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L’Homme Idéal Eau de Parfum

I was a big fan of Guerlain’s L’Homme Idéal when in launched in 2014, mainly because it was a cheekily masculine interpretation of the effervescent cherry accord that made La Petite Robe Noire so popular, albeit with a woody 80s vibe. I was even quite fond of 2015’s L’Homme Idéal Cologne which was all grapefruit and almond in a molecular cocktail that was wonderfully zingy. This year we are treated to L’Homme Idéal Eau de Parfum, which I’d describe as being a little bit more refined, suave and addictive than the original. Oh, and it has the vanilla dry down to end all vanilla dry downs too. Check out my Escentual review here.

Etat Libre d'Orange's Colourful New Manifesto
Etat Libre d’Orange’s Colourful New Manifesto

If you’ve been following the quirky, rebellious and often x-rated world of Etat Libre d’Orange closely, you may have noticed that change has been afoot. The bottles have got bigger and more luxurious, and the five latest fragrances have all been coloured in brightly shaded bottles – a stark contrast to the uniformed appearance of the brand’s back catalogue. These aren’t the only changes though and in just a few short years we’ve seen Etat Libre d’Orange release flankers, nice fragrance, remixes and mash ups. It seems that they are now shocking us with how on-trend they are. Click here to check out my thoughts on five of their recent launches!

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NARCISO Eau de Parfum Poudrée

I was a massive, MASSIVE fan of Narciso Rodriguez’s NARCISO, which launched way back in 2014. NARCISO was an expansive and abstract gardenia carried on a hurricane of musk, and it was beautiful, speaking in flesh tones of white, pink and grey. For 2016, NARCISO has been reimagined with a very on-trend injection of powder, mixing things up completely to create NARCISO Eau de Parfum Poudrée. What do I think of this new powdery wonder? Well, click here to head on over to Escentual to find out!

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Aqua Allegoria Pera Granita

It’s spring, which means that it’s Aqua Allegoria season! I always enjoy Guerlain’s mini-line of simplistic, nature inspired fragrant ditties because they are easy breezy wears that are such fun in the summer. They showcase fruits and flowers in an intelligent and high quality manner but with a sense of style and fun. This year, the mainstream AA is Pera Granita – a sweet little daydream that feels more like a scoop of ice cold pear sorbet than it does a fragrance. Click here to head on over to Escentual to read my review in full.

Cedro Di Taormina - The Perfect Holiday Treat
Cedro Di Taormina – The Perfect Holiday Treat

Passport, pants and perfume, that’s all you need in your luggage when travelling. Of course, when brining the essentials you want to make sure that you pack the right things, which means it pays to select the right fragrances for that trip away. I always pack something from Acqua di Parma because they offer such beautifully easy to wear scents that sing under the sun and their latest, Cedro di Taormina is no exception. In fact, it’s the perfect thing to kick start your summer. Check out my full review over at Escentual by clicking here.

Poison Girl
Poison Girl

It can’t be easy being a Poison flanker in 2016, I mean, talk about some heavy shoes to fill. We all know that Poison (Edouard Flechier; 1985) and even Hypnotic Poison (Annick Menardo; 1998) are two of mainstream perfumery’s greatest feminine fragrances, so to bear the Poison name comes with a certain amount of expectation and baggage. Poison Girl, the latest in the series, makes a very sensible choice and opts to be completely on trend following the La Petite Robe Noire school of fruity gourmand thinking. It is essentially a Poison for 2016 and I’m sure that, if the original were made today, it would smell something like this. Click here to check out my full review over at Escentual.com.

Boudoir
Boudoir

Feeling frisky? Boudoir will do that to you. Vivienne Westwood’s debut fragrance is a classic floral chypre that dabbles in debauchery. It’s a fragrance that rocks big hair, lace underwear and pearls. Or as I like to describe it: “all lust and lacquer, and no shame, that’s Boudoir“. For my Escentual post this week I’ve written about Boudoir, not just because it’s an awesome (and underrated IMHO) fragrance but because it’s the product of a legend and one of the first perfumes I truly loved. So from the Mother of Punk straight to our noses, Boudoir is a sinfully sexy fragrance that is just so Westwood. Click here to read the piece.

W is for Water
W is for Water

Amongst perfume lovers, aquatic fragrances are possibly the most maligned, after all they are the domain of the mainstream. In truth, aquatic or water-inspired fragrances can be pretty nifty, evoking oceans, mermaids, and monsters all through the use of sparkling natural materials and clever aroma chemicals. These fragrances are the antidote to the oriental spice bombs and floral weapons, and they’re pretty intriguing. Check out my round up of aquatic fragrances in the latest instalment of my Escentual A-Z of Fragrance here.

Sale Picks!
Sale Picks!

Happy 2016! I hope that your holidays, however you celebrated them, were suitably festive and enjoyable. Mine certainly were! I am currently sans-internet at home (why does it take so long to have broadband installed in this day and age?!) so regular perfume programming will resume in full next week. In the mean time, I shall leave you with my latest Escentual post, which is a round up of some of my top picks from their current sale, which sees 20% off everything on site (excluding brand discovery sets, current promotions and shipping) using the code ESCENTUAL20. Enjoy and I will see you next week!