Here’s something fun! I’ll be joining super beauty journalist, Alice du Parcq as the first guest on her new instagram live series ‘Desert Island Spritz’. In the series, Alice chats with perfume lovers from all worlds about the six fragrances they would take with them if they were stranded on a desert island. We’ll be live on Alice’s instagram and mine at 18:00 GMT on Friday 19 March 2021. Join us there!
Now I just have to narrow my favourite fragrances down to six….
With the pandemic, testing fragrances has become much harder. Many of us cannot go to shops to test perfumes (or understandably, we do not want to) and even if we do go into a shop, getting hold of a perfume tester isn’t easy. There are a lot of barriers in the way and at Escentual, we want to make it so much easier for people to explore our range of fragrances. So, enter #EscentualScents – a monthly discovery box that you can purchase to explore the world of fragrance. We are so excited!
April’s box – Fruity – is now on sale.
In my Escentual column this week I take a look at some fragrances for men in Parfum concentration. What is a parfum? Why is it different? Is it a big trend for men? And which ones smell fantastic? All questions answered in the piece. Click here to head on over to Escentual to give it a read.
In my latest IGTV video, I have a quick round-up of perfumes that are super cuddly, cozy and warming – they are my top picks as winter warmers. Featuring enveloping and glowing scents from CHANEL, By Kilian, Comme des Garçons, this edit brings you a scented selection to help fight the cold. Check it out by clicking here or via the embedded video below the jump!
At the beginning of each year, Escentual task me with predicting what the big perfume trends will be. This year is no different, so I’ve dusted off my crystal ball, put on my best Mystic Meg costume (of which I own several) and gazed into the future. What did I see? Well, you’ll have to click here to head over to Escentual to find out!
In this week’s episode of our podcast, Fume Chat (the penultimate episode of the series, eek!), we chat with Oscar-nominated actor and self-proclaimed “Perfumed Ponce”, Richard E Grant. In the interview we talk about his scented upbringing and how he created a perfume brand. We also sniff three of the scents in his Jack collection!
This is a super exciting project that I am thrilled to be a part of. As you may know, I write for Escentual as their Fragrance Expert and also advise them on all things fragrance. Over the last two years, we at Escentual have run two blind fragrance trials with journalists, influencers and bloggers, all with the aim to promote discussion about new fragrance launches – it’s been really successful and immense fun. Well, now, #EscentualScents comes to you and this time, you can get in on all of the action and fun!
In my final #christmascrush gift guide this year, I take a look at some beautiful perfume discovery kits that will make excellent presents this Christmas. With going in to stores to test fragrances becoming harder with the pandemic, these kits allow you to give the gift of choice and they can be an excellent tool in helping narrow down a full bottle purchase, either as an additional gift or if your recipient wishes to treat themselves to something at a later date. The cost of some of these kits are even redeemable against a full size purchase. Check out the video below or visit my Instagram page by clicking here.
Carine Roitfeld is the former Editor-in-Chief of French Vogue and if her debut collection of perfumes are anything to go by, she is clearly someone who enjoys perfume. The idea behind the collection is seven fragrances inspired by seven lovers in seven different cities. In all honesty, I’m a bit ‘meh’ about the concept, and I’m certainly more than a bit ‘meh’ about the bottle which, despite its hefty weight and magnetic cap (we love a magnetic cap, we do), is just, dare I say…..ugly? 😐
Anyway, aesthetically challenging packaging aside, the Seven Lovers Collection shows that Carine Roitfeld certainly has taste when it comes to perfume and she has used it wisely when collaborating with perfumers Aurélien Guichard, Yann Vasnier and Pascal Gaurin, to create her collection. Out of the seven, I’d say four were interesting (George, Lawrence, Har-Wai and Orson), which isn’t a bad hit rate, let’s be honest. My favourite by far was George, which is inspired by an encounter in a bookshop in London. I must ask Carine which bookshops she’s been visiting because they certainly sound like a lot more fun than your average Waterstones! George is a modern chypre that harks back to some wonderful green scents from the past. I’m obsessed – so much so, in fact, I can forgive that bloody bottle (I promise not to mention it again)…..well, almost.
Comme des Garçons is a brand that gets a pretty regular rotation in my wardrobe. In fact, I’d go as far saying that it would would quite be odd for a week to go by without me picking out one of their scents to wear. For me, they strike that perfect balance between novel and innovative, and pleasant and wearable, which means that I reach for them quite a lot, mostly for those in the regular lineup such as the original Parfum, 2, 2 Man (I just topped up on my bottles of both the 2s, in fact), Amazingreen and Blackpepper. Long story short, I enjoy the brand and the scents are staples for me.
With that in mind, a new Comme des Garçons fragrance is somewhat of an event for me – I’m always intrigued to see what they do and whilst not all are ones I adore (see Floriental, Copper and Concrete), I do always enjoy how they subvert expectations. A Comme des Garçons fragrance always has something to say and their latest launch, Rouge (currently exclusive to Dover Street Market and launching nationwide next year), is no exception. Described, in typical CdG style as an “encounter between religious fervour and earthen reality” Rouge attacks the the colour red from surprising angles, using a central note of beetroot to present something so familiar in an entirely unfamiliar way. To say it’s interesting and unique is somewhat of an understatement…
Through deliberate overdose and rapturous expression, Rouge presents an unexpected unison. an olfactive congregation of desire archetypal associations of the colour Rouge seen and subverted through the distinctly disruptive gaze of Comme des Garçons.
Comme des Garçons
The Candy Perfume Boy 