Stephan Matthews

Monday, 11 February 2019

Valentine's Day 2019 - Scents For Gents

When it comes to recommending fragrances for Valentine’s Day it seems that the emphasis is well and truly on gifting for ladies rather than gifting for men. Many magazines will choose their favourite women’s scents but what about those that need to buy for the man in their life? Well, this year I’ve chosen five scents for you to pick from and, with three of them available on the high street, there’s easily something for everyone. None of these are technically “new” releases, but they might be new to you. So, for Valentine’s Day 2019, it’s time to say hello to Guerlain, Penhaligon's, Bella Bellissima, Chanel, and 4160 Tuesdays.

Click here to read the rest of this post >>

Thursday, 7 February 2019

RÊVE D'OR by L.T. Piver

One of the problems with “historical” perfume companies is unscrambling fact from fiction. Over time you find that the rumour mill adds a fact here and an anecdote there, but it becomes even more difficult when the company is sold numerous times. A perfect example is L.T. Piver, but it’s worth a little digging around in order to appreciate one of their most famous creations, Rêve d’Or. When this scent was launched it was groundbreaking but, whilst still incredibly popular in the Middle East, it has started to be forgotten elsewhere. So, to celebrate its one hundred and thirtieth birthday, it's time to rediscover Rêve d’Or.

Click here to read the rest of this post >>

Monday, 4 February 2019

PLATINUM and CERAMICS by Parks London

The fashion for scented candles shows absolutely no signs of slowly down any time soon and it continues to be the preferred choice for fragrancing the majority of households. The variety that is available seems to increase on a daily basis with new waxes, innovative holders, even personalisation options all competing for that important place in your basket. However, there is a company that has recently undergone a complete rebranding of their candle range and the results are spectacular. I’m talking about Parks London and the beautiful scents that have been created by Pia Long. It’s time to be introduced to Ceramics and Platinum.

Click here to read the rest of this post >>

Monday, 28 January 2019

LAVANDE by Fragonard

January can often seem a little quiet on the fragrance front with many perfume houses simply finishing their winter sales or concentrating on their upcoming spring releases. One company that always delivers a very welcome burst of warmth at this time of year however is Fragonard with their Flower of the Year series. The concept of the range is simple, take one key ingredient and present it in an original yet easily accessible way. Lavender has been chosen as Fragonard's "olfactory signature" for 2019 and the task of interpreting it has again been given to Céline Ellena, but how will she twist this very familiar scent?

Click here to read the rest of this post >>

Monday, 21 January 2019

ENCENS MYTHIQUE by Guerlain

One of the challenges faced by companies when introducing a new fragrance is ensuring that it doesn’t conflict with an existing release. One way around this is to create “capsule collections” and one of the masters of this is undoubtedly Guerlain, but even they occasionally have to reposition their fragrances. This happened with their Les Déserts d’Orient and Les Absolus d’Orient collections because both exhibited similar styles. When Les Déserts d’Orient was retired it was also thought that its fragrances had also gone, but they have just been rereleased in the Absolus series. So, it’s time to rediscover Encens Mythique.

Click here to read the rest of this post >>

Thursday, 17 January 2019

FIRE LIVING COLOGNE by Tessa Williams

One of the constant pressures on fragrance companies is whether to release a new scent each year or rework an existing one by adding a flower here or a woody note there. The public’s constant demand for newness often sees a rapid succession of similarity, but one company has chosen to go in a different direction by reintroducing a truly adaptive product instead of a new scent. Tessa Williams has launched a “living cologne” version of her successful Fire home fragrance and it makes you wonder why this style ever fell out of fashion. With this in mind, let me show you a new way to beat the January blues.

Click here to read the rest of this post >>

Monday, 14 January 2019

OLD BOOKS by The Perfumer's Story

In the world of fragrance, new perfume releases seem to come so quickly that it’s impossible to catch every one at the time if its debut. Perfumes get overlooked or overshadowed by brighter, bigger, or louder launches, and some real gems can often get lost amongst the noise. One such fragrance is Old Books by Azzi Glasser for The Perfumer’s Story. It arrived on the scene in 2015 and is still something of a secret amongst patchouli lovers. In a market saturated with voluminous scent, Azzi has always retained her delicacy of touch and Old Books truly is an emotional breath of fresh air.

Click here to read the rest of this post >>

Monday, 7 January 2019

CAMEL by Zoologist Perfumes

The word “animalic” is often used to describe fragrances that are musk-laden, dangerously resinous, or that exude a carnal sensuality. It’s gone far beyond mere ingredients and instead has almost become a subversive trend of its own. The level of animalic-ness varies from company to company but there is one brand that is pushing the limits to breaking point. With fragrances that don’t obey the “rules” and a concept that, six years on, is still extraordinary, Victor Wong has sailed Zoologist right into the eye of the storm and the results are wonderfully challenging. So, from Bat to Beaver, it’s time to “talk to the animals.”

Click here to read the rest of this post >>

Monday, 24 December 2018

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Well, that’s me signing off for another year. I’ve been lucky enough to experience some wonderful fragrance launches in 2018 and have also met the most incredible perfumers, writers, owners, and readers of this blog. There are lots of exciting things planned for 2019 but, after writing sixty-eight articles for this website alone, it’s time for me to take a few weeks off. Thank you all for your continued support and for your wonderful emails, I'll always reply even if it takes me a few weeks. So, have a wonderfully fragrant Christmas and New Year, and I’ll see you all again on 7th January 2019. Best wishes, Stephan x

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.

Pages

Monday, 11 February 2019

Thursday, 7 February 2019

Monday, 4 February 2019

Monday, 28 January 2019

Monday, 21 January 2019

Thursday, 17 January 2019

Monday, 14 January 2019

Monday, 7 January 2019

Monday, 24 December 2018