Is it too soon to cross our fingers and hope that summer is now well and truly on its way? The first burst of sun sees people reaching for the latest spritzing blockbuster in an attempt to feel even more zesty and upbeat, but there is a beach hut full of classics that we can also call into action. One of these is the truly fantastic Eau Dynamisante from Clarins, which celebrates its thirty-first birthday this year. This was the original fragrance in their “Eau” trio, but what has made it such a favourite with both men and women? Let me show you the magic that is hidden inside that classic red spherical bottle.
Born into a famous literary family, Daisy Waugh forged an enviable career both as a journalist and author before starting to write under the pseudonym of E. V. Harte. The first of her Dolly Greene books featured cheap scent and tarot cards but what fragrances hold special memories for Daisy? I caught up with her at the launch of her new book, The Case Of The Fool, and managed to unearth some scented secrets for “Stephan’s Six”.
When a company chooses to release a new fragrance it usually goes through various hoops before it hits the shelves. From evaluation to IFRA compliance checks, most of these happen behind closed doors with the first glimpse being reserved for focus groups. Le Jardin Retrouvé have chosen a different approach for the launch of their latest fragrance and have invited perfume fans to vote for their favourite out of four options via their #PerfumeRevivalProject. Using original formulas discovered in Yuri Gutsatz’s archive, Le Jardin Retrouvé’s offerings run the gamut from solar floral to oriental, but which one did I choose?
It’s like the quest for the Holy Grail. Perfume collectors are constantly searching for a lost fragrance, a “vintage” formulation, or even a different edition of an original bottle. While the latter doesn’t pose too much of an issue, the first two can be problematic to say the very least. Everything gets older, including me, and it’s this ageing process that can have profound effects upon your “vintage” scent. What you end up buying may smell wonderfully resinous, with vanilla laden qualities, and have a depth of richness that is missing in current fragrances, but are you smelling what the perfumer really intended?
Christophe Laudamiel originally studied chemistry before making the jump to perfumery and in his early career was jointly responsible for classics such as Polo Blue, Abercombie Fierce and Clinique’s Happy Heart. Now settled with his own company, Dreamair, and a 2018 Art and Olfaction winner for his fragrance Club Design, I thought it was time to discover his own scented memories during “Stephan’s Six”.
You can’t have failed to notice that the fashion for candles shows no signs of fading anytime soon. That combination of the flickering flame with an enveloping scent has made them the lifestyle must-have, and no home seems complete without one. The latest company to enter the candle arena is Oak 84, but their name may still be unfamiliar to many of you. Hand produced in South Carolina, and originally exclusive to the local boutiques in the area, Oak 84 have now also gone online and their reputation is spreading fast. So, with this in mind, I thought it was time to test-drive their Teakwood & Tobacco.
Rob Blandford is a successful blogger, vlogger and fragrance writer who originally hails from Hereford. A relocation to Australia may have changed the temperature but did nothing to cool his love of scent. A regular contributor to online forums, as well as his own website, I thought it was about time to find out some of his own scented secrets during “Stephan’s Six”.
We think of the Internet as a regular fixture in everyday life but it wasn’t always the case. In the past, and that makes me sound very old, if you wanted to share something then it would mean a telephone conversation or a letter. With the advent of email our communication got easier, but it was the appearance of Facebook that really seemed to alter the way that many people bought perfume. I’m talking about the “split sites” and “swap sites” that continue to appear on a regular basis. Whilst it seems like a great club to be a part of, is the fashion for decants actually harming the perfume industry?
It’s that special time of year again when Guerlain launches its latest Aqua Allegoria and this year it has gone in a decidedly more fruity direction. Passiflora, which is also known as Passion Flower, is the name of the 2018 creation by Thierry Wasser but the fragrance is much more about the fruit than the flower. It is described as “the spirit of passion fruit with an aquatic note” and is designed to be “invigorating, sunny and spontaneous.” So, with the Aqua Allegoria range now numbering ten, and competition for spaces relaxed at least for this year, let’s see just how Passiflora fits into the expanded lineup.
