Stephan Matthews

Showing posts with label Revlon. Show all posts

Monday, 17 July 2023

STEPHAN'S SIX - NANCY MEILAND

A journey into the world of perfume can come in many ways, but for Nancy Meiland it was a coming together of two disciplines. Originally a successful actress, Nancy also worked as assistant to renowned perfumer Anastasia Brozler. Now a perfume run her own right, this combination of theatricality and technical knowledge shines through in her fragrances, but I wanted to see what scented secrets she would reveal during “Stephan’s Six”.

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Monday, 13 February 2023

GINGER by LUSH

A bottle of Ginger perfume from LUSH - originally launched by Cosmetics To Go

I know that many people will swear by the mantra “never look back”, but I’m one of millions that is happily enjoying the continued wave of 1980s nostalgia. This was the decade that saw me enter my teens, clumsily plant my first kiss, and begin to notice that the world was rapidly changing around me. From the strikes to the Big Snow, and of course the exciting arrival of the UK’s fourth television channel, these were ten tumultuous years. So, grab your Sony Walkman, and set the VCR to record Crossroads, because we’re heading back to 1988 to discover Ginger from Cosmetics To Go (aka LUSH).

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Monday, 15 February 2021

HALSTON by Bernard Chant

The term “best seller” is one that gets thrown around with ease these days. Everything seems to qualify for the description, from fragrances through to books, so you often wonder what they’re actually being compared with? The days of the true “international best seller” are long gone, because customers demand constant variety and novelty, but it wasn’t always that way. Forty-six years ago a perfume was released by Max Factor that truly took the world by storm and, excusing a few reformulations, is still in production. Familiar to many, but possibly new to some, it’s time to rediscover the legend that is Halston by Bernard Chant.

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Monday, 13 April 2020

FANTASY by Britney Spears

Everybody loves a birthday and the world of perfume is no different. With so many fragrances released annually it’s often hard for some of them to even reach a second birthday, let alone a very impressive fifteenth. Capturing the moment and securing a fan base is what every new launch strives to do, and that is exactly what happened in 2005. In the year that she sang “I see you lookin' at me,” Britney Spears launched the first of her Fantasy perfumes and it took the celebrity fragrance to new heights. So, fifteen years on, let’s go back to where it all began and see if it still leaves “a tantalising trail of embracing sensuality.”

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Thursday, 1 June 2017

GALLIVANT - Scenting The City

The niche sector of the perfume market is an ever-growing one with new companies seemingly popping up at a rate of knots. Some of them are excellent; some of them miss the mark. Some are created by perfumers; some are envisaged by creative directors. Whichever way they come to market the most important thing is that the product is of an exceptional quality, otherwise they just get lost amongst a sea of Google search results. Enter Nick Steward and his company Gallivant. No stranger to the perfume industry, and with an approachable nature that is refreshing, I met up with him to find out more about Gallivant.

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Monday, 12 December 2016

CHARLIE ... A Most Original Fragrance

"Legendary status" are two words that seem to be written very easily about today's fragrances, but one was released in 1973 that truly is "legendary". It was reacting to a period of change for women when they were gaining more independence and finally making a dent in the long struggle to sexual equality. Released by America's sweetheart, Revlon, this powerful aldehydic floral would remain a firm favourite because it was sold with an affordable drugstore price tag. Forty-three years after its launch it's about time we lavished some well deserved praise on this ignored classic. So, come with me as we rediscover CHARLIE!

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Monday, 18 July 2016

RUTH MASTENBROEK - The Lost Interview

When Ruth Mastenbroek took part in “Stephan’s Six” back in April 2016 her wonderful answers were unfortunately too long to use in their complete form, so I had to edit them down. However, when I was looking through some old files last week I came across her original interview and realised that what had been removed actually provided a great insight into her creative inspirations. Since launching her own brand, Ruth Mastenbroek has released three fragrances, Signature, Amorosa and Oxford. So, with Ruth’s kind permission, let’s finally read the answers that escaped last time … we'll call it the “lost interview”.

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Monday, 11 April 2016

STEPHAN'S SIX - RUTH MASTENBROEK

After leaving Britain at the age of four Ruth Mastenbroek’s fascination for perfumery began to show itself. This led to a career creating fragrances for many famous companies, before she took the decision to release her own range of perfumes. Taking a clear influence from classic styles, but with a modern interpretation, what would she reveal of her own perfume history during “Stephan’s Six”?

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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?

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Saturday, 23 May 2015

SCOUNDREL - A Bumpy Ride

The 1980s were a difficult decade for Revlon, especially as they were approaching the ten year anniversary of Charlie with no new masterpiece in sight. Enter Scoundrel with the slogan "Seize the moment". Launched in 1980, the first three years of its life went largely unnoticed, but then the reigning "bitch" of prime time television swept in and changed its future forever, well at least until 1986.

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Friday, 15 May 2015

FOREVER KRYSTLE by Charles of the Ritz

The 1980s was the decade of shoulder pads and big hair, and it also gave rise to many perfumes that matched. Those ten years saw an incredible output of fragrances and it was impossible to keep up with each one. This meant that so many slipped under the radar. One that proved incredibly popular however was Forever Krystle from Charles of the Ritz. It was created to tap into the success that the television series Dynasty was enjoying at the time and the heroine, Krystle Carrington, was chosen to be the inspiration. Originally released in 1984, it’s time to see if the years have been kind.

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Sunday, 10 May 2015

An 80s Love Affair

I don't want it and I don't need it, but I MUST have it. That is the way my mind works when I see a discontinued perfume; the thrill of finding an old master, a classic, a rarity. However, if you tell me that the perfume is from the 1980s then it becomes a fight to the death. What is it about this decade that makes us lose all sense and spend a fortune bidding on a bottle of perfume that could end up smelling like gin?

Well, those ten years saw an incredible output of fragrances with what seemed liked a release nearly every week, so it was impossible to keep up with each one. So many slipped under the radar that a search on eBay turns up the most eclectic mix. Forget the big companies, forget even the infamous Giorgio of Beverley Hills, the eighties saw the birth of the celebrity fragrance.

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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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Monday, 17 July 2023

Monday, 13 February 2023

Monday, 15 February 2021

Monday, 13 April 2020

Thursday, 1 June 2017

Monday, 12 December 2016

Monday, 18 July 2016

Monday, 11 April 2016

Wednesday, 10 June 2015

Saturday, 23 May 2015

Friday, 15 May 2015

Sunday, 10 May 2015