As much as we try not to be influenced by the box or the bottle that a fragrance comes in, sometimes it’s just impossible not to be swayed by appearance. Obviously the ultimate test is when the perfume is sprayed onto the skin, but any kind of extra persuasion that gets you to spritz a new scent is invaluable for any new company. The colour of a box can often be the first thing that grabs your attention, and that is especially true of Cécile from the British company To The Fairest. Sporting a blue jacket that could have walked off the Farrow & Ball colour chart, I was mesmerised before I had even smelled the scent.
Inspiration comes in many forms and that couldn’t be truer of the perfume industry. When you consider the thousands of fragrances released every year it becomes clear just how important it is to choose the correct subject. Many wonderful creations are undiscovered due to badly conceived marketing or a basic disinterest in the concept, but there's a company that has absolutely nailed it in every respect. Combining a love of evocative scents with a rapidly accelerating analogue trend, Jusbox have given us a fragranced vinyl experience that will have you reaching for your turntable. It’s time to discover Black Powder.
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.
When the weather takes a turn for the worse, and snow starts falling as companies launch their latest “springtime scent”, many customers almost ricochet back to the familiar warmth and spice that you get with the great oriental fragrances. The woods, resins and intoxicating florals help transport you to sunnier climes as we fend off the icy winds. For my perfume of escape this week I chose Ambre Sultan by Serge Lutens and, whilst it might not be exactly thought of as an oriental, it definitely packs a punch with the sensuous laudanum. So, let me introduce you the fragrance about which Serge warned, “don’t expect it to fit in”.
After the phenomenal success of their first fragrance in 1924, Les Parfums Worth followed Dans La Nuit with Vers Le Jour, Sans Adièu, Je Reviens, and Vers Toi. Now, Je Reviens is undoubtedly one of the greatest perfumes ever created, but it also has one of the most troubled histories. Reformulations pushed it from a premier scent to a drugstore staple, but true to its name it refuses to be forgotten. In this period of Remembrance let's take a look at one of the soldiers' true nap-sack fragrances, and try to understand why it came to be found on so many sweetheart's dressing tables during World War 2.
