Thursday, 18 February 2016

BLUEBELL by Penhaligon's and Jo Malone

There are certain flowers which perfectly embody a country or region, but surely none so much as the quintessentially British Bluebell. This tranquil bloom appears at the end of April in the United Kingdom and can usually be found carpeting woodlands in a stunningly fragrant watery blue. Unfortunately it is one of the florals which refuses to give up its essential oil and so always has to be created artificially, in the same way as lily of the valley, using other essences. There are still only two interpretations which truly vie for the top spot, so let's look forward to warmer months and rediscover the Bluebell.

Monday, 15 February 2016

STEPHAN'S SIX - BUNNY GALORE


No-one really knows how old the ageing actress Bunny Galore is, but what we do known is that she was thrown out of the Rank Charm School for padding her bra and to a generation of young adolescents she was the girl next door. In her varied career she has appeared in film and tv, from Muffin the Mule to Hammer Horror, and is now a regular weekly performer at London's Wam Bam Club. Well known for her acerbic wit, it was with some trepidation that I dared to ask her "Stephan's Six".

Thursday, 11 February 2016

The Imagery of MONSIEUR GUERLAIN

Fan-sites are nothing new, especially in the realm of perfume, but what is unusual is when one of them takes the trouble to create original artwork. This was one of the unique aspects of Monsieur Guerlain’s website, along with an unstinting appreciation and knowledge of the Guerlain brand. It was disappointing then when it became known that Guerlain had demanded the immediate closure of his Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Vimeo accounts on February 5th. The main website is currently dormant [all of his accounts are now active] so let’s take a moment to look back at some of the amazing images that Monsieur Guerlain has given us over the past few years.

Monday, 8 February 2016

STEPHAN'S SIX - LORNA McKAY


Lorna McKay is very at home in the beauty departments around the word, she helped to shape them after all! As a buyer at Harrods and QVC, advisor to Liberty and creative consultant for Liz Earle her knowledge and passion is without question. Cofounder of the Perfume Society, what would she reveal about her own habits during "Stephan's Six"?

Thursday, 4 February 2016

Three Roses For Valentine's Day

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.

Monday, 1 February 2016

STEPHAN'S SIX - DANNY YOUNG


Since he started acting in 2001 Danny has built up an enviable list of credits, but he is still fondly remembered for his role as Warren Baldwin, Bradley Walsh’s son in Coronation Street. He continued to work as an actor and presenter when he left the soap in 2006 but it was his performances on Dancing On Ice in 2010 that really got temperatures rising. After taking a short break to concentrate on his fitness training he’s back, larger than life, and ready to set pulses racing again. So, what would he reveal during “Stephan’s Six”?

Thursday, 28 January 2016

Guerlain Renames JASMINORA ... Again

Guerlain's trend for reissuing old fragrances under new names is well known, this year has already seen the 2008 Aqua Allegoria Figue-Iris released in the Parisiennes range under the name Promenade des Anglais, but the company's latest rebottling has left some feeling a little disappointed. In a similar way that Guet-Apens appeared five times with different names, Jasminora has been reissued for a third outing and again given a new name from the archives. Let's see how this fragrance has managed to reinvent itself yet again, and whether it really warrants the price increase from €80 to €550.

Monday, 25 January 2016

STEPHAN'S SIX - SARAH McCARTNEY


A true maverick in the world of the independent perfumer, Sarah McCartney has a wonderfully irreverent attitude to creation. She came from a journalistic background, not a chemistry background, discovered a love of perfume making, and with an eccentric approach has created some of the most challenging fragrances on the market under the name 4160 Tuesdays. Anyone who has smelt Dark Heart Of Old Havana will know that this woman has the ability to bottle pure sexual desire. So, with some trepidation, it was time to ask her "Stephan's Six".

Thursday, 21 January 2016

Lancôme's NEW La Vie Est Belle Florale

I don't think that anyone could have truly predicted the phenomenal success of Lancôme's La Vie Est Belle back in 2012, and as we start 2016 few would have thought that a sixth version would be about to launch (excluding special editions). The key to the range's success was surely that each successive release was based on the original but pulled a different aspect of the fragrance to the fore, so the customer already had a familiarity with each new addition. The latest version, La Vie Est Belle Florale, launches in the UK on 21st February so let's take a journey through the whole series before seeing what to expect from the new one.