Stephan Matthews

Thursday, 19 October 2017

LIME BASIL & MANDARIN by Jo Malone

Twenty-six years ago a fragrance was launched that would go on to change the way British perfumes were perceived around the world. Conceived by a determined and strong-willed lady from Bexleyheath, the most famous Cologne since Mülhens 4711 was launched in 1991 and took the industry by storm. With its uplifting citrus notes, a "transparent" quality, and the quirky addition of a fresh aromatic, Lime Basil & Mandarin by Jo Malone became the “must have” fragrance. After a quarter of a century I thought it was time to take a look back at the creators and the creation of this now legendary scent.

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Thursday, 12 October 2017

GUERLAIN'S RUSSIA

Guerlain has always enjoyed an unparalleled affection amongst perfume fans and part of this is the continuing transparency that they are displaying in their current releases, and also in the rewriting of parts of its history. Over time a "good story" can cover up the true facts and it is refreshing to see these being peeled away piece by piece. As part of this openness, Guerlain allowed Thierry Wasser and Frédéric Sacone’s vintage recreations to be made available to smell at the Champs Elysees boutique and this means that we can travel to Russia, via France, and discover Impérial Russe and Cuir de Russie.

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Thursday, 5 October 2017

EVELYN ROSE by Crabtree & Evelyn

The popularity of rose fragrances has never diminished and it doesn’t look as if it will anytime soon. The intoxicating floral that surrounds you when you wear one of the many interpretations has made it a popular choice over the centuries for women of all ages. It seemed to go through a little bit of a crisis a few years ago, there were a lot of rose fragrances to choose from and it got a bit confusing, but the stalwarts held their nerve and came through unscathed. One of these was the ever-popular Evelyn Rose by Crabtree & Evelyn but, after a name change and two reformulations, how does it hold up twenty-four years later?

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Thursday, 28 September 2017

Miller Harris Launch TENDER and SCHERZO

Fragrance launches happen nearly every week and each one tries to outdo the other with scale and cost. Miller Harris took a very different approach today when they revealed their two new fragrances, Tender and Scherzo, to an eager group of bloggers and journalists. They presented, in minimalist surroundings, two distinctly different visual interpretations, but the character and soul of the project was perfectly captured. One brief, two perfumers, two fragrances. It’s an interesting experiment and one that has definitely paid off. So, let me walk you through “kaleidoscopic peonies” as we discover “Tender Is The Night”.

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Monday, 25 September 2017

CUIR DE RUSSIE by Le Jardin Retrouvé

The "leather revival" in the perfume world shows no signs of slowing, although to some of us it never went away in the first place. Those rich, resinous, woody scents exuded power along with a sensuality that ached for experimentation. Lashings of birch tar, labdanum and castoreum gave these fragrances a sexually charged energy that was impossible to resist. The more recent "trend" for softer suede-style scents diluted this effect and they became more refined and less dangerous. Thankfully with the rerelease of Cuir de Russie by Le Jardin Retrouvé we once again get the chance to perfume provocatively.

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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, 18 September 2017

STEPHAN'S SIX - MATTHEW AXE

Originally from Suffolk, Matthew Axe studied Graphic Design before going on to work with companies such as Thomas Pink, John Lewis and Gieves & Hawkes. After relocating to New York he was Creative Director on Martha Stewart’s award-wining magazine, Martha Stewart Living, and regularly oversees campaigns in the beauty industry. Recently working on Jo Malone’s Basil & Neroli launch, I wondered what would he reveal about his own perfume favourites during “Stephan’s Six”.

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Thursday, 14 September 2017

RUSSIAN LEATHER by Molton Brown

The continuing push at the moment seems to be for companies to release product “collections”. By this I mean the fragrance, the shower gel, the candle, the body lotion etc. in their latest scent. Now this is actually nothing new, Coty were doing it for years, but brands have refocused their approach in an attempt to cement every new launch by offering their customers the fragrance in at least one form that they will like. Some brands miss the mark on translating the scent into the various products, but one company who continues to excel is Molton Brown. Let's take a look at their latest addition, Russian Leather.

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Monday, 11 September 2017

STEPHAN'S SIX - HANS HENDLEY

With a start in photography and music, Hans Hendley was flexing his creative muscle from an early age. Pretty soon he realised that his philosophies and ideals didn’t really fit the strict commercial path and so he moved to New York to begin working with what he described as “small spirited brands”. Always fascinated by perfume, he launched his own range in October 2014. With the recent release of his ninth fragrance, Mown, I thought that it was time to find out a little more about Hans Hendley as I asked him “Stephan’s Six”.

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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, 19 October 2017

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Thursday, 28 September 2017

Monday, 25 September 2017

Thursday, 21 September 2017

Monday, 18 September 2017

Thursday, 14 September 2017

Monday, 11 September 2017