A Christmas Cornucopia – Love to Smell & What to Wear on Christmas Day

So as promised earlier this week, I’m going to be taking a short blogging break until Friday 30 December 2016, when I’ll be brining you The Candies 2016. So I wanted to just wish you all a very Merry Christmas and if you’re not celebrating, a happy Holidays and a wonderful new year. But before I go, I have two things to direct you to. Firstly, my Escentual column this week which is a guide to fragrances you can wear on December 25th, including some delicious treats and boozy delights. Click here to give it a read!

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New Escentual Post: Comme des Garçons Blackpepper

Extra, extra, read all about it! Legendary Japanese-French fashion brand Comme des Garçons launch awesome new fragrance. Rumour has it that iconic beauty e-tailer Escentual are stocking said fragrance. A representative from Escentual (me) says “OMG IT SMELLS SO GOOD I’M GONNA DIE”. Terror and panic is expected today as people rush to get their noses on this new treat. We at The Candy Perfume Times will be on the scene and will keep you updated.

That’s what I would write if I were an old-timey reporter, anyway. In my review of Blackpepper I say that it is my favourite thing I’ve reviewed for Escentual this year and that’s a stone cold fact. Blackpepper is innovative and fascinating, just like most things from CDG, and it also smells bloody lovely so you owe it to yourself to check it out. Click here to read my review.

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New Escentual Post: The Merchant of Venice

the-merchant-of-venice-stylised-580x424 — The Prettiest Perfume Collection Around

In terms of presentation, Italian brand The Merchant of Venice have nailed it. Their flacons perfectly celebrate Murano glass with deigns that range from the sublime to the quirky. They are simply beautiful objects but what about the juice inside these gorgeous bottles? Well, across their two collections, The Merchant of Venice offers well-composed and wearable scents that may not rock the boat, but do smell intriguing enough to warrant further sniffing. Click here to read my Escentual review to find out which ones were my favourite!

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New Escentual Post: The Terryific Oud Collection

What happens when you mix the ex-Creative Director of Yves Saint Laurent and the ancient perfume ingredient oud? […]

New Escentual Post: The Legend of Shalimar

“Shalimar” – just the utterance of its name sends shivers down my spine. Whenever I feel tired of overwhelmed with the onslaught of perfumery today, I often spritz on a touch of Shalimar to recalibrate. It refreshes my nose and reminds me of what ‘great’ smells like. But what makes Shalimar so wonderful? What makes it more than a classic – a legend? Well, for my Escentual column this week I’ve written about The Legend of Shalimar to coincide with the launch of the Shalimar Holiday Makeup Collection, which is currently Exclusive to Escentual for two weeks. To read my column click here, but also don’t forget to check out Emma’s piece on the swatches from the collection and Ceryn’s on the collection’s look.

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New Escentual Post: Jean Paul Gaultier Classique & Le Mâle Essence de Parfum

It’s hard to think of a ‘his ‘n’ hers’ perfume duo more iconic than Jean Paul Gaultier’s flagship masculine and feminine fragrances, Le Mâle and Classique. Together they capture the cheeky, sexually-charged and contemporary spirit of fashion’s naughties designed. They changed the way we think about perfume presentation and have managed to remain undated, despite their ever-so-90s aesthetic. Today our fragrant power couple have gone under the knife with olfactory surgeons Daphne Bugey (Classique Essence de Parfum) and Quentin Bisch (Le Mâle Essence de Parfum) to be fitted with an entirely new look, and smell. Click here to check out my full review of the Jean Paul Gaultier Essence de Parfums over at Escentual.

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New Escentual Post: Prada La Femme & L’Homme

prada-la-femme-prada-and-lhomme-prada-1 — The Hottest Couple in Town: La Femme Prada & L’Homme Prada

I do like a bit of Prada, it’s true. Their fragrances are so in synch with their brand, offering modern luxury, innovation and often a splash of humour, right from the elegant Infusions all the way to the mischievous Candy. In fact, one of my current summer obsessions has been their Infusion de Cedre, which is that rare thing: an aldehydic floral for men. Anyway, I digress. Prada have just launched two new pillar fragrances: La Femme Prada and L’Homme. The Femme is a wonderfully voluptuous white floral in a golden sheen, whilst the masculine is much softer, warmer and greyer. Click here to head on over to Escentual to read my full review.

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New Escentual Post: Exploring Montblanc Legend

For my column this week, Escentual asked me to delve into the world of Montblanc Legend, a fragrance created to capture the illustrious spirit of the Montblanc brand. I was also tasked with sniffing the two flankers in the series; Legend Intense and Legend Spirit. All three are well-composed masculines that throw in a few intriguing twists, especially Spirit which has a wonderful fresh banana note! Click here to head on over to Escentual to read my full review.

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New Escentual Post: Serge Lutens Baptême du Feu

One can always count on Serge Lutens to create something interesting. Year-on-year he offers up thought-provoking fragrances that push the boundaries of conventional perfumery. They are often orientals, gourmands and florals that smell otherworldly and are paired with poetic descriptions filled with riddles. This year’s addition to the collection is Baptême du Feu, a battle-inspired fragrance that takes cues from the fairgrounds and gun ranges M. Lutens frequented as a child. To find out my thoughts on this latest instalment in the Serge Lutens saga, click here to read my review at Escentual.com.

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New Escentual Post: Salvatore Ferragamo Uomo

2016-08-22 23.28.23 — Uomo by Salvatore Ferragamo

‘Uomo’ is easily becoming the new ‘Homme’ with each Italian designer brand rocking their own version. So far Valentino has one, Roberto Cavalli has one and now, Salvatore Ferragamo has their very own Uomo too. Ferragamo’s Uomo is a wonderfully versatile masculine that is soft & creamy enough to rock with jersey athleisurewear and suave & deep enough to pair with a black bow tie. In essence, it’s a scent for any man, any time and any place. Click here to head on over to Escentual to read my full review of Salvatore Ferragamo’s Uomo.

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