Stephan Matthews

Monday, 13 January 2020

LAMPLIGHT PENANCE by Chatillon Lux

The storytelling that is attached to the perfume industry goes hand in hand with the actual fragrances themselves and can often transform an adequate scent into something more appealing. However, occasionally a fragrance comes along that seems to transcend its own marketing and the combination of ingredients works perfectly without any narrative. Everyone likes a story and so when the inspiration and the perfume perfectly merge then you know that you’re in for a real treat. Chatillon Lux is based in St Louis and their Lamplight Penance fragrance blends the evocative with a wash of beauty to create something exceptional.

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Thursday, 9 January 2020

JUNIOR by Carthusia

There’s an often repeated theory that the younger you manage to tempt a person to start using a company’s fragrance the more likely they are to stay loyal to that brand. Now, whether this still holds true in the current arena of thousands rather than hundreds of perfume companies is open to debate. The vast choice and availability of fragrance has made loyalty a prized possession in the industry, and that is one of the reasons why Carthusia has launched Junior. The scent is aimed squarely at the children’s market but it has also proved irresistible to adults who love their powdery floral scents.

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Monday, 6 January 2020

MILANO CENTO - The Original Just Got Stronger

I wonder how many bottles of fragrance end up languishing in the forgotten corner of a cupboard or get passed on to a friend with the greeting of “I think that this will suit you more than it does me.” When we find a perfume that we love it often becomes our signature and, understandably, others that are gifted or purchased can sometimes compare unfavourably next to it. Even the act of moving from an Eau de Toilette to an Eau de Parfum can prove problematic so, with this in mind, has Milano Cento successful managed to intensify its signature scent to match the expectations of a new decade?

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Monday, 30 December 2019

THE SORCERY IN SCENT

The art of perfumery has always felt as though it had a slightly mystical side to it with those gloriously scented potions being mixed to attract, empower, or even relax the wearer. The way that the ingredients combine to create that magically fragranced result is a testament to the skill of the perfumer, but could there be something else at play here? We’ve all heard people say that they’ve “fallen under the spell” of their favourite scent but it set me wondering whether there could be a little more to this than merely just the romantic language of perfume. Could there be something else at work within your favourite fragrance?

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Monday, 23 December 2019

IT'S A BLUE CHRISTMAS

When Chanel launched Allure back in 1999 we had been on the brink of a new century and the company wanted to mark this with the release of a new scent for men. The Allure range would go on to spawn many flankers, the industry’s term for variations on an original idea, with the most successful arguably being Allure Homme Sport and Allure Homme Edition Blanche. However, in 2010 it was decided that the time was right to move away from this series and to introduce, what Chanel described as, “the spirit of a man who chooses his destiny.” Bleu de Chanel was born and the latest chapter in men's fragrance had begun.

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Thursday, 19 December 2019

MY TOP CHOICES FROM 2019

They say that time passes quicker as we get older and that definitely seems to have been the case this year. It only feels a moment ago that we were celebrating the start of 2019 and here we are, twelve months later, getting ready to slide into a new decade. Over the past year I’ve written ninety two articles for stephanmatthews.com, with another two to come, and thought that it would be fun to revisit a few of my favourites. It was difficult to choose what to include but, from Bengals to bamboo, there were a few that really stood out for me. So, I wonder whether I've included one of your favourites?

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Monday, 16 December 2019

UNSCHEDULED WANDER by Elementary

Starting a new perfume company is a venture that can be fraught with delays and disasters but, if you’re lucky, can also prove to be one of the most exciting rides of your life. Everyone offers opinions on bottle styles, graphics, and even launch dates so navigating people’s good intentions can be tricky. Sometimes coming at the whole enterprise from a different angle can reap its own rewards and this is where we find ourselves with the latest addition to the perfume market. Elementary has launched Unscheduled Wander, an olfactory Time Machine that positively revels in the androgynous beauty of the chypre fragrance.

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Thursday, 12 December 2019

What’s Really Happening On The High Street?

With the run up to Christmas now in full swing you’ll often hear how important this time of the year is for retailers. November and December sees businesses take upwards of 30% of their yearly money in just two months, so you can understand just how much importance is placed upon the festive period. There has been a lot of talk about the death of the high street and the end of retail “as we know it” but what is it really like on the front line? In an effort to understand what is actually happening on the shop floor I temporarily returned to my retail roots and became, once again, one of the many beacons in black.

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Monday, 9 December 2019

HERITAGE SOAP by Jim Baker

Have you ever found yourself in a situation and thought that it reminded you of something that you had previously seen or read? This feeling of “life imitating art” is not uncommon but it is more surprising when it relates to a whole lifestyle change. As we grow older our goals, aspirations, and outlook on life alter. What we once saw as important we may now regard as trivial. This was the situation that ex-actor Jim Baker found himself in and his solution was to start Heritage Soap. The Northumberland company is every soap lover’s dream and it should definitely be under every Christmas tree this year.

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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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Monday, 13 January 2020

Thursday, 9 January 2020

Monday, 6 January 2020

Monday, 30 December 2019

Monday, 23 December 2019

Thursday, 19 December 2019

Monday, 16 December 2019

Thursday, 12 December 2019

Monday, 9 December 2019