Hands up anyone who's now started to panic that Christmas is on Sunday? You've had fifty-one weeks to get ready for the big day, but I appreciate that real life can often get in the way. So, unless you're going to plump for next day delivery on internet purchases, and risk them not arriving, then your best bet is to brace yourself for some old fashioned high street shopping. There are three things to remember; try to stay calm, queue politely and don't be swayed by desperate shop assistants. To help you along I've chosen four fragrances that can be found in any department store that are guaranteed to impress on Christmas Day.
It's my birthday, sort of. One year ago I started stephanmatthews.com, a twice-weekly observation on the perfume industry, and in that time we've had ninety four articles, two events, and an occasional "heated debate". One of the things that kickstarted my writing was the Perfume Society, and they have given me a wonderful birthday present ... five memberships to give away to my readers. Before we get to the competition I want to share with you my five favourite articles from the Perfume Society's magazine, the Scented Letter. It was great re-reading the current sixteen issues, and I hope that you enjoy the choices.
Maybe it's cliched but the rose is still the epitome of romance on Valentine's Day. Inflated prices of a bouquet can take the lustre off the experience, so what are the alternatives? Well, fragrances don't have to have a three figure price tag in order to convey quality and so I thought it would be fun to see what some high street stores can offer. All of these are available from Edinburgh to Eastbourne, because none of them are "exclusives", and so you also don't have to worry about a journey to London or the lottery of mail order. So, here are three fragrances that cannot fail to impress, or break the bank.
