Movember

#TeamPenhaligons – Penhaligon’s Extract of Limes Perfume Review

Extract of Limes
Extract of Limes

Tis the last day of Movember and so ends a month of mighty moustache cultivation and manly celebrations. More importantly than the mo-growing and showcasing of masculine fragrances however, is the money raised for an important cause that supports the research and awareness of men’s health issues. This month I have raised £207 for Movember and my team – #TeamPenhaligons – have raised a staggering £2,000, with the total continuing to rise. [On that note, should you wish to make a donation, please do so here]

In tribute to my awesome Mo Bros and Mo Sisters in #TeamPenhaligons and as a final nod to the masculine fragrances of Movember, today I’m reviewing one of my favourite masculine scents from Penhaligon’s, the most quintessentially British of perfume brands. That scent is Extract of Limes, and whilst it technically counts as a unisex scent (I’m allowed to cheat a little) I definitely feel that it is one of Penhaligon’s most enjoyable fragrances and is a great scent for dapper and fashionable gents to wear.

Originally launched in 1963 and currently residing within Penhaligon’s Anthology Collection, Extract of Limes is a fusion of mouthwatering citrus and clean floral notes that is both bracing and surprisingly contemporary. Having been resurrected in 2009 by perfumer Mike Parrott, this lime-centric scent is one of the more overlooked scents in the brand’s stable, but it’s also one of the most delectable and is very much worth a sniff for anyone who wants a unique citrus fragrance.

Continue reading →

New Escentual Posts: Movember Masculines Part 3 & 4 – Dior Homme & Fat Electrician

Movember Masculines Part 3 - Dior Homme
Movember Masculines Part 3 – Dior Homme

So Movember comes to an end and as another week of mo-growing passes my column over at Escentual takes a lot at another important masculine fragrance that represents just one facet of the modern man. This week’s scent is Dior Homme, a scent that many readers will be familiar with and whilst it may seem like an obvious choice, due in part to its high critical acclaim, it is most definitely worthy of the spotlight.

Dior Homme represents the sensitive man of today. It’s a highly stylish fragrance that speaks of well-groomed and sharply dressed young chaps, but it is by no means a vapid fashion scent for the masses. The softness of feminine notes makes Homme a truly interesting and comfortable fragrance amongst a sea of dull aquatics and faux-wood affairs. It is simply remarkable. Do click on the image above to read this week’s column.

In addition to this, for the very final week I’ve taken a look at the more contemporary and more than a little bit unusual ‘Fat Electrician’ by Etat Libre d’Orange. This is a John Waters, pencil-thin moustache of a fragrance and is also one of the most intriguing vetivers one can buy. Please click on the image just below the jump to view.

Continue reading →

Monsieur Mahogany – Huitième Art Monsieur Perfume Review

The Dapper 'Monsieur'
The Dapper ‘Monsieur’

It was only a few weeks ago that I was moaning on Twitter about the lack of decent niche masculines this year, remarking that there has been fluffing tons of beautiful, wonderful and masterful feminine and unisex fragrances in 2013 but very few impressive things on the male side of the fence. Perhaps creating decent perfumes for men is less of a priority for perfume companies nowadays. Who knows?

So yes, I was having a moan when the ever-knowledgeable Nick Gilbert said that I absolutely had to try (I’m paraphrasing, of course) the latest fragrance from Huitième Art – ‘Monsieur‘. Knowing that any recommendation from M. Gilbert is worth listening to I trotted off to Les Senteurs, one of my favourite perfume boutiques, to procure a sample of the latest scent from perfumer Pierre Guillaume.

Monsieur is billed as a “harmonious blend of eight woody notes” and is inspired by the Massif de Bois Noirs, where “torrents and waterfalls from Auvergne’s mountains carry along scents of moss, bark, wood, earth, humus and stone”. What one finds with Monsieur, is that it is a fragrance that is not afraid to be bold and whilst it may not be the most unique interpretation of woods, it does showcase an interesting sense of balance that is something entirely new.

Continue reading →

Moustache Monday: Week 2

The Mo as of Day 10
The Mo as of Day 10

It’s week 2 of Movember and the mo growing appears to be in full-swing. We seem to be moving out of the ‘awkward itchy phas’e into the slightly less uncomfortable ‘bushy, slug-like phase’. One shouldn’t complain though, it’s not an easy challenge to sport decent facial furniture and one has to work through the pain, discomfort and hideousness in the hunt for true mo-awesomeness.

As it stands my current Movember total is a respectable is £85, however I think we can do better! #TeamPenhaligon’s is doing rather spectacularly and has currently raised a rather spiffy £475! A massive well done to my fellow mo bros and mo sisters for their extraordinary moustache-related efforts so far, lets keep up the hard work and take it over the £500 mark asap!

Continue reading →

New Escentual Post: Movember Masculines Part 1 – Habit Rouge by Guerlain

Movember Masculines Part 1: Habit Rouge by Guerlain
Movember Masculines Part 1: Habit Rouge by Guerlain

In case you hadn’t noticed it is officially the month of Movember (yes I’m going to continue to bang on about it) and for the next four weeks The Candy Perfume Boy will be undergoing a masculine takeover. We’ll be looking at some new masculine scents as well as some of my personal go-to gentleman’s fragrances, whilst on Escentual I’ll be running a series of ‘Movember Masculines’ – taking a look at some of the best men’s fragrances on the market.

The first instalment in these moustachey masculines is a review of Guerlain’s Habit Rouge (the EDT) – a perfume that needs little introduction. To me, this particular man-scent is incredibly versatile and works as well on an equestrian in full livery as it does on a hip, leather jacket wearing man of today. Please click on the image above to head on over Escentual and read my thoughts on one of Guerlain’s very best fragrances.

Continue reading →

Moustache Monday: Week 1

Mo Look No 1
Mo Look No 1

Welcome to the this year’s very first ‘Moustache Monday’ – your weekly round-up of all things moustache related during the month of Movember. Here you’ll find out just how well the mo is going, including whether it looks fabulous or terrifying in addition to an update on my fundraising activities. So, how’s it going so far?

Technically it hasn’t been a full week of Movember yet but it is day 4 and I can already see the very beginnings of a mo sprouting on my top lip. I’m still at that awkward ‘haven’t shaved yet therefore I’m quite itchy’ phase and my facial foliage isn’t looking anywhere as remotely impressive as the one being sported in the above image (can you tell I had fun taking these?).

Continue reading →

Movember Madness

Movember Madness
Movember Madness

It’s officially the first day of November which means one thing and one thing only – dodgy moustaches. That’s right dear readers, Movember is upon us and all throughout the month many a man will be sporting questionable facial foliage all for a very wonderful and worthy cause. The aim is that, through the medium of fanciful tashes we will change the face of men’s health.

The Candy Perfume Boy isn’t exempt from all of this madness and even though he looks utterly ridiculous with a moustache (and I mean UTTERLY ridiculous) he is willing to offer his face up for ridicule in order to raise money for the good of his fellow ‘mo bros’. This means that this year I will once again be joining Team Penhaligon’s in their crusade to raise one heck of a lot of dough for men’s health.

Throughout the month I shall be posting regular ‘mo updates’ on Moustache Mondays and The Candy Perfume Boy (the blog that is) will be focusing on all things masculine, with reviews of a number of manly fragrances, a man-focused edition of the Scent a Celebrity series, plus a whole host of other masculine things (grr). In addition to all of this I’ll also be looking at some classic men’s fragrances on Escentual in a series I’m ingeniously dubbing ‘Movember Masculines’. All-in-all it’s going to be a fun month!

Continue reading →