New Escentual Post: Acqua di Parma Colonia Travel Spray

They say that, when it comes to perfume, all that matters is the juice. Well, I disagree. Or should I say that I agree to an extent. The scent is, first and foremost, the most important part, after all, marvelous packaging cannot save a disastrous fragrance from smelling awful now, can it? But when a bottle and fragrance are both masterful one can really enhance the other to create a truly luxurious object.

One such object is the brand new travel spray for Acqua di Parma’s iconic Colonia. Now, Colonia is already a bloody lovely scent, but when housed within the tan leather of the travel spray well, it is really quite something to behold. For my Escentual column this week, I’ve taken a good old look at this wonderful new object and have also rambled on about, amongst many other things; myself, Vivienne Westwood bags and Ferraris. If that piques your interest, click here to give it a read.

Continue reading →

New Escentual Post: Fragrances for Father’s Day

Father’s Day is sneaking up on us (it’s 21 June – make sure it’s in your diary, folks) and that means one thing, and one thing only; it’s time to show appreciation to those men in our lives that have taken the role of father/mentor/guide/person that lectures potential boyfriends/girlfriends. One good way to say thank you is with fragrance, so to help you in picking out something suitably dad-worthy, I have put together a little guide (including some of my faves) for my Escentual column this week. Click here to give it a read and ogle Escentual’s gorgeous imagery!

Continue reading →

New Escentual Post: Guerlain L’Homme Idéal Cologne Review

New from Guerlain: L'Homme Idéal Cologne — New from Guerlain: L’Homme Idéal Cologne

An army of amorous brides chase a practically terrified Jon Kortajarena through city streets in the advert for Guerlain’s latest fragrance, L’Homme Idéal Cologne, and who can blame them? After all, Kortajarena isn’t exactly harsh on the eyes now, is he? But these ladies (who are all Guerlain employees, FYI, and include a few Guerlain gents in the mix too because marriage equality is real, people) aren’t really chasing the handsome model, they are after the ideal husband and, more importantly, his fragrance.

With last year’s L’Homme Idéal, Guerlain presented their idea of the ideal man – a cheeky yet suave woody gourmand that boasted more than a small nod to the house’s extremely successful La Petite Robe Noire. This time around, and for L’Homme Ideal’s first flanker, that naughty little scamp of a man has grown up a bit, gone on a diet and switched out his black tux for white linen. The result is a lighter version of the original that still maintains the almond signature that is integral to ‘L’Homme Idéal’. Click here to check out my review over at Escentual.

Continue reading →

New Escentual Post: Candy Crush

Candy Crush - Angel Eau Sucrée by Thierry Mugler — Candy Crush – Angel Eau Sucrée by Thierry Mugler

Thierry Mugler’s summer edition of Angel from last year, ‘Angel Eau Sucrée‘, is back and I couldn’t be more pleased. Eau Sucrée is my candy crush – she pairs Angel’s signature accords of patchouli and vanilla with a whole heap of sugary treats, namely raspberry sorbet, meringues and candy floss. The result is as delicious as it sounds, and it makes for a slightly unusual take on the summer fragrance, where lighter gourmand nuances are showcased rather than citrus. Click here to head on over to Escentual to read my full review (P.S. the bottle has changed for 2015, but the scent remains the same as last year’s).

Continue reading →

New Escentual Post: U is for Unisex…

“Perfumes don’t have a gender” – I cannot tell you how many times I have said this, whether on this blog, or in casual conversation, and I stand by it. It is my firm belief that, seeing as a fragrance neither has balls or boobs, it cannot be assigned a particular gender. That said, perfumes do possess characteristics that can be perceived as either more masculine or feminine, depending on whose nose is doing the sniffing. To combat all of this brands try to dispel the gender myth (or do they reinforce it?) with unisex or genderless fragrances.

For my Escentual column this week, and the latest instalment in my ‘Escentual A-Z of Fragrance’ (only V, W, X, Y and Z to go, y’all) I’ve pondered the origin of the modern unisex perfume, and have also included some of my favourites for your reading pleasure. So if you’re wanting to dip your toes into a world where the gender lines don’t matter much at all, then simply click here and head on over to the Escentual blog to read my post. Don’t forget to tell me what your favourite unisex scents are.

Continue reading →

New Escentual Post: Serge Lutens La Religieuse Perfume Review

Nuns, Jasmine and Sweet Treats - Serge Lutens La Religieuse — Nuns, Jasmine and Sweet Treats – Serge Lutens La Religieuse

A new fragrance from Serge Lutens is always news worthy, especially when that brand spanking new perfume is a floral, my most favourite of all genres. Lutens’ latest fragrance, a jasmine-based scent (Uncle Serge’s third jasmine-centric outing) named ‘La Refligieuse’ is certainly very good news. This is an unusual and low-key jasmine with a few gourmand facets thrown in for good measure. Click here to head on over to Escentual to read my review.

Continue reading →

New Escentual Post: Time for Tea

One of my favourite non-perfume smell is Earl Grey tea. There is nothing quite like opening a brand new box of tea bags and inhaling the dusty green scent of tea leaves infused with the sweet and fragrant smell of bergamot. Few fragrances are able to capture this smell, and in general, good tea fragrances are hard to find. That said, Spring 2015 has seen the launch of two very competent tea scents; Aqua Allegoria Teazzurra from Guerlain and L’Ile au Thé by Annick Goutal, both of which are the subject of my Escentual column this week.

Teazzurra is a more abstract take on tea that uses a green tea note alongside vanilla and citrus to paint the image of an idillic lakeside resort. L’Ile au Thé however, feels more grounded in nature and instead, evokes the smell of a soft breeze moving through the plentiful leaves of an exotic tea plantation. Both are light and wistful creations that set the mood for summer. Click here to head on over to the Escentual blog to read my review. Oh, and pop the kettle on!

Continue reading →

New Escentual Post: The Cheap and Chic Edit

The Cheap and Chic Edit - Fabulous Fragrances Under £30 — The Cheap and Chic Edit – Fabulous Fragrances Under £30

Was it not Prince who once sang “you don’t have to be rich, to be my girl”? I think it was, and I definitely believe that he was onto something. You see, a blindness to luxury and cost isn’t just for musicians who go by symbols, no, it’s also for perfume lovers too. I am of the firm belief that the correlation between cost and quality in a fragrance is skewed at best. One could buy a heart stopping fragrance for £200 + (Frederic Malle’s Portrait of a Lady, for example), but they could also trot on down to Debenhams and pick up something equally as fabulous for less than £30.

So yes, something very pricey can be good, but it can also be terrible, and the same goes for the cheaper end of the scale too. With this in mind, I’ve dedicated my Escentual column this week to my favourite cheapie fragrances that are incredibly well made, and most importantly, quite glam. Inspired by Moschino’s Cheap and Chic (a fragrance that I’m having a love affair with), my ‘Cheap and Chic Edit’ focuses on six affordable fragrances under £30 that’ll make you feel like a million bucks. Click here to read the post, and don’t forget to let me know what your favourite cheap, yet chic fragrances are.

Continue reading →

New Escentual Post: Bvlgari Aqva Divina Perfume Review

For my Escentual column this week I have reviewed ‘Aqva Divina‘, the latest fragrance from jewellery makers, Bvlgari. I’ll say that this one was a definite surprise for me. Bvlgari’s most recent offerings have been a bit bog-standard – not bad, but not really noteworthy either. This one however, is really good (one of my faves for summer 2015, in fact). It’s a salty, marine floral a la Womanity, but more tropical and creamy white. Think of Aqva Divina as the Aphrodite to the Mugler’s Pink Terminator Cyborg. Anyway, if that suitably piques your interest, then click here to read my review.

Continue reading →

New Escentual Post: Cartier La Panthère Eau de Parfum Légère Perfume Review

For my Escentual column this week I’m taking a look at Cartier’s brand new ‘Légère‘ edition of their wonderful La Panthère fragrance. Created as a lighter, more radiant version of the original, Légère extends the feline signature of La Panthère’s musk and gardenia, taming the wild cat with the sweet, and tropical note of tiare. The result is a flanker that feels lighter, yes, but also warmer. La Panthère Eau de Parfum Légère glows, and it’s rather beautiful. Click here to read my review, and click here to read a conversation with Mathilde Laurent, Cartier’s in-house perfumer.

Continue reading →