A Christmas Message & An Escentual Post

So it’s finally Christmas eve and all across the world everyone is finishing their shopping and wrapping, and starting to enjoy the seasonal festivities. I know I certainly am! In the spirit of the season, I would like to wish you all a very merry Christmas and an extremely joyful new year. 2014 has been such a whirlwind of a year and I wish you and your families the best of health for the new year.

The Candy Perfume Boy will be signing off until 29 December, when I shall return for ‘The Candies’ – my annual awards/year-end review that takes a look back at the very best, and the very worst in perfume over the year. Normal service will then resume again on 05 January 2015. In the meantime, do feel free to head on over to Escentual to read my latest post, which highlights some of the best bits in their sale. Escentual are currently offering 20.15% off everything on site (including Amouage!) with the code ESCENTUAL2015, so it’s worth a look!

Once again, from Nigel, Rupert, Paddington and I, here’s to the merriest of Christmases and the best of new years. See you soon…

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New Escentual Post: Last Minute Gift Guide

In life, I take a ‘leave it all to the last minute and hope for the best’ approach. Organisation is not my strong suit, and it is most definitely true that I work best under pressure. It will serve as no surprise then, that I haven’t quite completed my Christmas shopping yet, and yes, I’m well aware that it is exactly one week until Santa pays his annual visit. What can I say? I’ve just been busy with other things.

To help myself, and those around me who are also last-minute sort-of-folk, I’ve prepped a ‘Last Minute Gift Guide’ for my Escentual column this week. In this guide you will find; handy stocking stuffers for him and her, mid-range marvels and even big ticket splurges that will wow your recipient, even if they do depress your bank balance slightly. So, if you’re still looking for that one last gift, or just fancy a treat for yourself after being so wonderfully generous to everyone else, click here to check out my last-minute Christmas gift guide.

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New Escentual Post: How to Buy the Perfect Fragrance Gift

http://www.escentual.com/blog/2014/12/10/how-to-buy-the-perfect-fragrance-gift/ — How to Buy the Perfect Fragrance Gift

Buying perfume as a gift can be a tricky business and often people shy away from picking out fragrance for their loved ones because it can be such a personal choice. But it really doesn’t have to be that hard – in fact, the end result can be a perfect and personal present for that special someone in your life, whether that be something they are familiar with or even something entirely new.

To debunk that myth that buying perfume as a gift is a faux pas waiting to happen, for my Escentual column this week I’ve put together a small 3.5 step guide on how to do it properly. So, if you’re looking at gifting perfume this Christmas, whether that be to a perfume lover or not, or even if you’re just gifting because you feel like it (and you’re obviously a generous soul), click here to read my guide on How to Buy the Perfect Fragrance Gift.

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New Escentual Post: Paco Rabanne 1 Million Review

You really cannot deny the success of Paco Rabanne’s 1 Million. In fact, all one needs to do is enter into a crowded area to see just how prevalent this stuff is, and it seems that it has become a staple for many young men. Who can blame them really? The world of mainstream masculines is a barren wasteland, and 1 Million shines as an example of a familiar theme that has been executed rather well – right from the bottle to the juice, it’s a cohesive affair.

Escentual are having a bit of a 1 Million takeover this week and I’ve contributed a review of the masculine fragrance in the family. So, if you’re in the mood for some gold, some excess and a bit of a cocksure attitude then all you need to do is click here to head on over to Escentual to read my review. Don’t forget to leave a comment (even here or there) if you’re a fan of the fragrance (for me it sits in the nice, but not for me category, FYI).

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New Escentual Post: Caron Parfum Sacré

Caron Parfum Sacré - My Winter Warmer — Caron Parfum Sacré – The Scent of Cold Winter Nights

I am in full-on winter mode, and just as well really, seeing as the temperature dials have been twisted firmly towards the blue and the season of frost has started. As you may have noticed from Monday’s post, I’m rocking as many scarves as I can, but I’ve also got myself a snazzy new coat and the heated seats in my car have never seen so much use. In short: it’s officially winter.

At this time of year, I tend to pull out much warmer and heavier perfumes, as I’m sure many of you also do. One of my absolute favorites is Caron’s Parfum Sacré, a most beautiful floral incense that sits somewhere smack bang in the middle of France and Oman. Parfum Sacré is the olfactory equivalent of a hot water bottle, or a purring feline on the lap. It’s simply divine and for that reason, I’ve dedicated this week’s Escentual column to it. Click here to read about one of my favourite winter fragrances.

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New Escentual Post: Guide to Gourmand

This Week’s Escentual Post is a Guide to Gourmand Fragrances

Are you in the mood for food? I am. Well, to be fair, I’m always in the mood for food so that’s not really a statement of any note, but I am on a diet at the moment so I’m really in the mood for food, if you get me. To satiate those sweet and savoury cravings, I’ve put together a mini-guide to the world of decadently delicious gourmand fragrances for my Escentual column this week.

In this guide you’ll find three defining fragrances of this modern genre, ranging from the iconic bitch that started it all to the fruity and frivolous gourmand of today, and even the quirky and exotic fragrance that takes the genre to new and interesting heights. All-in-all, it’s an intriguing collection of scents, so if your tummy is rumbling and you need a food fix without any of the calories, click here to read my Guide to Gourmand.

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New Escentual Post: Life on the Left Bank – YSL Rive Gauche Perfume Review

Yves Saint Laurent's Rive Gauche - Life on the Left Bank — Yves Saint Laurent’s Rive Gauche – Life on the Left Bank

Consider me behind the times, but I’ve very recently fallen head-over-heels in love with Yves Saint Laurent’s Rive Gauche. Yes, I know it was launched way back in 1971, long before I was in short trousers, and yes, I’m well aware that its current formulation is a pale shadow of its former self, but I love it and I make no apologies. To me, Rive Gauche does the whole aldehydic floral thing in a way that is not over the top, nor is it viciously boardroom bitch-esque – its simply high fashion floralcy in a bottle.

Seeing as I’ve got a bit excited over my new found love, and I’ve also been taking an informal look at some of the classics over on Escentual recently (see Opium & Arpège), I took the time to dedicate my column this week to the glory of Rive Gauche. So, if you’re a fan of the scent, or if you just want to hear what all of the fuss is about (I do like a bit of hyperbole, it must be said), then simply click here to take a stroll down Paris’ wonderful left bank.

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New Escentual Post: Zombies! Ghouls! Ghosts!

T’was the night before Halloween, when all thro’ the house, nothing was stirring, not even a maniacal serial killer with a insatiable thirst for blood. That’s how the song goes, right?! Halloween seems to be getting bigger every year and whilst the shops may be stocking up for Christmas already, they’re also struggling for space with all of the Halloween schtuff that’s occupying the shelves.

In celebration of All Hallows’ Eve, I’ve put together a guide of ghoulish, witchy and zombie-riffic fragrances that will make perfect fragrant companions to any costume this Halloween. In the guide you’ll find scents that are evocative of evil clowns and convey the smells of wet dog. It’s an interesting guide for sure… Click here to head on over to Escentual for a nosey.

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Escentual Post Round-Up: Calvin Klein Reveal and YSL Opium Perfume Reviews

Reveal - The Latest from Calvin Klein — Reveal – The Latest from Calvin Klein

My last two Escentual posts have been a contrasting look at the old and the new, in the world of perfume. Firstly, I took a look at Calvin Klein’s Reveal a few weeks back. This is the most surprising and unexpected feminine from CK, that channels Thierry Mugler’s wonderful Womanity, of all things. Just when you think there are no surprises left to be had in the perfume industry, one jumps up and taps you on the nose! Click here to read my review.

Now we move on to the ‘old’. Following the disaster that is Black Opium, I wanted to revisit the flanker’s mother fragrance, Opium. Granted, the new formulation of Opium is reportedly a pale shadow of its former self, but the fragrance should still be celebrated for being a trailblazer that created the trend for big and bold oriental-themed fragrances that permeated the ’80s. Check out my thoughts on Opium here.

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New Escentual Post: Q is for Questions

As a perfume blogger and general all-round scent nerd, I often get asked a lot of questions about the subject. These range from enquiries about my personal tastes to questions regarding fragrance in general; how it should be used and what is wrong, and what is right. I enjoy these sorts of conversations and it’s great to share knowledge, after all fragrance is an ever evolving subject and I too, still have a lot to learn!

For my Escentual column this week, and the latest installment in my ‘Escentual A-Z of Fragrance’, I’ve shared, and answered some of the questions I am most frequently asked. So, if you’d like to know whether layering your fragrance is a ‘yay’ or a ‘nay’, or if you’ve always wondered if a higher price tag really does mean a better quality of perfume, simply click here to find out. Also, if you have any other burning perfume-related questions, please feel free to ask in the comments box below.

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