Stephan Matthews

Thursday, 8 November 2018

SEE THE MOONLIGHT by Walden

Literary inspiration is nothing new in the perfume industry but choosing a book that completely sums up a company’s ethos and philosophy can be a little more challenging. Whatever you decide to use will become permanently linked to the brand and so it really does have to be the perfect fit. This is exactly what has happened with a new perfume house based in the United Kingdom called Walden. Created by Stephan Bisse, under the umbrella of the Amarya group, he has launched six natural fragrances that each takes its inspiration from the Henry David Thoreau book. So, it’s time for you to See The Moonlight.

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Monday, 5 November 2018

THE MODERNIST by John Evans

The fashion for having a “fragrance wardrobe” shows no signs of disappearing anytime soon and, indeed, you almost feel out of place if you have one perfume that you always fall back on. The idea of having a signature scent that you become known for has been replaced with the expectation of owning all of the latest niche and mainstream fragrances. This was the realisation that John Evans came to when he suddenly found that he had fallen into the trap of ping ponging between the current perfume trends. So, he decided to create his own personal signature scent and The Modernist is the result.

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Thursday, 1 November 2018

THURIBLE by Rook Perfumes

When a new perfume company launches it can follow one of two paths, a sudden burst into the public consciousness or a slow and steady growth. The latter could be argued to be the more successful, because it develops a loyal customer base, and this can definitely be said of the new boy on the block, Rook Perfumes. Started in May 2018, and now boasting a collection of eight fragrances, this self-taught perfumer has impressed with the variety of scents in his catalogue and also his wonderful disregard for convention. It’s time to see what Nadeem Crowe, the founder of Rook Perfumes, has to offer.

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Monday, 29 October 2018

SHALIMAR by Guerlain

One of the joys of writing about scent is that I occasionally get the chance to revisit a fragrance that can truly be described as a “classic” in the history of perfumery. The word is used too frequently to describe all sorts of fragrances, and it often feels as though it has lost a little of its importance. However, when it comes to Shalimar by Guerlain the word is absolutely spot on. For a fragrance that is ninety-three years old, this matriarch of a scent still has something to offer to younger generations, especially those who dare to be different. Let me reintroduce you to this Jacques Guerlain classic.

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Thursday, 25 October 2018

MON IMMORTELLE by Fragonard

One of the questions that faces a perfume company when it launches a new fragrance is exactly how the scent will fit into their existing range. The constant drive to provide new products for customers to enjoy is always a balancing act between satisfying established fans but also attracting new followers. However, Fragonard have very cleverly managed to sidestep this issue by reorganising their range into capsule collections. Remaining true to their history, but providing something decidedly more contemporary, Fragonard launched Mon Immortelle in the Tout Ce Que J’aime series and the results truly are "golden."

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Monday, 22 October 2018

CANDLE BROS - Not Just For Men

The candle market continues to grow every year with more companies wanting a piece of the pie. The number of brands and the variety of flavours can be overwhelming but it cannot be denied that the majority of the scents do fall into the more fruity floral category. For those looking for a woody and spicy collection the hunt can be a little more challenging. This is where Luke Alexander and Benjamin Cross are poised to offer some help with their new company, Candle Bros. With five scents to choose from, and each offering something more akin to the traditionally masculine side of perfumery, which will be your favourite?

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Monday, 15 October 2018

"GOLDEN STILL" EAU DE COLOGNE by Grossmith

In these times of meticulously engineered fragrances I sometimes find myself hankering after a simpler era when scents could happily just be described as “nice” and “lovely” without the need for “complex” and “challenging”. The golden years of colognes siting comfortably next to perfumes, and both having their place on the dressing table, have now gone. However, a little detective work can uncover some of these forgotten gems, and this was exactly what happened when I stumbled across a bottle of Grossmith ‘Golden Still’ Eau de Cologne. Long since discontinued, I wondered just how well it had stood the test of time.

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Monday, 8 October 2018

OUT OF THIS WORLD by Marina Barcenilla

Unless you’ve been living on Mars you can’t have escaped the momentous decision taken by the BBC to cast a lady as the new Doctor Who. Well, the world is still spinning after Jodie Whittaker’s debut on Sunday 7th October but she isn’t really the first woman to try and conquer space and time. Earlier this year Marina Barcenilla released Out Of This World, a fragrance that brought together the scents of the universe along with a healthy dose of Marina’s imagination. A die hard Doctor Who fan, a space scientist, and an award-winning perfumer, I was curious to see whether Out Of This World would send me into orbit.

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Monday, 1 October 2018

ORLANDO by Jardins d’Écrivains

When the inspiration for a fragrance comes from a literary work the question is always “which aspect of the story shall we use?” Translating an entire book into a scent can be problematic due to the twists and turns of the narrative, but focusing on a single character is also not without its issues. Literary characters garner fiercely loyal legions of fans and so it was always going to be a brave choice for Jardins d’Écrivains to take Virginia Woolfe’s famous novel Orlando: A Biography as its source. In an era of gender fluidity, and with fragrance itself now beginning to be referred to as art, just how well does Orlando fare?

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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, 8 November 2018

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Thursday, 1 November 2018

Monday, 29 October 2018

Thursday, 25 October 2018

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Monday, 15 October 2018

Monday, 8 October 2018

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