With the arrival of Christmas, perfume companies are always looking for inspiration for their festive offering. This can go off in many unusual directions and, whilst some hit the mark perfectly, others are often earmarked for the January sales before the first present is even unwrapped. One company that has excelled this year is Fragonard. From design through to product selections, and obviously a beautiful scent, they have released a patchouli inspired collection that offers customers an alternative to the ruby red and pine aromas that you usually get at this time of the year, and this is why it’s my recommended collection for Christmas 2018.
Launching a fragrance range is a minefield in today’s market but life wasn’t any easier back in 2004 either. We were in the middle of the “celebrity culture” and everybody wanted to smell like his or her favourite pop star or film icon. Into the middle of this sequin and Lycra party came a company that was the exact opposite. Using the ancient world as its inspiration, and deliberately trying to offer their customers something that wasn’t on the high street, Ancienne Ambiance was launched. Fourteen years later, and with five beautiful fragrances in the collection, it is as successful as ever but Colonia Nine is particularly special.
When a perfume company achieves worldwide distribution, and has a fan following that matches a film star’s, it is not unusual to find the likes of Estée Lauder or L'Oréal in the background. These corporations are the masters of upscaling and promotion, but there’s also a little perfume company that has managed it all by themselves. From design through to fragrance and onto marketing, Tauer Perfumes has gained a reputation for impeccable quality and an attention to detail that is incredible. Throw in that Andy Tauer is also a great guy and you can understand why his fragrances are a firm fixture in the best boutiques.
When we think about perfume we rarely also think about gadgets. The world of fragrance is almost revered and the prospect of having it sullied with gimmicks and novelties would be sacrilege. However, there have already been many questionable bottles and applicators, but the latest “gadget” owes a lot to a much-loved part of perfume’s history. Fulton & Roark have launched a range of solid fragrances that draw on the earliest tradition of having your scent contained within a wearable wax. Encased in a magnetic sliding container, they have made solid perfumes sexy. Let me introduce you to some streamlined silver.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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."
