Showing posts with label Perfume: A Century of Scent. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Perfume: A Century of Scent. Show all posts

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, 28 April 2016

THE CELEBRITY FRAGRANCE

They arrive in a blaze of publicity and either hold onto their market share or silently disappear. I'm talking about CELEBRITY FRAGRANCES. There has been a lot of talk about the scourge of this genre recently, but in my opinion the reviewers are missing the point. The world has changed since Guerlain launched Mitsouko in 1919 and L.T. Piver gave us Rêve D'Or in 1889, not least because of the number of releases every year, so are Beyoncé and Rihanna being unfairly criticised? Let's compare a century of perfume habits and see whether twelve months might actually become the norm for a fragrance's life.

Monday, 28 December 2015

STEPHAN'S SIX - ODETTE TOILETTE


What is there left to say about Odette Toilette that hasn't been said already? Well, her real name is Lizzie Ostrom and she has the craziest approach to "perfume appreciation" that you could ever hope to experience. Her sold-out "scratch and sniff" events are now legendary, and she is also the author of A Century Of Scents, a stroll through one hundred years of perfume. With herself as the subject for a change, what would she make of "Stephan's Six"?

Saturday, 24 October 2015

Lizzie Ostrom's Century Of Scents

When Lizzie Ostrom (aka Odette Toilette) first told me that she was writing a book about perfume I remember thinking, how will you get the character of this eccentric into print? Lizzie is anything but predictable, and she has made her reputation by taking perfume and turning it on its head. Anyone who has witnessed her in action knows that her quirky style and approachable manner is what keeps you coming back for more. So, would this translate into print? There have many dry, dusty and pretentious books about perfume over the years which use language that even Countdown's Dictionary Corner would struggle with, but this is not one of them.