There have been a ton of big launches in the first half of this year, one of which is the eye-catching (pun intended) Kenzo World (created by none other than Mr Francis Kurkdjian). Check out my review on Escentual now.
Cologne
I am obsessed with roses.
It’s taken about two years of intense rose-sniffing but I have become wholly and completely obsessed with rose perfumes. I’d even go as far saying that rose is my favourite note. In fact, I’m going to say exactly that: rose is my favourite note in perfumery. I simply cannot get enough and whilst I’ve already written a guide to rose perfumes and even battled them on Fume Chat, I feel as I haven’t quite got my adoration for the note out of my system yet. So with that in mind, here’s a bit of a different approach to an article that allows me to wax lyrical about roses once more.
Roses are one of the most versatile ‘notes’ in perfumery. I say ‘note’ but there really is a vast array of rose materials used in perfumery, some to give a rosy impression and others to add complexity to other compositions. I want to celebrate this versatility of rose but instead of just compiling a guide to roses I’ve decided to showcase the many gradients of rose by creating a day of roses. The idea is very simple: these are roses for morning, noon and night and if you want, you could simply pick one for the time you need it, or if you’re adventurous you could transition through all nine during the day. Whatever you choose, I hope you’ll agree that there really is a rose for every minute, moment and mood.
Do you like to stick to the same scent? Perhaps you have a particular style of fragrance you gravitate towards? Or maybe you like to stick within the gender lanes. Well, it’s time to step out of that comfort zone and try something a little different. Check out my handy guide on Escentual now.
Wednesday is officially my vlogging day – yay!
That means that each Wednesday morning I’ll be bringing you a brand new fragrance-related video on my YouTube channel. Last week I debuted the channel with a video review of AURA by MUGLER (watch it here if you missed it), which has already clocked up nearly 1,000 views. Thanks so much all of the support. It was pretty daunting putting myself so out there and I’m really glad everyone has liked my vlogging efforts (that should be ‘effort’) so far.
For this week’s vlog I’m focussing on some rather lovely scents for summer. It’s been super hot here over the last couple of weeks and it’s really that time of year where we all push those heavy orientals and winter warmer scents to the back of the cupboard, and pull out those lighter more refreshing things. But one can still rock some pretty intriguing stuff in summer, not just your usual citruses and colognes, and if you’re stuck for scented inspiration this season – look no further!
Apologies for a little bit of radio silence over the last two weeks. I’ve been busy with work and other things so posts have been a little bit on the sporadic side. Fear ye not though, there’s a lot of interesting content coming your way over the coming weeks, with reviews of big launches, some nice in-depth articles and of course, vlogs! In fact, you’ll have a brand new vlog to enjoy tomorrow, so do look forward to that. In the meantime you can listen to the latest episode of Fume Chat!
In episode 20, Killian Wells the American perfumer behind cult brand Xyrena heads into the Fume Chat studio for an exclusive interview. Killian was in town for the Perfume exhibition at Somerset House, so we chatted to him about his involvement with the installation, specifically focusing on Dark Ride, his scent that was featured, whilst also grilling him about the many RuPaul’s Drag Race alumni his has created scents for. It made for quite the conversation as I’m sure you’ll agree!
I done a YouTube.
That’s right folks, I’ve been dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st Century, finally relenting and giving YouTube a go. One may ask what too me so long and I guess the answer is simple: YouTube terrifies me. I am very comfortable at a keyboard, hiding behind words and photographs, but stick me in front of a camera and the fear sets in! Eek!
Anyway, YouTube is a very popular medium and it’s hopefully a way to expand The Candy Perfume Boy’s audience. So for that reason I will be bringing you a weekly video for you to hopefully enjoy. Some of the videos will be reviews of things I’ve written about already, whilst others may be things that haven’t quite made it to the blog yet. I’m sure I’ll also get some lists up in the future too! Do let me know what videos you would like to see going forward.
It’s Fume Chat, it’s Fume Chat, here we go! That’s right, folks, a brand new episode of Fume Chat is ready for you to download and enjoy. Our latest is a companion episode to Episode 16 (Molecule Mania) and this time we’re talking about the positives and negatives of natural perfumery. What makes it so tricky and why can natural perfumes sometimes come off smelling a little bit flat? And why do Nick and I find it a bit ‘meh’ overall? Find out in this latest episode of Fume Chat, in which we will sniff some fabulous natural stuff.
Dior Sauvage Very Cool Spray. A new and ‘very cool’ way to wear Sauvage. Reviewed on Escentual. Clicky here to read more.
L’Homme Idéal Sport, the brand new masculine from Guerlain (and the first of theirs to boast ‘aquatic’ notes). Reviewed on Escentual. Clicky here to read.
The best brands are those that disrupt the industry in some way, big or small. These brands bring a new perspective to a world that, at times, relies on the same formulaic methods of making and marketing scent. Unique voices are always welcome, especially when their olfactory exploits are in tune with the distinctiveness of their vision. Atelier Cologne is one such brand and they’ve always done things a little bit differently – most notably building their vision around an entirely new olfactive style: the Cologne Absolue.
Atelier Cologne was started by Sylvie Ganter & Christophe Cervasel. After meeting in 2006 and falling in love, Ganter and Cervasel realised that they shared a love for the classic Eau de Cologne and set out to create a line of fragrances that boasted the character of this style but with the longevity it often lacked. The result is the Cologne Absolue – Eau de Colognes that wear like Pure Parfums. Atelier Cologne was birthed from this idea and now the brand, which recently sold to L’Oreal, has points of sale all across the world. It’s a modern day success story – one that is a testament to the quality and artistry of the brand’s unique style.
Recently I was invited to experience Atelier Cologne’s new boutique in Covent Garden, London. Having only ever tried a handful of scents from the collection (all of which I had enjoyed) I jumped at the chance to get to know Atelier Cologne a little bit better. What I discovered was a finely curated collection of scents all with an inimitable personality that captures the essence of worldly voyages and timeless romances, all with a free-spirited and care-free disposition. The Covent Garden boutique is a little treasure trove of loveliness and as you will learn through this post, it provides quite the unique perfume shopping experience.
The Candy Perfume Boy 