It’s a common enough expression and one that seems to be particularly apt in the current perfume market when applied to sales assistants, “everything but the kitchen sink.” In a drive to arm employees with all of the necessary information to sell their latest blockbuster, companies have increasingly passed on information in a “quantity” approach as opposed to “quality”. The details of fragrance ingredients used to be a closely guarded secret but the arrival of the internet and social media blew that wide open. So, in an ever-competitive market, and with “transparency” still the key word, what information actually helps your perfume choices?
Amanda Carr is a freelance journalist and also the co-founder of The Women's Room and We Wear Perfume, an online blog that looks at the personal memories associated with scent. After asking others about their fragrance recollections, I though it was time to discover a few of Amanda's own as I asked her “Stephan’s Six”.
Now in its eighth year, Jo Malone London’s annual Brit Collection has gathered a loyal following for those looking for a transitory fragrance to take them from spring to summer. This year sees the release of English Fields, which is inspired by “the goodness of grains with the freshness of flowers”, and it promises “the rich, golden fullness of harvest-ready fields”. To realise this latest collection Celine Roux, Head of Fragrance Development, has once again turned to perfumer Mathilde Bijaoui, who had previously created Myrrh & Tonka for the company. With five fragrances to choose from, what does English Fields have to offer?
Hot on the heels of Christmas and New Year comes Valentine’s Day with a new set of stresses about what to buy, when to buy and even who to buy for. It’s a gift that can so easily go wrong and one that many people greet with the phrase, “it’ll be half the price next week”. With this in mind I thought that I’d steer away from fragrances this year and focus on another perennial favourite. Candles, and everything that goes with them, are great choices as romantic gifts and there is something for the most modest budget and even the hardest of hearts. So, let me show you my top three choices for 2018.
February is usually the month that we end up mourning the loss of one of Guerlain’s Aqua Allegoria range. The yearly discontinuation of one fragrance to make way for a new scent is usually met with mixed reactions, but the series always needed to remain at the accepted five and choices had to be made. This year marks a major break in tradition however with Guerlain not only keeping the current five and adding a new one but also reissuing another four from the Aqua Allegoria archives. So, let me show you the four have come out of retirement to make the new collection of ten, and see if one of them is an old favourite.
January has been a vintage month for me this year with a chance to revisit some excellent fragrances that are sadly fading from peoples’ memories. This review is no different, but it’s a perfume that also holds family memories. When it launched I don’t think that anybody could have imagined just how successful it would become, and also how quickly its original origin would become buried beneath a copywriter’s vision. I’m talking about Soir de Paris, or Evening In Paris to give it its original name. Released by Bourjois in 1928, let me take you back ninety years and introduce you to this legendary scent.
The continuing quest for vintage fragrances is one that can set you back hundreds if not thousands of pounds. Perfume fans are desperate to try original formulations in an effort to compare them with the versions that are currently available. Obviously the price is dependent on demand but that doesn’t mean that you can’t acquire your own vintage for a lot less. One fragrance that is no longer available, but was incredibly successful, is Old Cottage Lavender by Grossmith. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that this is just another lavender water because it is so much more. Let me show you what this classic has to offer.
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.
The idea of creating your very own fragrance is something that we constantly read about in magazines and online but, realistically, with prices ranging from hundreds to thousands of pounds it is a costly exercise if you get it wrong. In an attempt to strip back the layers and present an experience that is very accessible, Fragonard has recently relaunched their Atelier Apprenti Parfumeur. Over the course of ninety minutes you learn about the classic cologne structure and its history before creating your own. So, is Fragonard’s Perfume Apprentice Workshop really the “fantastic olfactive experience” that it claims to be?
