Persolaise Review: Angel extrait from Thierry Mugler (Olivier Cresp & Yves De Chiris; 2006)

I don't really like Angel. There, I've said it. I acknowledge that it is a supremely well-made fragrance with an important place in perfume history, but in terms of my personal taste, I've always found it shrill, cloying and unsophisticated. Until I discovered the extrait. That's when I began to appreciate the fuss on a visceral level. Funnily enough, many die-hard Angel edp fans I've spoken to don't like the parfum, so perhaps this means that the most concentrated iteration of Mugler's bestseller is Angel for people who don't like Angel. It isn't vastly different from the eau de parfum - the two are recognisable as very closely related members of the same family - but its coffee-patchouli-candy combo is much darker, weightier and considerably more grown up. Most importantly, it's the extrait which fully justifies the use of the term 'gourmand': the foodie aspects are so profound here, each time you smell the stuff, there's nothing you can do to stop your salivary glands from putting on a performance of Pavlovian proportions. Yes, the parfum is perhaps less playful and frivolous that the edp - which may in turn mean that it entirely misses the point of Angel - but I'm quite happy to sacrifice a brief tryst for a more lasting commitment.

[Review based on a sample of parfum obtained in 2013.]

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Wrath In A Bottle - Seven Sinfully Angry Perfumes

This time, I seriously considered throwing in the towel. When Carrie asked us to pick one of the seven deadly sins for our next joint-list project, I immediately claimed 'wrath' for myself - thinking it might yield more interesting results than the overtly perfume-oriented 'lust' - but as the weeks passed, I wondered if I'd made the right choice. I could think of plenty of fragrances which induce boiling anger within me (Taj Sunset, Pink Friday, most things by Creed...) but very few which, in themselves, convey vexation. Of course, this isn't exactly surprising. When they're trying to balance artistic expression with commercial viability, perfumers tend to reach for those emotional states which are often labelled 'positive': love, joy, happiness, liberation, optimism et al. Wrath would probably be seen as a PR nightmare by marketing departments, hence the fact that it's conspicuous by its absence on department store shelves.

Alberto Morillas On Making Amouage's Opus VII

When I chatted with Alberto Morillas at the London launch of Penhaligon's Iris Prima (the full interview will appear on Basenotes) I asked him about co-authoring Amouage's Opus VII with Pierre Negrin. As soon as I handed him a blotter onto which I'd sprayed the scent - just to jog his memories of working on it - he closed his eyes, smiled and let out a deep sigh.

Death By Candy: Eva Wiseman On The Power Of Scent

A few weeks ago, the consistently readable Eva Wiseman addressed the topic of scent in her Observer Magazine column. Here's an extract:

Persolaise Review: Eau De Mandarine Ambrée from Hermès (Jean-Claude Ellena; 2013)

You can't blame me for getting excited by the prospect of two new colognes from Jean-Claude Ellena. If there's one thing the man knows how to do well, it's producing light scents which don't leave their brain cells at the entrance to the lemon grove. Taken as a whole, his Jardin series is probably one of the most intelligent expressions of verdancy the perfume world has seen in this century. His Déclaration for Cartier manages to combine authoritative woods and spices with carefree weightlessness. And of course his Cologne Bigarade for Frederic Malle is quite simply one of the most life-affirming, exuberant delights ever bottled. So expectations were high for his two additions to Hermès' well-regarded cologne range.

Rodrigo Flores-Roux On Re-Making Fougère Royale For Houbigant

When I met Rodrigo Flores-Roux at the London launch of the John Varvatos range of scents, I asked him about his work on the reformulated, 2010 version of Fougère Royale, a creation which he called "a complicated thing". Would someone smelling the original and the current version be able to smell the difference between the two?

Looking For The Light At The End Of The Tunnel

It's time for me to lock the study door, pull down the blinds and calm my nerves with a sniff of my beloved Habit Rouge. The Invasion Of The Day Job is here again. Those of you who've been kind enough to read my blog for a while will know that this is the time of year when the demands of my non-perfume-related employment spill over into my evenings (and weekends... and sleeping hours...) with the result that the amount of time left for any other pursuits is pretty much ZERO. Fear not: I've set up several posts to pop up automatically over the course of the next few weeks, so hopefully, you won't notice my absence.

Enough chatter from me. There's a chair to which I need to glue myself...

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Persolaise Review: Eau De Nuit from Armani (Marie Salamagne; 2013)

Knock me down with a blotter and throw me in a barrel of Pink Friday: for once we have a mainstream scent that actually delivers on its promises! Armani's Eau De Nuit is designed to be an elegant evocation of the "moment when dusk blends into night"... and guess what: it pretty much is. My first encounter with it suggested that perhaps Marie Salamagne had spent too much time raiding Dior's back catalogue - the iris opening owes a considerable debt to Olivier Polge's Dior Homme - but other elements soon appear to dispel fears about homage slipping into pastiche.

To Comment Or Not To Comment: Some Thoughts On Interacting With Perfume Blogs

I keep berating myself for not doing things I genuinely and sincerely want to do, but which I never seem to be able to do. As far as this post is concerned, I'm referring to the following: reading perfume blogs more often, leaving more comments on them and linking to them more frequently.

L'Artisan Parfumeur Closes London Boutique; Penhaligon's To Take Its Place

An extra post today to convey some news which many of you will no doubt be sorry to read. L'Artisan Parfumeur have announced that they are to close their sole UK boutique, located in London's Covent Garden; the last day of trading will be this Sunday, 26th May. Their office has informed me that this "strategic decision" will enable "the brand to focus on exciting new projects such as the re-design of its flagship boutique in Paris: La Grande Boutique, opposite Le Louvre." L'Artisan products will still be available at various department stores in the country, including Harrods, Selfridges and Liberty. However, as many of you are aware, these do not carry the brand's whole range; it seems the only way UK-based customers will now be able to purchase relatively more obscure products will be through www.artisanparfumeur.com.

Persolaise Review: Sahara Noir from Tom Ford (perfumer unknown; 2013)

Is Tom Ford on a gender-bending mission? Last year he energised the masculine market with the female-friendly Noir (recent winner of the Perfume Extraordinaire award at the UK's FiFis). Now he's set an unabashedly male panther amongst the pigeons taking refuge in the ladies' counter with Sahara Noir, one of the most predatory, muscular scents we're likely to see from the mainstream this year.

Twenty Blotters For... Rodrigo Flores-Roux

Pick a blotter... read the question... give a short, snappy answer!

I mean this as a compliment: Rodrigo Flores-Roux loves to talk. The Givaudan perfumer is a bundle of anecdotes, insights and witticisms, all of which he appears to be more than happy to share with anyone who shares his passion for perfumery. So when I had a chance to inflict my Twenty Blotters upon him in March at the London launch of the John Varvatos fragrances, I didn't have to work very hard to get him to open up. He read the first question, and he was off...

Persolaise Review: Gris Montaigne from Christian Dior (François Demachy; 2013)

In the press release for the latest addition to the Collection Privée, Dior's in-house perfumer, François Demachy, is quoted as saying that the "chypre is the grey of the perfume family." A contentious statement if ever there was one - I certainly don't consider Mitsouko or the original Femme to be grey - but never mind, let's allow Monsieur Demachy his assertion for a moment. The real trouble is: I don't think Gris Montaigne is a chypre.

Buttons, Dots And A Whole Load Of Gatsby Dresses - London's FiFi Awards Ceremony

My FiFi evening began with a wardrobe malfunction. Just as Madame Persolaise and I were about to step onto the red carpet at the entrance to London's Brewery, I felt a gentle pop in the region of my midriff. My gaze fell to the ground. I saw a small, black button bounce along the cobble stones. Gaping wide open, my dinner jacket now displayed a few untidy strands of thread in the space which had only just been occupied by the wayward button. Madame P and I gave each other a worried glance, turned around and walked back out.

The (Not Entirely) Unbearable Lightness Of Lightness - Perfumes For Summer 2013

There was once a pot which called a kettle black. I try to remind myself of this each time I feel the urge to become snooty about so-called 'summer scents'. The truth is that although I now tend to treat them with the sort of disdain I reserve for McDonalds, Primark and TV talent shows, there was a time when I bought them, wore them and even - brace yourselves - enjoyed them. So in the interests of fairness and open-mindedness, I've decided to assess the merits of this year's motley assortment of 'light' perfumes vying for the attention of holidaymakers at Duty Free counters across the globe.

Off To FiFi 2013

Later today, I'll be attending the FiFi UK awards ceremony at The Brewery in London. I'll be particularly interested to find out who picks up the prizes for Best Independent Perfume and Perfume Extraordinaire, as these are the two categories for which I was one of the judges. All being well, I'll tweet the results as they're announced. If you'd like to join the conversation, please use #FiFiAwardsUK. You can follow all the action right here:

Tweets about "Persolaise OR #FiFiAwardsUK OR FragranceFDN_UK"

May the best scents win!

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Persolaise Review: Autoportrait from Olfactive Studio (Nathalie Lorson; 2011)

Most of the scents in the photography-inspired Olfactive Studio range possess an ingenuous, translucent signature which failed to seize my interest, but Nathalie Lorson's Autoportrait is an exception. Even though it's essentially a sleek vetivert, there's something about the way it combines the note with cedar, pepper and a surprisingly convincing aqueous facet which conveys a tremendous sense of nostalgia. Introspective, silent and filled with deep longing, it may not draw much attention to itself, but it never let's you forget that it's around... like the ghost of some long-buried memory, always flitting out of reach. Quietly haunting work.

[Review based on a sample of eau de parfum provided by Bloom in 2013.]

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Design With Scents Course At Kingston University

Perfume-related courses are few and far between, so it's often worth raising the profile of any which do materialise. The latest one to be brought to my attention is entitled Design With Scents and it'll be held from the 8th to the 12th of July at Kingston University, London. According to the official press release, the course will enable participants to "develop new design skills, explore the sense of smell, experiment with blending oils and receive their own personal fragrance kit." The tutors are Nicola Pozzani (formerly of Symrise and LVMH), Joanna Norman and John Ayres. Guest speakers will include Christophe Laudamiel (perfumer), Jenny Tillotson (Central St Martins), Will Andrews (Procter & Gamble) and Odette Toilette (Scratch & Sniff). For further information, please click here.

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