I always wonder how the fragrance industry can possibly improve on its previous twelve months of releases, but 2023 has once again been an incredible year for perfume. It felt like a big melting pot of styles this year, with no particular “trend” overtaking any other, but the independent companies really did take the big corporations on at their own game. Whether you are a niche lover or a high street stalwart, there was something for everyone. So, as we approach the end of 2023, it’s time to look back at twelve months of articles on stephanmatthews.com and, while once again channelling my inner Blyton, pick My Favourite Five.
It feels as though 2023 has raced towards the finish line as we suddenly find ourselves in the final throws of Christmas shopping. More by accident than design, I’ve managed to find myself recommending exactly the same perfume company as your ideal high street stocking saver that I did last year. That’s because, if you’ve left it until now to buy your festive floral of choice, you’d better jettison any idea of online ordering and head to the safety of the department store. Your 2023 “mad dash purchase” has got to be Dylan Purple Pour Femme from Versace, because sometimes only a designer fragrance will do.
December is possibly the biggest month of the year for customer shopping. It’s when the presents are bought, the wish lists are written, and you try your hardest to remember exactly where you put the decorations. You know they've got to be in the loft somewhere! It’s my favourite time of the year, but it does come with its challenges. There are so many choices to be made during the Christmas period that it can seem daunting. So, to help you out, I’m ready to share the eighth edition of my Top Five Candles For Christmas. The choice this year was as strong as ever, but there are some real scented surprises in here.
The link between perfume and the arts is one that has been explored many times in the past - whether that’s its similarity to music with the notes and chords or its sensory use as a surround scent at exhibitions - but the most recent discussion centres around whether the creation of a fragrance should be thought of as an art form rather than merely a product. The olfactory impact of a scent clearly mirrors the visual impact of a painting, so why not recognise it? Floral Street has taken this one step further with their latest Vincent van Gogh-inspired fragrance release Sweet Almond Blossom, and the result is an absolute delight.
The anniversary of any perfume brand can be a tricky celebration when it comes to managing customer expectations, but it's made harder when you're globally renowned. Do you launch a new fragrance? Do you bring something back from the archives? Do you simply let it pass with no fanfare at all? This is the situation that Nishane found itself in this year as it celebrated its tenth birthday. The route that they've taken though is a wonderful way to both honour their heritage as well as looking to the future. So, prepare yourself to revisit one of their classic fragrances but from a different angle, as we discover the sensational Wūlóng Chá X.
Christmas is always a time for traditions, and it’s also often the only period in the year when we can truly trust what has gone before. All of those delicious memories of food that was loved, the presents that were eagerly anticipated, and the wonderful scents that surrounded us with a feeling of security and familiarity. This also goes for the companies that we buy from, especially when it comes to candles. There are so many to choose between, especially at Christmas time, but one company that always excels is Fragonard. This year they’ve teamed up with the artist Alessandro Florio to create A Christmas of Gold and Light.
The world of pottery has become a massive fascination around the world, not least because of television programmes like The Great Pottery Throw Down, and it’s seen independent potters finally getting their share of the spotlight. Daniel Martin started his creative journey as a successful contemporary dancer, but there was another skill that was to become his calling. As well as being a Yoga teacher, Daniel is a self-taught potter who uses the East Sussex coastline’s mossy greens, chalky whites, and sea blues as the inspiration in his firings. With such a varied background, I thought it was time to learn his scented secrets in “Stephan’s Six”.
One of the roles that fragrance often plays is that of transporting the wearer to a different place or time. These real-life experiences may be out of our everyday reach, unless we have a time machine or a wealthy benefactor, and so indulging in some “armchair travel” really is the next best thing. Now, taking inspiration from a location or a particular period in history is nothing new, but achieving both the style as well as the substance is not always as easy as it may first appear. Thankfully it’s exactly what is on offer from Place des Lices, and their Poivre de Sichuan is ideal as we ease ourselves into autumn.
Patrick Gale jokingly confesses that he's never had what many would consider a “grown up” job but, with perseverance and an instinct for fascinating subjects, he has become a critically acclaimed author. From the BBC drama Man in an Orange Shirt through to his latest book Mother’s Boy, which looks at the life of the Cornish Poet Charles Causley, his seventeen novels have been described as “gripping”, “unflinching”, while at the same time being “playful and wise”. Now based down on the tip of Cornwall, I wanted to discover what scented secrets he would reveal during “Stephan’s Six”.
