Perhaps a love of fragrance is probably as much nurture as it is nature; my passion for smellies is probably learned to a certain extent. But interestingly, the perfumes that my mother loved most when I was young, meaning before I started wearing perfume myself, are not perfumes I particularly liked then, nor are they…
Tobacco Vanille by Tom Ford REVIEW
Get a whiff of this: You’ve walked into a gentleman’s sitting room, filled mostly with refined-looking men and women conversing in small groups enjoying scotch, and cigars or pipes. Something is being celebrated and the happiness is unrestrained, familiar, genuine. The formally dressed guests are standing, but many are also sitting on the rosewood furniture, or the dark mahogany leather chesterfields. There are numerous open decanters of scotch sitting…
Chanel No. 5 – Has it had its day?
I recently read a clever article on Fragrantica by historian, archaeologist and fragrance author, Elena Vosnaki about Chanel No. 5, the title of which was “Is Chanel No. 5 Obsolete?” The article spurred me on to finally get it out of the way and talk about this iconic perfume. I’ll get to the point right…
Rosé All Daé by Gallagher Fragrances REVIEW
Rosé All Daé is a truly gourmand Indie fragrance launched in 2018, by company owner and house perfumer Daniel Gallagher. That’s one very Irish name and branding, but actually the house is based in California, a state wherein one can find multitudes of indie fragrance houses. This fragrance was a top ten finalist in the…
Four Fragrances from Carthusia REVIEW
According to legend, in 1380, the father prior of the Carthusian Monastery of St. James was caught by surprise with the news that Queen Giovanna d’Angiò would be soon arriving to Capri, so he picked a bouquet of the most beautiful flowers of the island to present to her. Sadly, the Queen ditched her plans…
Kalan by Parfums de Marly REVIEW
Parfum de Marly is one of the most hyped-up brands I’ve seen on the Internet in recent years. The house is actually young, founded in 2009, but you might not guess that from its branding, which invokes a strong historical heritage. In fact, the brand is inspired by the decadence and “perfumed court” of the Château of Versailles….