Thursday, 9 July 2020

FRAGONARD MAGAZINE - Their Gift To You

During the past few months you’ll all have seen the increase in the quantity of online perfume discussions, interviews, and articles. This has all helped us to stay connected to our favourite companies and, whilst the quality may have been variable, at least they’ve tried. This is the first time that many brands have offered this kind of material, but one French company is now in their eighth year of giving customers an incredible magazine for free. Fragonard has seen many changes during its ninety-four years of fragrancing the Côte d’Azur, but none was more welcome than the launch of their very own publication.

Monday, 6 July 2020

OLD SPORT by 4160 Tuesdays

When you buy your latest fragrance from a department store on online, you’re one of the important people that decides if the industry’s idea of what is going to be a “trend” is actually correct. They’ve got it wrong in the past, and it's absolutely guaranteed that they'll get it wrong at some point in the future, but the current explosion of fougère fragrances was definitely correctly foretold. This classic style of scent had been side-lined over the years in favour of the latest and brightest releases but they’ve recently started to fight back. One great fougère that should be in everybody’s collection is Old Sport by Sarah McCartney.

Thursday, 2 July 2020

4711 REMIX COLOGNE by Alex Lee

Summer is the time of the year when we all hunt out the latest effervescent spritz to accompany us through another beachside holiday or weekend getaway. This year might see our vacation being considerably closer to home, but that doesn’t have to stop us creating our own little bit of sunshine. The fragrances that come out at this time of the year are all traditionally designed to uplift and energise us, and there is one company that has once again absolutely delivered on this promise. Now in its third year, Mäurer & Wirtz have released their latest 4711 Remix Cologne, and this time it’s a twist on the classic lemon.

Monday, 29 June 2020

LA TERRE by Floratropia

One of the battles that the perfume industry faces is having to balance the desire for sustainability against the demands for appearance. Many customers will say that they want less packaging, because they’d prefer a company to fit in with their own environmental concerns, but when confronted with a basic bottle they often feel that a little of the glamour is missing. It’s this challenge that causes problems for many companies, but is actually one where niche brands are managing to gain ground. One of the latest is Paris based Floratropia, and their debut collection of four fragrances takes sustainability to the next level.

Thursday, 25 June 2020

THE EVERYMAN DISCOVERY BOX from The Perfume Society

Buying a fragrance as a gift can be difficult for anyone, but it becomes even harder if that person happens to be a man. I know that it sounds like I’m making a huge generalisation here, but the majority of men will find one scent and remain loyal to it until you manage to prise it out of their hand. Women are much happier to browse the latest releases, play with the free department store samples, and choose a new perfume for a new season. In an attempt to help take the hassle out of the high street, The Perfume Society has launched the latest in their Discovery Box series and it truly is designed for Everyman.

Monday, 22 June 2020

SANDAL & PEONY by Sven Pritzkoleit

There will always be a demand for new and exciting fragrances from our favourite perfume houses, but quality is definitely sacrificed in many of the drives for quantity. If you bear in mind that some companies are releasing in excess of eight fragrances a year, then you can see how ideas might begin to dry up. Niche brands have a slightly easier job, because they’re not confined by trend, but even this market can find itself compromised when it starts chasing the accolades. One perfumer who manages to stay truthful to his style is Sven Pritzkoleit, and his latest Sandal & Peony fragrance shows that he is at the pinnacle of his game.

Thursday, 18 June 2020

PENDRAGON by Karen Timson

Tradition seems to be a dirty word in perfumery these days. A constant demand for innovative fragrances and ingredients has seen “classic” styles relegated to the realm of “old fashioned.” Chypres and Orientals are constantly being renamed to appeal to a modern audience, but one category that is enjoying a well-deserved resurgence is fougère. This was temporarily relabelled aromatic by many brands but the traditional name has thankfully been dusted off. One of the perfumers embracing the style is Karen Timson, and her Pendragon fragrance promises some much-needed Arthurian legend.

Monday, 15 June 2020

SANTAL SKY by Kierin NYC

One of the interesting things about the fragrance industry is its continual return to certain key ingredients. The constant demand for “newness” and “pushing the boundaries” is all very well for transient shoppers but, by also focusing on those perfume building blocks, attracting steadfast fans is the difference between success and failure. Sandalwood has long been revered as one of the most sensual woods that can be used in the creation of a scent, and so it’s not surprising that many companies have attempted their own version. One of the newest to try and capture its magic is Kierin NYC with their Santal Sky.

Monday, 8 June 2020

ESCENTRIC 05 by Geza Schoen

One of the aspects of perfumery that has become incredibly popular in recent years is the desire for information about the actual ingredients that are used to create our favourite scents. There’s a real interest in wanting to know more about what goes into that bottle, and what all of those separate aromas are like. Many of the perfume brands now offer customers the chance to smell the raw materials that go into the latest release, but only one company actually builds a whole fragrance around an individual ingredient. Escentric Molecules has just released the fifth in their collection and it takes Cashmeran as its inspiration.