New Escentual Post: Paco Rabanne Invictus Perfume Review

This week Escentual.com has been taken over by the launch of Paco Rabanne’s brand new fragrance ‘Invictus’. Unlike most sports-based fragrances, Invictus has one or two interesting nuances which you can read all about in my review by simply clicking on the image above to head over to Escentual’s blog.

Whilst your there please feel free to share your thoughts and impressions of Invictus as well as your favourite sports scents. I look forward to reading your comments! Oh and don’t forget to ogle Australian Rugby Star/Hunk Nick Youngquest in the Invictus TV spot – it really is not to be missed…

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Perfume Writ Large – Tom Ford Sahara Noir Perfume Review

I like Tom Ford – not because he is incredibly handsome (although I’m not denying that he is more than a little bit dishy) – but because when it comes to perfume he has a keen sense of volume and seems to favour that which is rich, sturdy and loud. To put it simply he is the king of what I like to call ‘perfume writ large’.

His signature collection (Black Orchid et al) in particular displays satisfyingly loud levels of sillage and many are bold, divisive creations that provoke nothing but strong reactions. The latest addition to the collection – Sahara Noir – is no exception and it is perhaps one of Ford’s loudest and dare I say butchest fragrances to date.

Taking inspiration from “the mystery and luxury of the Middle East” and “evoking the untamed beauty of the arabic peninsula” Sahara Noir speaks of an exotic and wealthy world where bold statements in both fashion and perfume are the norm. This is Tom Ford’s domain and if there is one thing the man knows how to do more than anything else it is make a bold statement.

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New Escentual Post: Marc Jacobs Honey Perfume Review

This week on Escentual I review the brand new launch from Marc Jacobs – ‘Honey’. Like most Marc Jacob scents Honey is a competently produced and fancy-free fragrance that matches cutesy styling (those vinyl flower/bees) and a sunny, sweet scent that is as wearable as it is joyful.

Please click on the image above to visit the Escentual Blog and read my review. Feel free to leave a comment there and share your thoughts about Honey!

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Tea With the Maharajah – Penhaligon’s Vaara Perfume Review

It seems that Penhaligon’s are in the mood to spoil us with not one, but two new perfumes this year. If you are too impatient to wait for the arabesque of iris that is Iris Prima that is due to launch in September, then worry ye not, as this month the brand have unleashed a brand new Eau de Parfum that most definitely deserves attention.

‘Vaara’ is the name of Penhaligon’s latest offering and it takes inspiration from the Royal House of Marwar-Jodphur in Rajasthan. Created by venerable perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour (also responsible for Amaranthine and Sartorial) Vaara was commissioned by His Highness Maharajah Gaj Singh II to commemorate the birth of his granddaughter, Vaara.

To capture the sights, sounds and scents of Jodphur, Duchaufour took a trip to India (the lucky boy gets to go to all of the best places) and explored the world of the Maharajah. The result is a truly exceptional composition (I’m so smitten I wore it as my graduation scent) that is not only evocative of a geographical location but also captures the spirit of an exotic and lavish way of life.

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And the Winner of The Candy Perfume Boy’s 2nd Birthday Giveaway Is…

Slightly later than expected (I have been having too much fun this weekend) but I can now confirm that the winner of the 2nd birthday giveaway, taking home the lovely Maison Francis Kurkdjian sample set is….

(drum roll please)

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The Candy Perfume Boy’s Summer Special V2

Last night I hosted another Summer Special with the lovely Lila Das Gupta of Perfume Lovers London. The theme of the evening was an ‘olfactory summer holiday’ and all who attended strapped themselves into the seats and set off on a fragrant journey around the world, smelling fragrances that were evocative of specific times and places.

The evening was great fun and it was wonderful to yet again meet with like-minded perfume nerds and discuss all things olfactory. As I was the evening’s host I won’t post a blow-by-blow account of the event, but I would like to briefly share with you the perfumes I had selected and the places they represent. You can look out for Tara’s full write-up of the evening on Olfactoria’s Travels soon.

Update: You can read Tara’s wonderful write up here.

On our olfactory world tour we stopped in:

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New Escentual Post: Summer Sale Scent Picks

This month Escentual is having a super sale where they’re offering a whopping 20% off everything* on site until 26 July. This week my post features some of my key picks from the sale, ranging from those big-ticket items that you’ve always wanted to splurge out on (and now have no excuse not to) and those cheeky summer bargains that will help you get through the unrelenting heat wave.

So please head on over to the Escentual blog by clicking the image above and check out my Summer Sale Scent Picks. Also, feel free to let me know what sale items you’ve picked up or would like to pick up in the comments box here or on Escentual.

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Do You Believe in Fate? – Amouage Fate Woman and Fate Man Perfume Reviews

I didn’t envy Amouage the task of topping their masculine & feminine duo from last year. Both Interlude Woman and Man were triumphs of perfumery, taking chaotic notes and throwing them together to create two challenging, yet wearable (and not to forget bloody gorgeous) fragrances.

This year’s duo – Fate Woman and Fate Man – certainly have big shoes to fill and it appears that Creative Director Christopher Chong has pulled out all of the stops to create two fragrances that are bold enough to mark the “end of the first cycle of the Amouage narrative” and leave one excited for exactly what wonders the beginning of the next cycle may entail.

Fate Woman (created by perfumer Dorothée Piot) and Fate Man (created by Karine Vinchon) “explores the uncertainty of the future and the universal principal by which the order of things is inescapably prescribed” and in their own, very distinct ways illicit polarising responses. They, as with many Amouage perfumes, are for those that adore excess and do not shy away from bold statements.

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The Candy Perfume Boy’s 2nd Birthday Giveaway

This week marks the 2nd birthday of The Candy Perfume Boy! Who’d have thought that the blog would have made it this far? Certainly not me, that’s for sure! It has been a fun two years and I have enjoyed lots of great interaction with fellow perfume lovers as well as meeting a bunch of wonderful people and having the opportunity to have smelled some fab perfumes!

I would like to celebrate this milestone with a small giveaway but before I do so I feel it’s important to start with an apology. In August last year I started a new and very demanding job which, rather unfortunately coincided with the final year of my post graduate degree, meaning that over the last year I haven’t been able to dedicate as much time to the blog as I needed to, and for that I am rather disappointed. That said, I have some exciting things in the pipeline so watch this space as normal service resumes!

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New Escentual Post: Clarins Eau Dynamisante, Eau Ressourçante and Eau des Jardins Perfume Reviews

This week’s Escentual post is a review of the three Treatment Fragrances from Clarins – Eau Dynamisante, Eau Ressourçante and Eau des Jardins. Between the three of them they make for a wonderful antidote for the warm, humid summer days, cutting through the heat and treating the skin at the same time.

Click the image above to read the review and feel free to leave a comment whilst you’re there letting me know your thoughts/favourites!

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