went to Joan Collins. However, the same year did see the release of the perfume SOPHIA by Coty. Described as “the fragrance of living and loving”, Sophia Loren told women to “wear it with a passion”. With an Italian sexuality that she was famous for, that message was clear. Thirty-five years later she would return to the world of fragrance in Dolce & Gabbana's Rosa Excelsa campaign, but for now, after a cold shower, I gently caressed the bottle to see whether the original passion could be rekindled!
Labels:
Alexis Colby,
Amber,
Citrus,
Clove,
Coty,
Dynasty,
Floral,
Floral Oriental,
Frankincense,
Iris,
Jasmine,
Musk,
Oriental,
Rose,
Sandalwood,
Sophia,
Sophia Loren,
Vanilla,
Vetiver,
Ylang Ylang
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