When it comes to answering the age-old question of how to make your fragrance last longer, the response is always to make sure that the skin you’re spraying the perfume onto is moisturised. The act of hydrating your skin can dramatically increase the longevity of your scent, but finding one that goes with your particular perfume can be a challenge. A decade ago a product was launched that has become my “go to” recommendation and, on its tenth birthday, it’s time for me to introduce it to you as well. More than just a body moisturiser, say hello to Ancienne Ambiance’s Goddess Argan Beauty Oil.
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.
January can often be the calm before the storm for new fragrance releases as companies set their sights on the Valentine's Day sales with their top selling scent. It’s because of this that the first month of the year is a fantastic chance to revisit old classics or even just look through the companies' ranges to see what you may have missed. One such gem can be found in the back catalogue of Sarah McCartney’s 4160 Tuesdays. Now approaching its fourth birthday, Goodbye Piccadilly was launched on Friday 16th May 2014 but it is often overlooked in favour of the newer releases. So, let me show you just what you’re missing.
You often read about the power that fragrance has for transporting us back into the past. Those forgotten perfumes, that selection of banned ingredients, these are all ways of "experiencing" the scents that would have been worn in previous decades. However, bottling a true snapshot of real life is a little more difficult. There are so many things to consider and, ultimately, it will be an interpretation based on facts and memory rather than a real "fragrance photograph". So, you can imagine how excited I was when I got to experience a real journey back in time to 1960, and even the mess that it caused was worth it.
In 1964 Pete Seeger sang, "Where have all the flowers gone?" Well, for now I'm not concerned with all of them, just one. It was a staple of male and female fragrances as far back as you can remember but this treasure has now sadly fallen out of favour. I am talking about the vanishing violet. This wonderful floral adds a depth to ladies fragrances whilst emanating femininity, hints at a dangerous note in men's scents whilst softening, and in small quantities provides the finishing touch to a perfume by seemingly pulling everything together and then exploding it outwards! It is a truly magical ingredient, so where has it gone?
The chypre fragrance was to the seventies what the Floral Oriental would be to the eighties, and there were lots to choose from. With a complete contrast to the emerging "youth" scents, that were full of bouncy freshness, and even the gloriously "simple" Penhaligon's florals, which were actually far from simple, the chypre provided a scent full of maturity and elegance. The most famous chypre of the Seventies was surely Charlie by Revlon, although it was marketed as an Aldehydic Floral, but Yardley wanted a piece of the action. Their release was the powerful CHIQUE, and this oakmoss overdose is still in production.
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?
"An Irish perfumery which manufactures in the UK", it's not the usual start to a description about a fragrance brand, but keep reading and I guarantee you will be very surprised. Roads Fragrance, part of the Roads Luxury Group, is based in Dublin and run by its founder Danielle Ryan. Her concept is simple, "to create an artistic brand that would not be limited by its own definition and grow according to its customers' interests." So, will the company's output really be influenced by the sales results of its current ten perfumes? Very probably, but please don't ask me to number crunch this extraordinary collection.
