There can’t be many television programmes that have been as well-received in recent years as Channel 5’s reboot of All Creatures Great And Small, and a lot of its success lies with the composer of its evocative music. Alexandra Harwood studied at the Royal College of Music and The Juilliard School, and her list of award-winning credits embrace television, film and theatre. With her musical creations mirroring the notes and chords of perfumery, I wanted to hear what scented memories she would reveal during her “Stephan’s Six”.
Showing posts with label Penhaligons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Penhaligons. Show all posts
Monday, 2 October 2023
STEPHAN'S SIX - ALEXANDRA HARWOOD
There can’t be many television programmes that have been as well-received in recent years as Channel 5’s reboot of All Creatures Great And Small, and a lot of its success lies with the composer of its evocative music. Alexandra Harwood studied at the Royal College of Music and The Juilliard School, and her list of award-winning credits embrace television, film and theatre. With her musical creations mirroring the notes and chords of perfumery, I wanted to hear what scented memories she would reveal during her “Stephan’s Six”.
Monday, 19 June 2023
STEPHAN’S SIX - AINSLIE FOWLER
Independent businesses in seaside towns have a habit of vanishing after a single season, but there’s one in Cornwall that's just celebrated its third birthday. The St. Ives Co. was founded by three sisters, Tegen, Ainslie and Safi, with the aim of championing the Cornish way of life through home, body and lifestyle products. While their iconic Grapefruit, Lime & Bergamot Body Cleanser was chosen for the G7 Summit, I wondered what other scented secrets The St. Ives Co. had? I settled down with Ainslie Fowler to discover more during her “Stephan’s Six”.
Labels:
Ainslie Fowler,
Britney Spears,
Chanel,
Coco Mademoiselle,
Cornwall,
Curious,
Duchess Rose,
G7 Summit,
Harbour Haze,
Love Lane,
Penhaligons,
Safi Mackie,
Stephan's Six,
Suncream,
Tegen Mackie,
The St Ives Co
Monday, 15 May 2023
STEPHAN'S SIX - ALEXANDRE HELWANI
The world of perfumery is one that can draw an individual in many different directions, and that is certainly true of Alexandre Helwani. He's the founder and lead writer for The Perfume Chronicles, perfumer in his own right, and also the insightful brand ambassador for Histoires de Parfums. However, I thought it was time to dig a little deeper and discover his scented secrets during “Stephan’s Six”.
Labels:
Alexandre Helwani,
Amber 114,
Chanel,
Coco Mademoiselle,
Dior,
Dune,
Egoïste,
Encens Roi,
Endymion,
Guerlain,
Histoires de Parfums,
Histories de Parfums,
Jovoy,
Mitsouko,
No.5,
Penhaligons,
This Is Not A Blue Bottle
Monday, 15 March 2021
STEPHAN'S SIX - ISAAC MIZRAHI
How do you begin to describe Isaac Mizrahi? He’s a designer, an actor, a TV host, a writer, and a producer... and he is also unbelievably funny. Born in Brooklyn, he was torn between fashion and theatre, so decided to do both. He received early backing from Chanel, had a client list that included Naomi Campbell and Liza Minnelli, and also does the perfect imitation of Barbra Streisand. Isaac eventually released his autobiography, I.M. A Memoir, in 2019 but I wondered what extra scented secrets we’d discover during “Stephan’s Six”.
Labels:
Annick Goutal,
Chanel,
Cuir de Russie,
Diaghilev,
Eau d'Hadrien,
Elsa Peretti,
Fracas,
Guerlain,
Halston,
Hammam Bouquet,
Isaac Mizrahi,
Mitsouko,
Penhaligons,
Perry Ellis,
Piguet,
Stephan's Six,
Z-14
Monday, 10 August 2020
FOUGÈRE INTENSE by SP Parfums
The niche sector of perfumery still looks like a rapidly growing market, even in the current uncertain climate. New companies continue to appear, also vanishing with a similar speed, all hoping that they will be become the latest “new young thing.” To many it felt like a certainty that there was room for ever increasing brands but, more recently, it definitely seems like only those with dedication, talent, and drive can succeed. One perfect example of this is German born Sven Pritzkoleit. He’s once again taken the traditions of French perfumery and mixed them with some contemporary magic to create the beautiful Fougère Intense.
Monday, 11 February 2019
Valentine's Day 2019 - Scents For Gents
When it comes to recommending fragrances for Valentine’s Day it seems that the emphasis is well and truly on gifting for ladies rather than gifting for men. Many magazines will choose their favourite women’s scents but what about those that need to buy for the man in their life? Well, this year I’ve chosen five scents for you to pick from and, with three of them available on the high street, there’s easily something for everyone. None of these are technically “new” releases, but they might be new to you. So, for Valentine’s Day 2019, it’s time to say hello to Guerlain, Penhaligon's, Bella Bellissima, Chanel, and 4160 Tuesdays.
Thursday, 6 December 2018
CULT PERFUMES by Tessa Williams
One of the problems with writing about fragrance is that it can very easily become dry and dusty. Long lists of ingredients, technical terminology, and descriptive language that would make even Shakespeare roll his eyes are commonplace when the subject of perfumery is discussed. This means that truly successful books on the subject are few are far between and, with the exception of Lizzie Ostrom’s Perfume: A Century Of Scent, there is only one other book that I regularly recommend to fragrance fans. For the perfect gift, or a treat for yourself, let me introduce you to the 2013 Cult Perfumes by Tessa Williams.
Thursday, 8 February 2018
My Gift Choices For Valentine's Day 2018
Hot on the heels of Christmas and New Year comes Valentine’s Day with a new set of stresses about what to buy, when to buy and even who to buy for. It’s a gift that can so easily go wrong and one that many people greet with the phrase, “it’ll be half the price next week”. With this in mind I thought that I’d steer away from fragrances this year and focus on another perennial favourite. Candles, and everything that goes with them, are great choices as romantic gifts and there is something for the most modest budget and even the hardest of hearts. So, let me show you my top three choices for 2018.
Monday, 15 January 2018
ENGLISH FERN by Bronnley
Somehow we’re already half way through January and, as the New Year sales finally start to finish, the February fragrance launches begin to loom on the horizon. Hot on the heels of Christmas we enter the realm of the Spring scents with a promise of the warmer weather to come, but what’s available if you’ve still got a little bit of that festive money left? Well, we’re going to head back to a classic British company and a fragrance that you might have missed, English Fern by Bronnley. A staple since the 1920s, and loved by both men and women, just what makes this scent such an enduring evergreen?
Labels:
Bronnley,
Coumarin,
Eclectic Elements,
English Fern,
Fougere,
Fougere Royale,
Guerlain,
Houbigant,
Iris & Wild Cassis,
James Bronnley,
Paul Parquet,
Penhaligons,
RHS Collection
Monday, 20 November 2017
ORCHARD BLOSSOM by Bronnley
Now that the first frosts have really fallen on the British countryside there are two things that are forefront in everyone's minds. Firstly, the sprouts that you buy will be slightly sweeter in taste (my mother always swore that the frosts did this to these divisive greens) and secondly, people will begin reaching for their “winter” scents in ernest. However, for those ladies that prefer a fresher scent during the colder months, because they long for the warmth that Spring promised, help is at hand in the form of this year's release from Bronnley, in collaboration with the Royal Horticultural Society. Say hello to Orchard Blossom.
Thursday, 26 October 2017
FIRE by Tessa Williams
With bonfire night fast approaching and Halloween on the doorstep my thoughts always turn to the gloriously smokey scents of autumn. The crispness in the air and the first frosts on the ground always make me reach for my Penhaligon's matches so that I can set light to the pile of kiln-dried logs that are permanently sitting in the fireplace. The scent of an open fire is one of my favourite smells, which is why I’ve also been known to have one in height of summer, so I was intrigued to find that Tessa Williams had released a home spray simply called Fire. So, would it really smell like my wood-smoke scented sitting room?
Thursday, 8 June 2017
Three Fragrances For Father's Day
It’s almost Father’s Day and if you’ve already made your purchases then I’m very impressed. However, in a similar way to Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day and even Christmas Day, there will be a lot of frantic dashes to the high street in an attempt to get that last minute present. You are going to be confronted with walls of fragrances, some of which you will know but many that you won’t, and so I’ve chosen three classics for you which should cover most budgets. In the end it’s the thought that counts, but one of these is certain to impress. So, let's have a look at Dior, Penhaligon's and Crabtree & Evelyn.
Monday, 13 March 2017
STEPHAN'S SIX - GRANT OSBORNE
When Grant Osborne set up Basenotes in 2000 it was one of the first websites dedicated to fragrance. An approach of fact over rumour has meant it has become a serious research tool for anyone who works in the perfume industry. A self confessed lover of Haribo, Tea, Bacon and Marmite, I wondered what would we find out about Grant’s own perfume memories when I asked him “Stephan’s Six”?
Labels:
4711,
Airwick,
Amaranthine,
Aramis,
Basenotes,
Emporio Armani,
Glade,
Grant Osborne,
Havane,
Haze,
Jean Paul Gaultier,
Le Male,
Old Spice,
Penhaligons,
Stephan's Six,
Supa-Soap
Monday, 3 October 2016
STEPHAN'S SIX - RICHARD E GRANT
When the film Withnail and I was released in 1987 it launched the career of actor Richard E Grant. Born in Mbabane he moved to London in 1982 after studying drama at the University of Cape Town. Whilst managing to maintain an impressive acting career, Richard surprised everyone in 2014 when he ventured into the world of fragrance with his perfume Jack. A self confessed fan of everything scented, what would we discover as he submitted to "Stephan's Six"?
Monday, 4 April 2016
STEPHAN'S SIX - NICK GILBERT
Many people that work within the perfume industry claim to be experts. Whether it’s perfume composition, creation or reviews their knowledge can sometimes be looked on as questionable. One person who this doesn't apply to is Nick Gilbert. He previously worked for Penhaligon’s as their Training and Development Manager before becoming freelance, and is also one half of @fragrantreviews which publish twitter’s best 140 word perfume reviews. So, with all of this in mind what would Nick Gilbert make of “Stephan’s Six”?
Labels:
Chanel,
Coco,
Debenhams,
Dior Homme,
Dolce & Gabbana,
Fahrenheit,
Guerlain Homme,
Infusion d'Iris,
Jazz,
L'artisan Parfumeur,
Lothair,
Mon Numéro 10,
Penhaligons,
The One,
Wella,
YSL
Thursday, 18 February 2016
BLUEBELL by Penhaligon's and Jo Malone
There are certain flowers which perfectly embody a country or region, but surely none so much as the quintessentially British Bluebell. This tranquil bloom appears at the end of April in the United Kingdom and can usually be found carpeting woodlands in a stunningly fragrant watery blue. Unfortunately it is one of the florals which refuses to give up its essential oil and so always has to be created artificially, in the same way as lily of the valley, using other essences. There are still only two interpretations which truly vie for the top spot, so let's look forward to warmer months and rediscover the Bluebell.
Thursday, 31 December 2015
Guerlain, YSL and Penhaligon's - The Accountant Effect
As we take our first steps into a new year it's customary to look back on the previous twelve months and celebrate successes, whilst saying goodbye to failures. Well, the perfume industry is no different. The list of new releases gets longer every year and so casualties are inevitable. When decisions are made commercially, rather than artistically, love goes out of the window. With accountants entrusted to make the choices, is it true that "when love goes wrong, nothing goes right"?
There has always been a rush to copy successful perfumes or styles, but when a marketplace gets flooded with them then it is inevitable that the original will be the one to survive. The accountant’s spreadsheet will always aim to end in the black, but when commercialism starts to fight against a brand’s heritage, or the public’s expectations, then it can quickly spiral down into the red. Yves Saint Laurent, Guerlain and Penhaligon’s have all fallen foul to this trend during 2015, and whilst there’s light at the end of the tunnel the journey is far from over.
Monday, 7 December 2015
STEPHAN'S SIX - CHRISTOPHER BIGGINS
Christopher Biggins has had an eclectic career, from Porridge to Poldark, Rentaghost to Surprise Surprise and even I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here. He is now best known for playing Panto Dame every Christmas, the only one he missed was when he was in the jungle, but people forget that he trained as a classical actor and his credits are impressive. However, his infectious laugh and larger than life personality make him the ideal "celebrity" and I was interested to see what he would reveal during "Stephan's Six".
Thursday, 24 September 2015
Princesse Pauline - Galimard's New Perfume
When Parfumerie Galimard launched Napoléon in February it was originally intended as a unisex fragrance. It had a wonderfully floral heart but was tempered by the more masculine base. However, it quickly became clear that it was appealing more to men than women, and so a female equivalent was needed. The fragrance had to be something that was new for the company but also one that wouldn't compete with the others already in their range. Interestingly, for a long time Galimard had stayed away from a typical rose scent, and so this seemed the perfect opportunity to create one.
Friday, 31 July 2015
The Plight Of The Independent
Once upon a time, in a land far, far away there was a town called "Londinium". Now, in this mystical place there were shops selling everything that a person could want. The shopkeepers knew their customers' names, their tastes, on which day the week they shopped, and never competed with each other in a mercenary way. "Competition is the way to failure. You may succeed in a sale but at the price of a friend." In 2015 this description of London is indeed a fairytale, but it doesn't need to be. At least, not totally. Come with me as I take you on a journey to see whether there are lessons to be learnt from the Plum capital of the United Kingdom.
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