Stephan Matthews

Thursday, 15 September 2016

POPPY MEADOW by Bronnley

Collaborations in the perfume market are nothing new, although a large number of them have resulted in some rather dubious creations. So, it was with some nervousness that I approached the RHS Collection by Bronnley, and in particular their new addition to the range, Poppy Meadow. A company whose foundations were built on a floral bedrock would seem the perfect organisation to work with the Royal Horticultural Society, but would their scents be challenging florals or merely shadowy petals? Let’s head down to the garden and see exactly what awaits with the 2016 release, Poppy Meadow.

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Monday, 12 September 2016

Glastonbury's Perfume Workshop

I think by now it's common knowledge that I'm never happier than when I'm messing around with perfume ingredients. So you can imagine my response when Marina Barcenilla invited me to one of her Perfume Workshops in Glastonbury. I didn't need to be asked twice. Marina runs The Perfume Garden, which is soon to become Marina Barcenilla Parfums, and this year she won a coveted FiFi award for her perfume India. The difference between this and other workshops that I've attended is that Marina's is wholly natural, not a synthetic in sight. So, how would I cope without my aldehyde c11 or my amber?

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Thursday, 8 September 2016

Molinard's CARNAL LEATHER

It seems that the days of fragrance counters displaying nothing but innocently sounding perfumes has long gone. In the past the furthest that most went was Scandal or Exclamation, but with the arrival of Fetish, Sex and even Fleur d'Anus the public became switched on to a new breed of perfumers. There is an element of shock value to be sure, but most of these fragrances actually have a grounding in very classic accords. Molinard first revealed its sexual side in 1921 with Habanita, and at the end of 2015 they followed it up with a carnal leather. So, leave Julie Andrews at home as I introduce you to Cuir.

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Monday, 5 September 2016

L'INSTANT MAGIC Reappears

In 2007 Guerlain were looking for a follow-up to their popular fragrance Insolence, which had launched the previous year. Insolence had been marketed as a fragrance for the woman who "never has to apologise", and whilst it championed independence it also lacked romance. So, Sylvaine Delacourte called on Randa Hammami to create a Floral Musky fragrance which would eventually be called L'Instant Magic. On the eve of its tenth birthday let's revisit the fragrance which coined a new, if short lived, olfactory description and ultimately struggled to find its place after it was reclassified as an "exclusive".

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Thursday, 1 September 2016

JO LOVES Gardenia

When Jo Malone opened her first fragrance store in 1994 she had already become known as an "English scent maverick". From simple blends created by hand in her own kitchen she went on to steer her company to become a worldwide phenomenon, eventually selling to Estée Lauder in 1999. Jo Malone remained the creative director for seven years before finally leaving in 2006. After a "contractual" silence she launched a new venture in 2011, Jo Loves. To celebrate the company's fifth birthday, and her own indomitable spirit, let's look back at one of those "comeback" fragrances, the spectacular Gardenia.

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Monday, 29 August 2016

QUENTIN by Deco London

Inspiration comes in many forms, with everything from fabric to fantasy, but periods of history and literary characters have also featured heavily. Whether an "homage to" or a "recreation of", they can help a perfumer move outside of the established styles and trends. 4160 Tuesdays' Sarah McCartney successfully achieved this with the Gatsby and City ranges, using ingredients that were in circulation at the time, and Goodbye Piccadily, which is a recreation of a moment in history using current ingredients. It is this second approach which Deco London also took with their first collection, so come with me and let's meet Quentin.

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Thursday, 25 August 2016

PINK PEONY & RHUBARB by Bronnley

The constant challenge for companies to create the latest blockbusting fragrance is one that many now approach with a reserved optimism. They often stay firmly within an olfactory style or even reinvent past favourites in an effort to hold onto an existing brand loyalty. The idea that past triumphs can again become the latest fashion is not as crazy as it sounds. After all, we can only reinvent the wheel so many times. It was with all of this in mind that I approached Bronnley's latest release, Pink Peony & Rhubarb. The name sounds like Jo Malone, the ingredients sound like Bronnley, but where will the scent take us?

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Monday, 22 August 2016

Happy Birthday INSOLENCE

It’s hard to believe that it’s ten years since the world was first dominated by Guerlain’s iris and violet fragrance bomb. To some it was a new interpretation of the classic L’Heure Bleue whilst to others it was seen as a link between Guerlain's expanding “travel exclusive” range and the boutique customers. Either way, 2006 marked the launch of a fragrance which took department stores and boutiques by storm. You couldn't escape any beauty hall without being sprayed with Insolence and so it was easier to just succumb to the “overdosed, high-voltage” pink explosion, and once smelled it could never be forgotten.

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Thursday, 18 August 2016

LAUDER FOR MEN - The 1985 Powerhouse

Estée Lauder built her entire empire with the sole aim of making "every woman beautiful" and encouraging their independence. What is interesting is that a nod to the men in her customers' lives came much later, thirty-nine years later to be precise, but it was worth the wait. Lauder for Men arrived in 1985, thirty-two years after the debut of the famous Youth Dew, but why did it take so long? Well, Ms Lauder had been toying with men's fragrances since 1964, under another guise, but her first male fragrance under the name of Estée Lauder had to be something special, and it was. So, it's time to rediscover the magic of Lauder for Men.

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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, 25 August 2016

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Thursday, 18 August 2016