Stephan Matthews

Showing posts with label Vetiver. Show all posts

Monday, 2 May 2022

VETIVER by Terres Dorees

A bottle of Vetiver fragrance by Terre Dorees

One of the great things about being able to travel is that it unlocks the possibility of making perfume discoveries in foreign city side streets. You may come across a brand that's specific to a country, perhaps one that's still in its infancy, or even a fragrance house that is determined to remain a hidden treasure. Whatever the reason, spending some time off the beaten track is guaranteed to uncover exciting surprises. A great example of this is the South of France’s Terres Dorees. Originally located in Villefranche-sur-Mer, but also found in Nice’s old town, it’s time to go back to basics with their exciting Vetiver.

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Monday, 1 June 2020

ATTUNE SKINCARE - An Aromatic Explosion

The scent that you get when you open a face cream, or any beauty product for that matter, is seen by many as being just as important as the promised effects. It’s like the thrill of breaking the foil on a new jar of coffee, and being the first person to experience that aroma as it escapes from the sealed compartment. The fragrances within these potions and preparations can invigorate or relax, depending on what ingredients are chosen, but they can also be designed to appeal to a specific market. Attune Skincare is one of the latest to focus on the power of scent, and their citrus aromatic offering is absolutely stunning.

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Thursday, 2 April 2020

NIRVANA by Barbershop Botanicals

Perfume has often been described as a frivolity that simply forms part of a person’s daily beauty ritual, but that’s a pretty harsh judgement. The fragrance that we decide to wear for the day, or the evening, is often carefully chosen because of the way it makes us feel. Scent has always had the incredible ability to alter the wearer’s mood and mindset, with the more traditional domain of aromatherapy now being very popular in the perfume industry. One of the latest to combine scent with emotion is Marcus Fellowes of Barbershop Botanicals, and his calming Nirvana couldn’t have come at a better time.

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Thursday, 23 January 2020

VETYVER VANILLE by Le Jardin Retrouvé

One of the most common questions that I get asked by perfume companies that I work with is, “What do we do with our end of line products?” By this they usually mean last year’s limited edition or a fragrance that has been discontinued. Many end up in discount stores, or heavily reduced during those regular online sales, but this wasn’t the route that Le Jardin Retrouvé decided to go down. With many fragrance fans now despite to get their hands on vintage perfumes, the company started a “by request” service called La Collection Historique and, because of that, Vetyver Vanille is just waiting to be rediscovered.

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Thursday, 13 June 2019

COWBOY VETIVER by Beacon Mercantile

Creating a new perfume brand is not something that should be entered into lightly because, unfortunately for some, the already overcrowded niche market is a difficult one in which to succeed. Having a real love for what you do can help but, in the end, it comes down to exquisite products and a loyal customer base. One company that has managed to combine both of these qualities though is Beacon Mercantile, which was founded by Toni Hacker in New York. A combination of candles and skincare have proved hugely successful for the brand but it’s the fragrances that customers are finding truly addictive.

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Monday, 15 April 2019

STEPHAN'S SIX - QUENTIN BISCH

In a world of instant fame it is easy to forget that, for many, success comes after years of perfecting their craft. This can be said of Quentin Bisch, one of the current stars of the Givaudan stable of perfumers. From Yves Saint Laurent to Mugler and Fragonard to Jean Paul Gaultier, Quentin’s creations are varied and exciting. So, I thought it was time to discover his fragrance memories during “Stephan’s Six”.

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Monday, 14 January 2019

OLD BOOKS by The Perfumer's Story

In the world of fragrance, new perfume releases seem to come so quickly that it’s impossible to catch every one at the time if its debut. Perfumes get overlooked or overshadowed by brighter, bigger, or louder launches, and some real gems can often get lost amongst the noise. One such fragrance is Old Books by Azzi Glasser for The Perfumer’s Story. It arrived on the scene in 2015 and is still something of a secret amongst patchouli lovers. In a market saturated with voluminous scent, Azzi has always retained her delicacy of touch and Old Books truly is an emotional breath of fresh air.

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Monday, 26 November 2018

Fragonard's Patchouli Scented Christmas

With the arrival of Christmas, perfume companies are always looking for inspiration for their festive offering. This can go off in many unusual directions and, whilst some hit the mark perfectly, others are often earmarked for the January sales before the first present is even unwrapped. One company that has excelled this year is Fragonard. From design through to product selections, and obviously a beautiful scent, they have released a patchouli inspired collection that offers customers an alternative to the ruby red and pine aromas that you usually get at this time of the year, and this is why it’s my recommended collection for Christmas 2018.

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Monday, 19 November 2018

VETIVER DANCE by Andy Tauer

When a perfume company achieves worldwide distribution, and has a fan following that matches a film star’s, it is not unusual to find the likes of Estée Lauder or L'Oréal in the background. These corporations are the masters of upscaling and promotion, but there’s also a little perfume company that has managed it all by themselves. From design through to fragrance and onto marketing, Tauer Perfumes has gained a reputation for impeccable quality and an attention to detail that is incredible. Throw in that Andy Tauer is also a great guy and you can understand why his fragrances are a firm fixture in the best boutiques.

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Thursday, 6 September 2018

KINGSMAN TGC by Azzi Glasser

Inspiration takes many forms when it comes to fragrance with everything from space to chocolate shops taking the place of more traditional florals. It’s no surprise then that the covert world of spies has also made its way into the perfumer’s imagination with the release of Kingsman TGC by Azzi Glasser and The Perfumer’s Story. It was originally launched to coincide with the cinema release of the film of the same name, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, but this is far more than just a novelty scent. Kingsman TGC is refined, elegant, and wonderfully sophisticated. So, let’s head to Saville Row and I’ll tell you more.

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Monday, 16 July 2018

EAU DE COLOGNE - LA VÉRITABLE by Cadentia

Summer is the perfect time to revisit the classic cologne, and by this I mean a fragrance that is structured in the traditional way rather than merely exhibiting a “freshness” and “effervescence” that has become associated with the style. Many companies offer scents which are described as “cologne” but have little to do with this wonderfully simple form of perfumery, but one brand still proudly specialising in these uplifting scents is Cadentia. A favourite in France, but fairly unknown outside of its native country, the company has just launched their Eau de Cologne - La Véritable range and the results are beautiful.

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Thursday, 21 September 2017

FLORIS UNLOCKS ITS ARCHIVES

You hear many companies talk about their “heritage” but it sometimes seems a little contrived and exaggerated. Add a celebrity here, change a production date there, and it becomes tricky to separate fact from fiction. One company that doesn't have this problem is Floris. Their biggest challenge is actually what to leave out. With a history dating back two hundred and eighty seven years the list of celebrity clients and perfume releases is immense, and it was always a challenge to share this with their customers. So, along with their recent store refit, Floris decided to open up their archives and reveal a few forgotten treasures.

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Monday, 21 August 2017

STEPHAN'S SIX - AZZI GLASSER

Azzi Glasser was born in North London and is no stranger to the perfume industry. She started her career with CPL Aromas in 1991 and very quickly became a sought after perfume designer. A FiFi Award Winner for her Agent Provocateur fragrance, Azzi went on to found The Perfumer’s Story in 2015 and currently has thirteen fragrances in her collection. With such an enviable career already, it was time to discover her own perfume memories as I asked her “Stephan’s Six”.

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Thursday, 13 April 2017

L'AVENTURIER by Fragonard

I don't think that any visit to the Côte d'Azur is complete without a trip to Grasse, the spiritual home of perfumery, and to one of the three factories that are based there. Fragonard, Galimard and Molinard are referred to as "tourist" perfumers but their output really deserves to be looked at a little more closely by perfume fans. Last year, as part of their ninetieth birthday celebrations, Fragonard released a new male fragrance called L'Aventurier which features vetiver. The company has played with this ingredient before but could this new release appease fans that are still mourning the loss of their original Vetyver?

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Thursday, 17 November 2016

GUERLAIN'S TOP FIVE by Stephan Matthews and Monsieur Guerlain

It's difficult to imagine having to choose your top five Guerlain fragrances, but that's exactly what Monsieur Guerlain and I were asked to do. We were set the challenge of deciding our favourites from those that are still in production, and hopefully it will inspire you to add one, or possibly two, onto your Christmas list. Fragrances mean different things to different people and, whilst our choices have some similarities, there are some interesting differences. Monsieur Guerlain's five are firmly rooted in the company's classic period, but one of my choices will definitely cause a few raised eyebrows. So, get a stiff drink and let's begin the Guerlain Boys' Top Five.

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Monday, 4 July 2016

STEPHAN'S SIX - LAWRENCE ROULLIER-WHITE

East Dulwich is home to the famous perfume store Roullier White. Now in it’s eleventh year, it’s the passion of Lawrence Roullier-White, but it’s far more than just fragrance. A better description would be Lifestyle Emporium with everything to keep your home running smoothly, but we’ll just concentrate on the perfume side. A regular stop-off point for scent hunters, what would Lawrence reveal about his own fragrant memories during “Stephan’s Six”?

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Thursday, 9 July 2015

The Scent Of Moving

With a life crammed full of scents, what happens when you move house and disturb your carefully stored fragrance memories? On 3rd July 2015 it happened to me. My boxed up past became alive again, and each lid that I opened brought back a myriad of emotions. They always say that the act of moving house can be cathartic, and what I found was that every item stirred a memory, not all of them good, and each of these also revealed up a scent. When I last moved in 2003 I didn't work in perfume, I was still an actor, and I didn't "think" so much about fragrance. This meant that I didn't have such a connection with my belongings.

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Monday, 1 June 2015

SOPHIA - Wear It With Passion

In 1981 Sophia Loren declined an offer to play the iconic role of Alexis Colby in "Dynasty", and so the part famously went to Joan Collins. However, the same year did see the release of the perfume SOPHIA by Coty. Described as “the fragrance of living and loving”, Sophia Loren told women to “wear it with a passion”. With an Italian sexuality that she was famous for, that message was clear. Thirty-five years later she would return to the world of fragrance in Dolce & Gabbana's Rosa Excelsa campaign, but for now, after a cold shower, I gently caressed the bottle to see whether the original passion could be rekindled!

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Tuesday, 19 May 2015

The SPECTACULAR Joan Collins

With Dynasty about to finish its nine series reign over prime-time television, Joan Collins decided the time was right to launch her first fragrance. No stranger to perfume promotion, Joan had been the face of Revlon's Scoundrel from 1983-1986, but this time she was very firmly in charge. Under the name of "The Design House of Joan Collins", but actually produced by Parlux Fragrances Ltd, the first perfume in a planned line was Spectacular. At the time of the launch Joan was very open about the fact that she wanted an independent income and, alongside other "Design House" ventures, Spectacular came with very high expectations.

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Saturday, 16 May 2015

NAPOLEON by Galimard

When Galimard were approached by "L’Association Action Nationale des élus pour la Route Napoléon" to create a perfume to celebrate the bicentenary of the passage of the Emperor from Golfe-Juan to Grenoble, Chantal Roux, Galimard’s co-owner, began by researching the man himself. Interestingly she found that Napoleon possessed an excellent sense of smell. He loved the scent of rose, orange water and violet, and as he was from Corsica had also grown up with the aroma of the scrubland. Any research on Napoleon will always reveal his love of the ladies, so Chantal thought it important to bring feminine notes into the fragrance in a way that meant it could be enjoyed by both men and women. On the 20th February 2015 Napoléon was launched at Galimard’s factory in Grasse.

So, a perfume inspired by a man who adored Eau de Colognes. Can it work?

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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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Thursday, 13 June 2019

Monday, 15 April 2019

Monday, 14 January 2019

Monday, 26 November 2018

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Thursday, 6 September 2018

Monday, 16 July 2018

Thursday, 21 September 2017

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Thursday, 17 November 2016

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Thursday, 9 July 2015

Monday, 1 June 2015

Tuesday, 19 May 2015

Saturday, 16 May 2015