Candy’s Christmas Gift Edit: Quirky Perfume Gifts

This is my fourth gift guide this Christmas season and you would be forgiven for thinking that this means that I, myself am quite organised with my Christmas shopping this year. Well, my friends, you would be as wrong as Donald Trump on foreign policy (#Topical). In fact, I have been pretty appalling this year and have managed to buy one present. That’s right, one single measly gift. Hopefully I can make amends for my lack of organisation and yuletide consumerism with this, my final gift guide for 2015.

So far we’ve picked out some delightful scented candles and oohed and ahhed at some cheap and mindblowingly expensive gifts. We’ve even done a round-up of Escentual gifts for perfume lovers too! Now we’re at the very last one and I wanted to finish of my guide to gifting with a look at some unconventional perfume gifts, for the quirky perfume lovers in your life. Below the jump you’ll find five fragrant gifts that are a little bit different. So, if you need something scented that is a must have for that loveable weirdo in your life, I’ve got your back this Christmas.

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Candy’s Christmas Gift Edit: Stocking Stuffers to Wallet Wreckers

Gift guide, gift guide, we all love a gift guide! Dear readers, I’m definitely working my way into this Christmas spirit quite heavily this year and I have been scouring the wondrous expanse that is the world wide web to identify some delightfully scented gifts that can; a) make excellent presents for your loved ones; or b) sit quite happily on your Christmas lists for aforementioned love ones to review, and hopefully take note. So far, we’ve had a look at some pretty awesome scented candles but we haven’t finished traversing the world of perfume gifts just yet, and we have more gift guides to go.

In this instalment I’m taking a look at some brilliant perfume gifts ranging from the cheerily affordable to the distinctly expensive, or as I like to call them the ‘Stocking Stuffers’ and the ‘Wallet Wreckers’. Hopefully there is something for every person and every budget here, whether you be tempted by an inexpensive novelty, a mid-range marvel or even if you intend to blow your budget completely to treat that special loved one to something out of this world. Failing all of that, you may just want to treat yourself. Why not, eh?

[Oh and P.S., do swing by for another gift guide in this week’s Escentual column in a few days time and again next week for our final guide, which will be focusing on quirky perfume gifts…]

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New Escentual Post: 4160 Tuesdays Comes to Escentual

Pull out the bunting and blow up the balloons, for it is time to celebrate the addition of the 4160 Tuesdays collection to Escentual’s portfolio of perfume brands. 17 of Sarah McCartney’s quirky, eccentric and beautifully crafted fragrances have been added to the site in 50ml and 100ml sizes. If you’re not familiar with the brand, then where have you been? Essentially, 4160 Tuesdays offers exceptional hand-crafted fragrances blended in the spirit that, if we live until we’re 80, we experience 4160 Tuesdays. They shouldn’t be wasted.

To celebrate the launch I have written a piece introducing you to some of my favourite fragrances in the collection. As a plus, Escentual are also giving away 100ml bottles of; What I Did on my Holidays, The Sexiest Scent on the Planet. Ever. (IMHO) and The Dark Heart of Old Havana. To check out my introductory piece and the competition (including all T&Cs) click here. Don’t forget to let me know what your favourite 4160 Tuesdays scents are in the box below!

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Sweet Summer – Gourmand Scents to Devour as the Mercury Rises

This summer could easily be divided into two for me, with one side being my craze for cologne (and the industry’s for that matter), a fairly standard staple of the summer months, with the other being devoted to something a little bit less obvious – the gourmand. That’s right, just when one thinks it’s entirely inappropriate to rock the sugary, the delicious and the edible, the world of perfume brings forth some interesting olfactory treats that are extremely palatable as the mercury rises.

As the opposite of my Eau de Cologne Edit from a while back, consider this my ‘Gourmand Scents for Summer Edit’, albeit with a much catchier name. Below the jump, you will find four fabulously delicious fragrances that are perfect for summer, whether that be due to their lighter approach to sugary treats, or their more drinkable nature. So, prepare to munch on meringues, party with pineapples, reminisce with raspberry jam and get mashed on mojitos, oh and get bored of my irresponsible use of alliteration too…

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The Candy Perfume Boy’s Guide to Rose

Oof, this is a big one, dear readers. I have been tentatively putting this guide together for nearly 12 months and, after lots of tantrums and rewrites, I finally feel that it is ready to share. The notable thing about rose, and the reason for my drama, is the fact that it’s such a wide genre, with so many different interpretations and styles of just the one ingredient. In truth, I could put together a guide for each type of rose, covering the gourmand rose, or the oriental rose etc. in great depth. But that’s a level of detail that would take a lifetime to perfect and with tradition in mind, I have compiled a Guide to Rose that can be a starting point to the genre – an essential overview that highlights the very best of the many styles of rose.

Now, if you’re new to The Candy Perfume Boy’s Guide to series, here’s a little overview of what to expect. The series is an award winning olfactory guide to the popular notes found in many of the perfumes we love and wear. Each instalment takes a look at a singular note, its odour profile and the ‘must sniffs’ (i.e. the reference fragrances) that are essential members of that particular family. So far we’ve traversed the domains of; Tuberose, Orange Blossom, Lily, Jasmine, Lavender, Violet, Oud, Chocolate and Vanilla. Today, it’s time for rose, rose and nothing but rose.

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Smelly News: 4160 Tuesdays Crowdfunding ‘Crimes of Passion’ Series

Funky indie perfumery, 4160 Tuesdays has announced that they are crowdfunding seven seriously sinful new fragrances as part of a collection entitled ‘Crimes of Passion’. Sarah McCartney, the brand’s perfumer, has turned to crowdfunding in order to allow for lab time to create the scents, as well as some nifty materials to put in them. Here’s what Sarah has to say:

“At 4160Tuesdays we’re making seven new perfumes, The Crimes of Passion series – scents so beautiful you would follow whoever wears them to the end of the world just to smell them again. (That’s the plan anyway. No promises.) We make perfumes for people who love the way they smell, and we don’t declare that they’re for men or women. We prefer to let our customers decide what they like for themselves.”

– Sarah McCartney

At the time of writing, Sarah has already achieved 39% of her £7,000 goal, and that’s only since 27 February! To read more about what Sarah’s up to, or to see what perfume perks are on offer click here to head over to the 4160 Tuesdays Indiegogo crowdfunding page – you can also watch the video above. I for one am really excited to see what she comes up with!

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The Candies 2014: The Very Best and Very Worst Perfumes of 2014

Wow, what a whirlwind of a year 2014 was. The perfume industry has, as always, been nothing short of prolific in its output, with new brands popping up all over the place and the same big names releasing perfume upon perfume, and flanker upon flanker. It has, once again been a very busy year, and the hive of activity within the industry has meant that a great number of wonderful new olfactory treats have been unleashed on the noses of perfume lovers and consumers.

For me, this year has been one of great personal significance. In March I won my first Jasmine Award for my Guide to Violet, and shortly after in May, my best buddy and I tied the knot, only a few days before I presented an award at the Fragrance Foundation Awards. Then in August I was promoted at work, and in September my new husband and I headed off to Tokyo for the honeymoon of a lifetime. In short, it has been a fantastic year and one that will always remain truly in my heart as one of the very best.

To celebrate 2014 from a fragrant perspective, I present to you ‘The Candies 2014’. Those of you who have followed The Candies before will know that they are my annual perfume awards, celebrating the very best, and the very worst perfumes of the year (out of the 147 scents I have reviewed in 2014). Under the jump you will find the winners, losers and honourable mentions filed under neat little categories. So please, don your tux or ball down, break open the Bolly and take your seats for The Candies 2014.

[Also, please don’t forget to head on over to my dear perfume pals, Persolaise and Perfume Shrine, who are both joining me in sharing their ‘best of’ lists today.]

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Magic in the Studio – 4160 Tuesdays Doe in the Snow Perfume Review

“Doe in the Snow was made for a special occasion one January, for a very special customer. It’s inspired by the fruity chypre fragrances of the 1960s and 70s, but with a layer of frost. Citrus fruits, flowers and woods, stirred with an icicle. Imagine a tall, elegant woman, dressed in red and white velvet, but at ground level, she’s wearing her wellington boots so her feet don’t get cold and wet. Graceful, yet practical.”

– Sarah McCartney

It’s descriptions like the one above that affirm my love for London-based indie perfume house, 4160 Tuesdays. Any fragrance that can be described as “graceful, yet practical” and pairs vintage couture with wellington boots is a winner in my book, and its a style of fragrant inspiration that is the DNA of 4160 Tuesdays. The scent in question is Doe in the Snow, an incredibly special fragrance created for the wedding of “purveyor of olfactory adventures”, Odette Toilette.

Seeing as Doe in the Snow is indeed, very special, I thought I would dedicate my final review of the year (where has 2014 gone, people?!) to what is a gorgeous fragrance, and one that perfectly captures the wonderful image Sarah describes in the quote above. Doe in the Snow is further proof that there is a serious amount of magic happening within the London studio of 4160 Tuesdays. Wonderful magic that is enchanting many a nose and keeping the perfume industry an inspired, and interesting place.

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Two Scoops, Please – 4160 Tuesdays New York 1955 Perfume Review

New York 1955 – An Ice Cream Parlor in a Bottle

I continue to be incredibly impressed by the output from London-based indie brand, 4160 Tuesdays. Perfumer Sarah McCartney has a natural knack for perfumery, but also the subversive talent of injecting humour and eccentricity into her compositions. The result is exceptionally well-crafted fragrances that have bold and bright characters, that one would really have to be a miserable git not to enjoy.

One of Sarah’s most recent creations is New York 1955, a fragrance that was originally launched under her diffusion ‘Vintage Tuesdays’ line, and now sits within the multi-coloured wardrobe of scent that is 4160 Tuesdays. Evoking the image of pastel-shaded ice cream parlors from the 1950s, this perfume is a beautiful rosy-gourmand that is as delicious as it is colourful.

“One of my favourite vintage 1950s scents was Coty’s Chantilly, named after the French town famous for its whipped cream and intricate lace. It’s a soft strawberry and cream perfume, decorated with crystalised rose. For New York 1955 I transported the desert theme over the Atlantic to a New York milk bar, turned up the volume, piled it with vanilla ice cream and raspberries, loaded it with candy floss, crystalised roses and violets, and smoothed it with soft, huggable musks and ambergris.”

– Sarah McCartney

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The Candy Perfume Boy’s Guide to Vanilla

The Candy Perfume Boy’s ‘Guide to…‘ series is an award winning fragrant exploration of the individual notes that make up the vast and multi-dimensional spectrum that is the world of perfume. In each episode, we take a detailed look at a particular ingredient, analysing its odour profile and the ‘must sniff’ perfumes that serve as reference examples within the genre.

So far in the series, we’ve taken a gander at the lusciousness of lily, variety of violet and the tenacity of tuberose. We’ve also ogled at oud, chomped on chocolate and orbited the world of orange blossom. All-in-all, it’s been a fun and fragrant exploration of some of perfumery’s most beloved ingredients, but our journey is far from over and we have many more smells to sniff. So buckle up as we take off for our next fragrant expedition – a mission to Planet Vanilla.

In this latest instalment of The Candy Perfume Boy’s Guide to, we’re going to explore all that is vanilla – a note that is as well-known as it is delicious. The use of vanilla in perfume is most certainly plentiful and to serve you, dear reader, I have separated the wheat from the chaff to present you with eight vanilla perfumes that are absolute must sniffs on your fragrant journey. I promise you that they all smell absolutely fabulous!

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