The past twelve months have certainly not been what any of us could have expected. January started off with all of the usual excitement but, very quickly, the world changed dramatically. With restrictions, lockdowns, and a mammoth shift in our everyday lives, it would have been easy to just pull the covers over our heads... but we all soldiered on. The situation was certainly not easy for the fragrance industry either, but they still managed to launch some spectacular products. As we approach the end of 2020 I thought it would be a good moment to look back at twelve months of articles, channel my inner Blyton, and pick My Favourite Five.
There can’t be many people that haven’t heard of “the seven year itch.” I’m not talking about the 1955 film that starred Marilyn Monroe and Tom Ewell, but more the feeling of dissatisfaction or familiarity that is said to appear at that point in any relationship. This doesn’t just apply to people; it can be anything that is long term. During lockdown I started to go through some of my older fragrances, rediscovering forgotten favourites, and I stumbled across one that had been pushed to the back. Time To Draw The Raffle Numbers by Sarah McCartney was released in 2013, and it’s high time it was shown some love.
The inspiration behind a fragrance can often be the anchor that holds a whole project together. If you have a solid foundation then you have room to experiment, but a tenuous grasp on an idea can see you quickly drift off course. I admit that sometimes this can result in unexpected discoveries, but that doesn’t always help the project at hand. However, having a clear vision of how you want your finished fragrance to smell is not always easy. Thankfully, when Thomas O’Brien decided to launch his first commercial perfume it literally was the stuff of legend, but how would he translate the mythical Faun into fragrance?
Christmas is the time of year when “familiarity” often overtakes “newness”. For the previous eleven months we are bombarded with release after release which is why, for many, the festive season becomes about falling back on trusted favourites. The feeling of being surrounded by scents and aromas that evoke happy memories is important at any time, but even more so as we prepare to leave 2020 behind us. Many companies still ploughed on with new products, but others have decided to tread more delicately. One example of the latter is Fragonard and their Christmas candle duo of Allumez-Moi and Le Feu Sous la Glace.
When we reach major landmarks in our lives we usually celebrate with a gift, an extravagant holiday, or a party with friends. It’s a way of making memories that can be carried with us, and we revel in every moment. 2020 has been a different experience altogether and many occasions have had to be cancelled or postponed. So it was a wonderful surprise when The Perfume Society announced that they would be releasing a Discovery Box that had some much needed decadence at its core. If you’ve missed an anniversary, or you just want to celebrate reaching December, let me show you the brand new Indulgence Discovery Box.
As we approach Christmas I think that it’s fair to say that we’re all grabbing hold of anything that could offer us the slightest piece of positivity after this rollercoaster of a year. Looking back over the past nine months of broken promises, shattered dreams, and worldwide chaos, wouldn’t it be great to just have somebody say “Trust me” and actually deliver? Well that’s exactly what the perfume industry's very own scented scientist Sarah McCartney of 4160 Tuesdays has done. She has skilfully combined both style and substance in a fantastic new diffuser that breaks all of the established rules, and is simply called Trust Me.
If there’s one thing that positively screams Christmas then it must surely be a candle gently flickering in the corner of a room, or alternatively right in the centre of it if you’re anything like me. I know that we use them all year round but the festive season really is the perfect time for a little scented illumination. This year has seen a massive increase in companies both large and small offering candles, and so our choice has never been greater or more confusing. So, if you’re looking to change from your usual favourite, or even searching for that final last minute gift, I'm here to help with my annual Top Five Candles For Christmas.
One of the aspects of the perfume industry that I don’t buy into at all is the notion that scents should have a season. Traditionally we're told to reach for citruses in summer, more woody scents in autumn, and those delectably warm resins in the winter. To be honest, I’ve yet to even work out what we’re supposed to wear in the spring. However, I’ve never followed these draconian rules of fragrance, I just wear what I want when I want, which is why I think this Christmas would be the perfect time to bask in some winter sunshine. So, prepare to be seduced by the incredibly handsome Oliver from Strangers Parfumerie.
Fragrances launch in such rapid succession that you could easily be forgiven for not entertaining any scent that wasn’t created in the past twelve months. Our minds, and social media feeds, become so saturated with the newest “must have” perfumes that we often overlook everything that has gone before. I’m not talking about fifty years here; I’m thinking more along the lines of twenty four months! If there is one positive thing that lockdown has given us then it’s surely the gift of time - time to research - and that’s exactly how I discovered the deliciously deceitful, and wonderful unisex, Charade from Sarah Baker Perfumes.
