Jane Monheit was described by the New York Times as having "a voice of phenomenal beauty", and anyone that has heard her will definitely agree. A graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, she released her first album, Never Never Land, in 2000 and it took the industry by storm. Twelve albums later I thought it was about time that we found out about her scented history during “Stephan’s Six”.
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.
The New York Times described her as "The World’s Most Dedicated All-Natural Perfumer" and she has certainly inspired a generation of independent brands, both independent and commercial. Based in Berkeley, California, Mandy Aftel still creates and blends by hand using a stunning collection of ingredients which have been amassed over her thirty year career. On her recent visit to Britain I asked her "Stephan's Six" so we could learn a little more about the creator of Aftelier Perfumes.
The undisputed Queen Bee of Guerlain, Sylvaine Delacourte joined the company as a makeup artist before becoming their International Makeup Trainer. However, the perfumes fascinated her and, after much hard work, she achieved the coveted role of Director of Fragrance Evaluation and Development. Whilst still a consultant for Guerlain, Sylvaine has now launched her own brand, so what would we learn about her during "Stephan's Six"?
The wait is over! LIGHT & DARK DELIGHTFUL, Leighton Denny’s fourth fragrance, is finally released in its 70ml size on Monday. You probably already know that LIGHT & DARK DESIRE won a coveted Fragrance Foundation award this year, but did you know that his whole perfume range was almost never made? Now, I've known Leighton since 2006, when we were both based in Harrods, but I thought it was time to find out more about his “perfume journey” over a good old-fashioned Sunday roast.
Jim Caruso is best known among the Broadway theatre fraternity for hosting the famous Cast Party at Birdland, which he also brings annually to Brasserie Zédel in London, but his list of other credits is long. Actor, singer, dancer, he even co-starred with Kathie Lee Gifford in Personal Assistant … and survived! As one of Liza Minnelli’s long standing friends he performed with her on Broadway in 2009, but what would we learn about his own scented secrets during “Stephan’s Six”?
With the clocks about to go back an hour, if you live in the United Kingdom, and the nights starting to really draw in, we are right in the middle of Autumn. The leaves beginning to change colour is always the cue to get out the woolly scarf, start preparing to carve your pumpkin and look forward to bonfire night. After that we find ourselves hurtling full speed towards Christmas. So, before we get all festive I thought it would be good to look at two perfumes, decades apart, that are guaranteed to make you want to start kicking those piles of Autumn leaves. Grab your scarf and gloves; we're going for a walk.
When Jo left school at sixteen with six ‘O’ levels she knuckled down, worked hard, and became the youngest-ever UK magazine editor when she joined Look Now at twenty-three. Alongside that she had always had a love of fragrance, and so it seemed inevitable that Jo would go on to co-found The Perfume Society with Lorna McKay. After winning a Jasmine Award for her fragrant writing, I thought it was time that we turned the tables and discovered her scented secrets during “Stephan’s Six”.
"We've got Christmas all wrapped up". It's a phrase that you're going to hear a lot in the coming months, but there is still only one company that can truly can claim it as their own. When Estée Lauder purchased Jo Malone in 1999 they provided the expansion and distribution expertise that was desperately needed, and even after Jo left in 2006 they still held close to her original ethos of producing simple creations that blended effortlessly together to create something bespoke, but there is nothing "simple" about them. They are cleverly created to resonate with the wearer, and that also applies to this year's "Merry Mischief".
