Stephan Matthews

Showing posts with label Paris. Show all posts

Monday, 3 October 2022

L'APPARTEMENT DE MADAME DE FLORIAN by Charles Wong

Bottle of L'Appartement de Madame de Florian perfume by Charles Wong

Scent is often described as having the ability to conjure up the memories of long-forgotten people, places and events. However, you’re not always in control of where those memories will take you. It could remind you of the scent of a ex-lover, or bring back images of an old address, but it even has the power to stimulate a little bit of scented time travel. A fragrance that is based on a time or place outside of our own experience runs the risk of being difficult for customers to relate to, but L'Appartement de Madame de Florian from Charles Wong perfectly combines romantic Parisian danger with unexplained mystery from another time.

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Thursday, 24 June 2021

DIVINE L'ÉTERNEL FÉMININ by Richard Ibanez

If there’s one thing that the past twelve months have taught me it’s that I really do need to reach into the back of my cupboards a little more often. We all have a tendency to focus on what’s right in front of our noses, quite literally with perfume, and so often miss the treasures that are hiding in the shadows. New purchases are placed at the front and old favourites get forgotten. This became clear when I was having a rummage recently and came across a 2014 bottle of pure delight. So, after seven years of waiting patiently, it’s time to rediscover the exquisite magic of Divine L’éternel Féminin by Richard Ibanez.

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Monday, 1 March 2021

STEPHAN’S SIX - SARAH IRELAND

Many people dream of starting their own perfume brands but few actually turn it into a reality. One person who did, and went on to be award nominated, was Sarah Ireland. Originally a teacher, her debut collection of four fragrances are described as “a small story shared.” After recently launching the charity cologne Speranza, I thought that it was time to find out a little more about Sarah Ireland as I asked her “Stephan’s Six”.

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Thursday, 19 November 2020

CHARADE by Sarah Baker Perfumes

Fragrances launch in such rapid succession that you could easily be forgiven for not entertaining any scent that wasn’t created in the past twelve months. Our minds, and social media feeds, become so saturated with the newest “must have” perfumes that we often overlook everything that has gone before. I’m not talking about fifty years here; I’m thinking more along the lines of twenty four months! If there is one positive thing that lockdown has given us then it’s surely the gift of time - time to research - and that’s exactly how I discovered the deliciously deceitful, and wonderful unisex, Charade from Sarah Baker Perfumes.

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Monday, 13 July 2020

JASMIN MAJORELLE by Le Jardin Retrouvé

One of the facts about perfumery is that everybody has very definite opinions on certain ingredients. This can often be because of a questionable fragrance in our youth, that possibly featured a particular flower, or even the memories that it may conjure up. It’s this idea of jumping to conclusions without smelling that can occasionally see us miss out on some wonderful perfumes. One of the most “judged” ingredients has to be jasmine. This potent flower has been used for centuries but not always with a delicate hand. One man that did know how to tame it was Yuri Gutsatz, and Jasmin Majorelle is a testament to his skill.

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Monday, 25 May 2020

MUGUET 56 by Daniel Pescio

As soon as we mention florals in the same sentence as perfume our minds instinctively turn to feminine fragrances. We have been brought up to believe that flowers are for girls and woods are for men, in the same way as choosing pink and blue, but thankfully things are changing. A willingness to challenge stereotypes has seen many men reaching for florals. Sometimes it’s to disarm but mainly it’s simply a love of this style of fragrance. One perfumer that has an incredible skill and creating florals is Daniel Pescio, and this is perfectly displayed in his beautifully constructed lily of the valley perfume, Muguet 56.

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Thursday, 9 April 2020

DELINA by Parfums de Marly

One of the most amazing parts about the perfume industry is experiencing the moment when the stars really do align. This doesn’t happen very often but, when it does, the results are exceptional. Finding the perfect perfumer for the perfect project, and then watching the company allow them space to create, is a luxury that is not always afforded to mainstream releases. However, in the niche sector it is more common. One such collaboration was between Quentin Bisch and Parfums de Marly. Their 2017 release was the epitome of cashmere soft romance, and it’s time to rediscover the exquisite Delina.

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Monday, 2 March 2020

STEPHAN'S SIX - MARIE-LISE JONAK

A career spent working with the likes of Guerlain and Nina Ricci meant that it was only a matter of time before Marie-Lise Jonak, along with her son Baptiste Bouygues, decided to launch her own company. Ormaie is a natural brand that has an emphasis on the visual presentation as well as the scented experience. With this mind, I wondered what fragrance memories she would reveal during “Stephan’s Six”.

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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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Thursday, 23 January 2020

VETYVER VANILLE by Le Jardin Retrouvé

One of the most common questions that I get asked by perfume companies that I work with is, “What do we do with our end of line products?” By this they usually mean last year’s limited edition or a fragrance that has been discontinued. Many end up in discount stores, or heavily reduced during those regular online sales, but this wasn’t the route that Le Jardin Retrouvé decided to go down. With many fragrance fans now despite to get their hands on vintage perfumes, the company started a “by request” service called La Collection Historique and, because of that, Vetyver Vanille is just waiting to be rediscovered.

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Monday, 1 July 2019

OUD BOURBON by Byron Parfums

France is often referred to as the spiritual home of the perfume industry and it’s one of the many reasons why people still pilgrimage to the country in a quest for scented inspiration. You have the perfume attractions in Grasse, including the famous Institute of Perfumery, but there is also a lot happening in the nation’s capital. Paris boasts numerous fragrance companies and perfumers ready to create whatever is required, but it also promises something a little different thanks to the niche houses that have sprung up. One of the newest is Byron Parfums, and its current collection of five fragrances is intriguing.

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Monday, 13 August 2018

STEPHAN'S SIX - TANIA SANCHEZ

One half of the formidable duo behind Perfumes: The Guide 2018, Tania Sanchez is a writer and editor now based in Greece. After growing up in California East Bay, Tania moved to London to co-author the first perfume book, Perfumes: The A-Z Guide, with Luca Turin. Now married to the “Emperor of Scent”, and with a style that is arrow-head sharp, I wondered what we would find out about Tania’s own perfume memories during “Stephan’s Six?”

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Monday, 8 May 2017

STEPHAN'S SIX - TESSA WILLIAMS

Tessa Williams is the author of Cult Perfumes, which looks at the releases and history of the boutique perfumeries. Alongside launching her own fragrance range, Tessa is a journalist who was written for Vogue and The Times, amongst others. At home with being the interviewer, I thought it was time the tables were turned as I asked her “Stephan’s Six”?

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Monday, 20 March 2017

SYLVAINE DELACOURTE GOES SOLO

When Sylvaine Delacourte announced in October 2016 that she would be launching her own perfume company the fragrance industry let out an audible gasp. Since 2006 she had been Director of Fragrance Evaluation and Development for Guerlain and had steered the company from an historical house to a commercial perfumer. Some of her directions and choices met with mixed responses but Guerlain was again becoming known to regular perfume customers. Her first collection of fragrances, LA COLLECTION MUSCS, offers five interpretations of this main ingredient, but is it enough to sustain a whole range?

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Thursday, 29 December 2016

The Imagery of LE JARDIN RETROUVÉ

We all get so entrenched in our family lives over the festive period that many Twitter and Facebook posts go unread. I am the first to admit that "offline" time is something that I hold very dear, especially at Christmas, but even I couldn't resist when I was asked to create a series of seven posts for Le Jardin Retrouvé. Not heard of them? They were the first "niche" fragrance house and started life in 1975 under the guidance of perfumer Yuri Gutsatz. After almost disappearing following his death in 2005, his son Michel has begun the task of reestablishing the name of Le Jardin Retrouvé for a new generation.

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Thursday, 15 December 2016

Forty-Eight Hours in Paris

"Travel broadens the mind" … it’s a well-used motto, but in the case of the last two days it certainly rings true. I spent forty-eight hours in Paris meeting perfume companies, perfumers, distributors, trainers, and still found time for some retail therapy. What I came away with though was far more than flacons; I came back excited that there are still creators with a sound understanding of perfume construction that doesn't just revolve around bells, whistles and bangs. From lush florals to Russian leather, sparkling colognes to the definitive muguet, I experienced them all.

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Monday, 21 November 2016

STEPHAN'S SIX - JANE MONHEIT

Jane Monheit was described by the New York Times as having "a voice of phenomenal beauty", and anyone that has heard her will definitely agree. A graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, she released her first album, Never Never Land, in 2000 and it took the industry by storm. Twelve albums later I thought it was about time that we found out about her scented history during “Stephan’s Six”.

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Monday, 7 March 2016

STEPHAN'S SIX - JANE DALY

One of the most influential beauty bloggers, Jane Daly started her career in Canadian real estate before switching to perfume and cosmetics. After many years of advising her friends she decided to launch her own beauty website offering fun, facts and fascinating finds. So, I thought it was time to learn a little bit more about Jane Daly for a change, and arranged to ask her "Stephan's Six".

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Thursday, 26 November 2015

Fragonard's NEW Musée du Parfum

There are some beautiful buildings around the world which have been lost to development, and once they're gone they cannot be put back. However, there is one perfume company that seems to be actively scooping these up, restoring, renovating and then breathing new life into them. I am of course talking about Fragonard. Originally launched in Grasse in 1926, it became the first true "tourist perfumer" and catered to the growing demand for "leisurely pursuits" around the Côte d'Azur. Outgrowing the surrounding area, Fragonard set its sights on Paris, restoring an 1860 townhouse by Lesoufaché and the old Théâtre des Capucines. Both now house sections of the vast Fragonard Collection, have retail space to sell the products, but neither gave a full explanation of the process of perfume making. So, what was next in their sights?

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Thursday, 12 November 2015

SERGE LUTENS OLFACTORY WORKSHOP

Workshops are nothing new when it comes to fragrance, and having been "lucky" enough to attend a lot in my time the thought of another usually fills me with absolute terror. However, when I saw that Serge Lutens was going to be starting one at their Palais Royal boutique in Paris it was a must. Luckily I was already going to be in the city for three days so managed to book a place with their expert, Léa Murati. I admit, it was with some trepidation that I handed myself over. Would this be just another selling exercise, or would I actually come away having discovered something new about Serge Lutens?

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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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Thursday, 23 January 2020

Monday, 1 July 2019

Monday, 13 August 2018

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Thursday, 29 December 2016

Thursday, 15 December 2016

Monday, 21 November 2016

Monday, 7 March 2016

Thursday, 26 November 2015

Thursday, 12 November 2015