Fragrance

Perfume Review: Wow! by Joop!

Wow!
Wow!

I like to think that I’m not an insufferable perfume snob, but on occasion I do have to check myself and ensure that I’m not biased by brand names, or that I don’t turn my nose up at something just because it’s not the sort of thing I would usually wear. So I’m an occasional snob, which is OK, I guess! The latest from Joop! was one such moment where I had to remind myself that a scent should not be judged by its name and I’m glad that I gave it chance because it’s actually rather decent!

Wow! was created by perfumer Christophe Raynaud (Guerlain My Insolence and Penhaligon’s The Coveted Duchess Rose) and is described by Joop! as being a “fresh woody addiction” of a scent that plays “with excesses and overdoses”. It’s a fragrance that speaks of confidence but does so with depth and complexity – it’s not just a scent of brovadao and no substance, Wow! actually delivers an interesting and masculine fragrant experience that is incredibly modern, not to mention utterly enjoyable.

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Stay in Bed With Miller Harris’ Rose Silence Scented Candle

#StayInBed
#StayInBed

It’s Valentine’s Day today and if you’ve forgotten to get your loved one a gift and are within the vicinity of a Miller Harris store, I may have just saved your bacon – you can thank me later! This year, MH are encouraging us to ditch the idea of a dinner out, or a cinema date, or even a romantic stroll in the park, no, they want us to stay in bed and you know, do the stuff you do in bed (you know, crocheting, sleeping, antiquing etc.). To aid you in your romantic antics, Miller Harris have created a beautifully fragrant and niftily customisable scented candle featuring one of their most stunning scents: Rose Silence.

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Fume Chat Episode 09: New Fragrance Round-Up Pt. 3 – Crazy Kisses, Sex Panthers & Hamster Maids

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It’s Fume Chat, It’s Fume Chat, Here we Go!

In their first new fragrance round-up of 2017, Nick and Thomas talk about the Fragrance Foundation’s Jasmine Awards before sniffing a selection of exciting scents that have just launched. They range from the human warmth of a sexy powder scent to one that feels like drippy lipgloss, with a few functioning alcoholics and randy animals thrown in for good measure.Scents sniffed: ALAÏA Paris Eau de Parfum Blanche by ALAÏA, Clandestine Clara by Penhaligon’s, Baiser Fou by Cartier, Wow! by Joop, Eau de Merveilles Bleue by Hermès and Aqua Celestia by Maison Francis Kurkdjian.

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Perfume Review: Baiser Fou by Cartier

Baiser Fou by Cartier
Baiser Fou by Cartier

Cartier’s in-house perfumer, Mathilde Laurent is one of the greatest olfactory artists living today. She has an innate ability to subvert familiar fragrant themes, twisting them with a dash of something unusual or humorous. At Cartier she has consistently created surprising and fascinating scent pieces, elevating the Parisian jeweller to it’s current position as a go-to fragrance house for those looking for luxury, quality and artistry all wrapped up in a beautiful package. Mathilde Laurent is a living legend (and if you need further proof you can read my interview with Mathilde here).

Cartier has recently launched another Laurent composition entitled ‘Baiser Fou‘ (‘Crazy Kiss’) – a scent inspired by lipstick kisses. Baiser Fou follows Baiser Vole in Cartier’s series of floral-focused fragrances and where the Stolen Kiss was an ode to lilies, it’s bonkers counterpart is a celebration of the orchid, with Laurent inspired to recreate the elusive smell of lipstick using the “intense powderiness and sweetness” of the orchid. Now, orchids aren’t exactly known for being particularly fragrant or you know, having the actual ability to yield a fragrance oil, so all orchid fragrances are very much a construction and Baiser Fou is exactly that – a fantasy flower.

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Perfume Review: Alien Eau Sublime by MUGLER

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Alien Eau Sublime

At this point, MUGLER have provided more than enough evidence for us to declare that there is life on another planet. Having discovered the existence of extra terrestrials in 2005, the brand has paraded a variety of alien species under our noses, wafting solar vixens and Venus sirens that range from the luminescent and light to the indulgent and gourmand, not to mention the oud-filled! The great thing about MUGLER is that they’re rather good at these flankers, always paying respect to the olfactory signatures that make their pillar fragrances do bold and beautiful. So whilst we’ve seen an Alien invasion since 2005, it’s fair to say that these ETs have certainly come in peace.

For 2017, MUGLER are revisiting Alien once again with Alien Eau Sublime. MUGLER describe it as being “a new solar adventure” with a “fresh, energising and luminous new juice”. Teaming up once again with legendary perfume Dominique Ropion (Carnal Flower, Portrait of a Lady and a billion other classics), MUGLER have pieced together a fragrance that takes inspiration from white amethyst, evoking an experience that is incandescent and white in comparison to Alien’s glowing purple tones. As MULGER say: “Alien Eau Sublime takes to you to a universe bathed in light.”

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Creme Pour Les Mains au Beurre d’Iris (Iris Hand Cream) by Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle & Olivia Giacobetti

Creme Pour Les Mains au Beurre d'Iris
Creme Pour Les Mains au Beurre d’Iris

If you hadn’t have guessed from Friday’s post, I’m a bit of a Frederic Malle fan-boy. There simply isn’t a single dud within his finely curated Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle collection. I own many, I wear them often and as I’ve previously stated on this blog, Malle’s collection is one of the very few where I’d happily own a bottle of each scent (wouldn’t that be lovely?). So there you go, I’m a fan and I know that many of you are too!

One thing I also love about Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle is the fact that the brand also has a range of incredible products for the body and home. There are candles, room sprays and rubber incense, not to mention body butters, soaps and shower gels a plenty! But there are also a number of scent-specific products that belong solely to one fragrance in the collection, for example; hair mist and after sun scented with Carnal Flower; and hair & body oil scented with Portrait of a Lady. There’s a careful randomness to this, with the products picked because they compliment the odour profile and spirit of the product. It’s easy to bring a product out in every fragrance in the collection but it requires a measured restraint to pick out the best scents for the best products. So kudos, as always, has to go to Frederic Malle for curating everything so carefully.

The latest product from Frederic Malle that I’m obsessing over is the Iris Hand Cream (Creme Pour Les Mains au Beurre d’Iris) which boasts a beautiful iris scent created by Perfumer Olivia Giacobetti. The cream contains a number of patented molecules that feature a film that clings to water molecules, thus preventing dehydration of the top layers of skin, in addition to a further film that protects against ageing and pollution. Its scent is a nod to the house of Medici, who brought the origins of perfume making to France and had a penchant for scenting their hands and gloves with iris hand cream. This is a very special product indeed, one filled with technology, history and beauty.

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Perfume Review: Outrageous by Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle & Sophia Grojsman

An Outrageous Caipirinha Cocktail
An Outrageous Caipirinha Cocktail

If you were to ask me if there was one perfume line that I think is so spectacular I’d happily own each and every fragrance within the collection, I would answer ‘Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle’ without skipping a beat. Malle’s line feels so carefully curated and it spans each and every corner of olfaction, making for a perfectly formed collection that is essentially the ultimate fragrance wardrobe. I have tried each and every one of them, and they would all be very welcome on my skin any day of the week.

A confession: I just fibbed to you. Up until recently I had tried every single Frederic Malle fragrance bar one: Outrageous! Created by none other than the legendary, nay the iconic, nay the perfume Queen, Sophia Grojsman (Paris, Tresor and all of the best 80s scents), Outrageous! was originally launched in 2007 as a Barneys exclusive, housed within slightly different packaging. Being a Brit I never managed to get my hands on a sample of this elusive beauty, but luckily for me, and for you, Frederic Malle is relaunching Outrageous (now sans exclamation point) as part of his impeccable collection. Brilliant, that’s one last tick off the list then!

Outrageous takes inspiration from the Caipirinha cocktail (try pronouncing that after you’ve had a pitcher of the Brazilian booze, its quite a hoot). Malle worked with Sophia Grojsman, a perfumer he had long admired to create this unusual scent which feels very much like a hidden treasure within Frederic Malle’s line. Outrageous now joins the likes of Cologne Bigarade, Eau de Magnolia and Cologne Indélébile as one of Malle’s thoroughly modern colognes however, this one has a really unusual and intriguing twist…

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Perfume Review: Jo Malone London Myrrh & Tonka Cologne Intense

New from Jo Malone London: Myrrh & Tonka Cologne Intense
New from Jo Malone London: Myrrh & Tonka Cologne Intense

Jo Malone London are the mixologists of the scent world. They piece together a perfumed pantry’s worth of ingredients to make intriguing compositions that we, the fragrance lovers, can mix-up and combine in any way we see fit. Within their main line, the scents are usually light, easy-to-wear little ditties that manage to be complex and intriguing without being particularly demanding, whilst their Cologne Intense collections offers up richer and more substantial compositions. Personally, I’m a big fan of the brand and I love many of their scents for their effortless wearability and one of their fragrances (Mimosa & Cardamom) is easily in my top ten of all time, so yes, Jo Malone London definitely grabs my attention whenever they launch something new.

The latest scent to come from Jo Malone London’s Cologne Intense collections is Myrrh & Tonka, an oriental composed by Mathilde Bijaoui (Etat Libre d’Orange Like This). The brand rather evocatively describes it as “a nomad song of sand and smoke-threaded twilight” which paints the image of a fragrance that appears within a rich tapestry of colours. Unlike the last Cologne Intense fragrance Orris & Sandalwood, which played with polar opposites (soft vs hard), Myrrh & Tonka celebrates the complimentary relationship between its top billing ingredients. Let’s take a sniff…

“There is an atmosphere of addiction and carnal richness to this fragrance which appeals to both men and women. At the top there is a hint of lavender and a floral note, creating a comforting and voluptuous opening. The big, rich heart and base note of myrrh is sensual. And the tonka brings generosity. It’s captivating and mesmerising.”

– Mathilde Bijaoui, Perfumer

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