Stephan Matthews

Monday, 23 September 2024

GHOST OF YOU by Mythologia Perfumes

A bottle of the Mythologia perfume Ghost of You

Scent and sensuality is a pairing that perfumers often strive to achieve in both niche and mainstream fragrances, but there’s a delicate balance that needs to be struck between the sultry and the slutty. The use of powerful resins within formulas often pushes the final scent to the latter - which isn’t to everyone’s taste. Finding that ideal point where the excitement of a liaison meets the realisation of the everyday, or even the marker that a steamy encounter is over, is the perfumer's sought after Gräfenberg spot. So, to find it in a debut collection is rare, but that’s exactly what you get with Ghost of You from Mythologia Perfumes.

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Monday, 16 September 2024

HASU-NO-HANA by Grossmith

Having an established history and a worldwide reputation is not always a guarantee of success for a perfume house, especially if it’s one that was revived after a period of dormancy. Living up to the memories of customers who may, without actually realising it, be recalling scents in a far-from-true form can often prove difficult to navigate. However, when it’s done right, it can prove to be a diamond in a sea of commercial beige. One such perfume house is Grossmith who, after a period in the wilderness solely surviving on novelty soap, was reborn as the luxury brand that it always was and which it truly deserves to remain.

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Monday, 9 September 2024

VENUS OF VERBENA by Sana Jardin

There is something so autumnal about generously spritzing a scarf with your favourite fragrance and then launching yourself out into an amber-leafed, and frost-encrusted world. Okay, I might be sounding a little over-poetical here, when what we really mean is “a finger-freezing force nine gale”, but you get the idea. Your choice of perfume is always going to be a highly personal decision, but I really do encourage you to think about reaching for the glorious greens during autumn and winter instead of the usual ambers. The perfect starting point for this has to be Venus of Verbena from Sana Jardin.

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Monday, 2 September 2024

ALTE by Memoize London

A bottle of the perfume Alte from Memoize London

The continuing pressure from above to categorise and define what makes each of us unique is something that shows no signs of letting up any time soon. It’s our individuality and personal drive that, when combined with others, can truly make an exciting and dynamic environment. Whether it’s gender, sexuality, religion or even music, holding on to your own identity is the only way to guarantee open discussion, and from that a closer understanding of how we can all live side by side. Perfume has always been a form of self-expression, and the latest release from Memoize is the perfect embodiment. It’s time to discover Alte.

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Monday, 26 August 2024

The Subconscious Side of Scent

Perfume can stir the soul and ignite the memory, and it’s this that companies often play on when it comes to new releases. The very mention of an ingredient will conjure an emotional response from the customer, and hopefully encourage them to make that all-important purchase. But perfume can also have another side when it comes to evoking the past, and it’s not always one that we want to revisit. Suppressed recollections and packed-up situations litter our brains, just waiting to be unlocked if the right scented key is used. This is something that I have learned from personal experience.

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Monday, 19 August 2024

JAMES by Atkinsons

With the warmer weather starting to subside in favour of more autumnal temperatures, it’s a good time to begin thinking about the fashion for changing your fragrance to suit the season. If I’m honest, I’ve always been a bit smorgasbord when it comes to perfume, and wear my favourites throughout the year regardless of weather. However, one fragrance that really comes into its own as we exit summer is James by Atkinsons. This celebratory scent perfectly straddles the troublesome seasonal divide, because it actually suits every season, but it’s woody and earthy undertones really shine through as an autumnal must-have.

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Monday, 12 August 2024

The Bathing Revivial

Jars of Nurture and Revive Bath Salts from Join London

The world is a very noisy place, especially at the moment, and so it’s no surprise that people are desperately hunting for ways to switch off and unwind. The aromatherapy route is an eternally popular one, which is why the idea of scented wellbeing has been so enthusiastically embraced by numerous perfume brands - even if some of the claims really do stretch scented promises to the limits of possibility! However, there is a much more traditional way to unplug from the realities of everyday life, and its popularity is on the up. I’m talking about the humble bathtub, and the wonderfully simple bath salts.

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Monday, 5 August 2024

EPONA by Papillon Perfumery

A bottle of Epona perfume from Papillon Perfumery

Creating a following in the perfume industry is something fragrance companies often spend tens of thousands of pounds trying to achieve. Indeed, the actual perfume can often become secondary to the marketing machine that surrounds it. With so many fragrances and ever-emerging brands to choose from every year, you can understand how important a loyal fan base can be. Most niche companies don’t have the finances to pump into adverts and PR - their product has to speak for itself. The perfect example of this is Papillon Perfumery, and their latest Epona perfume once again proves that they are a true thoroughbred.

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Monday, 22 July 2024

SICILIAN LIMES by Shay & Blue

A bottle of the perfume Sicilian Limes from Shay & Blue

There are certain fragrances and styles that have earned a well-deserved place in history as “go to” scents, and this is even more incredible when they stretch across centuries. Tastes have a frustrating habit of changing, and so once-favoured perfumes or ingredients can become lost to time, but there are still some that doggedly hang around and refuse to be pushed into the corner. One such ingredient is the humble lime, and it’s this that is showcased so brilliantly in Shay & Blue Sicilian Limes. Originally launched in 2013, and created by perfumer Julie Massé, the time is definitely ripe for a revisit.

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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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