I’ve been busy on my Escentual column reviewing a number of big new launches. In this post (above and below the hump) you’ll find a round up of reviews including; Comme Des Garçons’ Floriental, the Acqua di Parma Ingredients Collection (Colonia Ambra, Colonia Oud & Colonia Leather), Dior’s Sauvage, Valentino’s Donna, Van Clef & Arpels’ Ambre Imperial and Narciso Rodriguez’s for Her L’Absolu. Enjoy.
It’s not a new thing for a fashion designer to launch an eponymous fragrance, or any fragrance for that matter. In fact, at this point, the idea is decidedly old hat. But the worlds of fashion and perfume are so inextricably linked that it still makes perfect sense for such a thing as the ‘designer fragrance’ to exist. After all, we simply cannot deny that perfume is the ultimate fashion accessory. Can you imagine leaving the house without any? Sacré bleu! It doesn’t bare thinking about!
Tunisian-born designer Azzedine Alaïa has waited a long time to launch his debut (and semi-eponymous) perfume, ‘Alaïa Paris‘ (penned by the talented Marie Salamagne, no less), and having spent some time with the fragrance this week I would say that it has been worth the wait. With Alaïa Paris, the aesthetic of the designer is perfectly in tune with the olfactory composition, making for a scent that, whilst not boasting any particularly bold statements, is unique and interesting enough to represent the style of such a venerable designer. Click here to head on over to Escentual to read my full review. Don’t forget to comment with your thoughts if you have tried Alaïa Paris.
I’ve been away for a couple of days so there won’t be new posts from me this week, excluding my usual weekly column for Escentual. As you may have read, I have started to share ‘Scented Stories’ of the sights and smells of the places I visit on my Instagram page, and subsequently on my blog. These thoughts of scent and travel got me to thinking about what other cities may smell like, and specifically what perfumes can evoke different fragrant elements of these varied landscapes.
For my Escentual column this week I’ve taken an imaginary trip around the world to eight amazing cities, some I’ve personally visited and some I am yet to. To create a fragrant picture of each city I have selected ten fragrances that relate to the scented nuances of these places. Some are literal, capturing the smells one encounters when visiting these cities, and some are a little bit more abstract, evoking thoughts and feels from within my imagination. So, pack your passport and your sunblock, and click here, to go around the world in 80 sprays!
I’m starting to really get into Acqua di Parma as a fragrance brand. Their classic Colonia is an iconic eau de cologne that’s difficult not to love and last year’s Rosa Nobile has quickly made its way into my regular rotation. There’s an effortless simplicity to all things Acqua di Parma that appeals to my calmer and more refined sides. Of course, they may be a paired-back brand, but that doesn’t mean that Acqua di Parma is exempt from releasing lots of flankers, and their famous Colonia is available in a number of interpretations, ranging from intense versions to oud and leather fusions.
This summer, Acqua di Parma are extending their fragrant wardrobe by launching Colonia Club, a new twist on Colonia that is inspired by the idea of an private members sports club. The result is a surprisingly complex eau de cologne that is somewhere between a salty marine scent and a minty fougére. I think its great and it also proves that sporty fragrances don’t have to smell like sweaty Lynx-soaked boys (or Axe-soaked for my American buddies). Click here to head over to Escentual to check out my full review.
The ‘Candy’ in my pseudonym may be a glaring link to the fact that I have a huge sweet tooth. I’m being deadly serious here – when it comes to sugar there is no time for humour. From food to fragrance I must admit that I enjoy a bit of the sweet stuff and no brand does sugar more prolifically than Lolita Lempicka. With their latest launch, the appropriately named ‘Sweet‘, they have gone sugar and cuteness overload with a fragrance based on a “cherry-cocoa lipgloss accord”. Need I say more? Click here to check out my review in this week’s Escentual column.
As we enjoy the summer months we tend to reach for an entirely different wardrobe of fragrance. Those heavy ambers and comforting gourmands are pushed to the back of the closet in favour of light colognes, sparkling citruses and solar florals. But a change in wardrobe for summer doesn’t have to be predictable, in fact, there are loads of fragrances out there that, whilst not being marketed for summer, suit the season perfectly. You don’t have to wear cologne, or citrus, or flowers, no, you can wear something a little bit more substantial and entirely unique.
For my Escentual column this week I have put together a list of subversive summer scents – fragrances that suit the summer season but in an unexpected way. They range from the good, clean fun of a scent inspired by homoerotic artwork to an essay in decaying flowers, with some couture and pancakes thrown in for good measure. So, if you’re looking to stand out this summer, click here to head on over to Escentual and read all about my subversive scent picks for the sunny season.
A little late to the party (again) with this one, but what I lack in speed, I make up for with my fanboy enthusiasm. This summer I’ve been rocking of a lot eau de colognes, light florals and zingy citrus scents, so the first spritz of the warm, bakery tones of Sunshine Woman was quite a surprise. This is an unusual summer fragrance that flirts with gourmand tones of almond and vanilla, whilst also getting friendly with some hot and waxy white florals. So, if you want something a little bit different to the usual citrus follies of summer, then Sunshine may be something to consider. Click here to head on over to Escentual to read my review.
What do you get when to you take Jean Paul Gaultier’s Le Mâle to the gym and tell him to avoid manscaping for a few weeks? Well, you get Ultra Mâle, that’s what. Ultra Mâle is the latest incarnation of Gaultier’s beautifully buffed sailor boy, and this time our beloved seafarer has gone rogue. Launched to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Le Mâle, and created by the perfumer Francis Kurkdjian (the same dude behind the original) Ultra Mâle brings the (timeless) barbershop fougére bang up to date and places it in a more oriental setting, and a thoroughly rugged one at that. To read my full review on Escentual, simply click here!
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!
I’ve been a little bit behind in putting a link to last week’s Escentual column up here, and for that I apologise! Anyways, the centrepiece of the article was Acqua di Parma’s Acqua Nobile Rosa, an Eau de Toilette incarnation of last year’s Rosa Nobile. Now, if you remember my review from last year, you will know that I was more than a little bit taken with Rosa Nobile, and I’m pleased to say that this new EDT is just as good, if not a bit lighter. Rosa celebrates the more ethereal, jammy and citrus-like facets of the rose and it’s a good alternative for those who want something less present. Click here to check out my review.
The Candy Perfume Boy 