Perfume Review: Musc Noir For Her by Narciso Rodriguez

There are some brands that have a cohesive olfactory aesthetic – we call this a “house style”. Prada has it, with its sparkling, fizzy iris theme at the core of most of what it does. Hermès used to have it when Jean-Claude Ellena was at the helm, when everything he created felt like a mineral watercolour, painted with delicate strokes (Nagel’s style feels more diverse). Heck, CHANEL has it too, with their flowers, aldehydes and clarity of execution. Narciso Rodriguez is another however, their house style is somewhat more subtle and is reliant on one key theme, which finds itself blurred into the genres of chypre, woody, floral and more: the theme of musks.

We’ve seen many musk-powered fragrances from Narciso, each utilising the materials to create a distinct sense of colour – usually a block, neutral colour. Their latest, Musc Noir, is no exception. It’s technically a flanker to their flagship fragrance For Her (a musky, rosy chypre) however, it feels several flankers removed from the original at this point. Musc Noir was created by Givaudan perfumer Sonia Constant and is seen as a more sensual essay on the darker side of For Her’s musks, whereas Pure Musc, which launched in 2019 (I never got around to reviewing it, but I enjoyed it) celebrates the lighter side. Comparing the two, they really are light and dark, and Musc Noir stands out as a unique entry into the Narciso Rodriguez collection. Let’s sniff!

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IGTV: Six Scents for Summer 2021

We’re headed into summer and if your fragrance wardrobe needs a bit of a seasonal refresh, I’ve got you covered. The vibe of the season is fresh, tropical and beachy and in my latest IGTV video, I’ve picked six scents (some classic, some new) that bring you all of the olfactory refreshment you need. These are the six scents you need to be wearing this summer!

Check out the video on instagram here or embedded below the jump.

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Candy Crush: Acqua di Parma x Poltrona Frau Airound Car Diffuser

Candy Crush is where I write about scent-related things that I’m currently obsessed with

I love my car. It’s a sleek red and black, electric BMW that goes like a rocket with a beautiful interior filled with supple, chocolate-coloured leather. I like to keep it nice and shiny, both inside and out, but most importantly, I like it to smell good. This will be a surprise to absolutely nobody, of course, and whilst I can’t deny that new car smell is a lovely thing, I do like to have a bit more of an elevated odour profile when I step in to my electric rocket. His name is Bruno, btw….

I’ve tried lots of different car scenting devices but haven’t really found any that fully satisfy me. Many smell gross, for a start (I’m looking at you Yankee Candles…..) and others just don’t last (I loved my DS & DURGA Auto Fragrance, but the wonderful scent didn’t last as long as I’d like in the end). Enter Acqua di Parma with their latest innovative launch – the Airound Car Diffuser created in collaboration with Poltrona Frau, the luxury Italian furniture makers. It’s a beautiful object, exquisitely made, that scents your car with the luxurious fragrances of Acqua di Parma. Bruno loves it.

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On Escentual: What is an Aromatic Fragrance?

In my Escentual this week, I’m continuing my exploration of the fragrance families. The latest stop on the journey is aromatic fragrances. This genre focuses on herbaceous notes and overlaps with the worlds of green and fougere, usually with a drier, more herbal vibe. I’m a big fan of the genre and you can find out all about it (and discover some beautiful aromatic scents) all over at Escentual. Click here to read.

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Perfume Review: Paris-Édimbourg by CHANEL

Let’s talk LES EAUX DE CHANEL. As far as capsule collections go, it is easily one of the most cohesive, elegant and on-brand lines to exist. Inspired by travel and the routes out of Paris Coco Chanel took to places of significance in her life, LES EAUX tell rich olfactory stories in that effortless CHANEL style. There is Deauville, the resort town where Chanel opened her first boutique, translated into a sparkling citrus-chypre with green notes. Then Biarritz, another resort and another boutique, represented in scent form by a refreshing, oceanic muguet. One cannot forget Venise, a city Chanel loved and visited following the death of her lover, Arthur ‘Boy’ Capel – a city imagined in vanilla and silk. Then finally, Riviera, inspired by Chanel’s villa on the Côte d’Azur – society’s hotspot captured in a powdery, solar orange blossom. It’s a great collection and now there’s one more addition…

And that edition is Paris-Édimbourg. Transporting us straight to the Scottish Highlands (via Paris, of course), Paris-Édimbourg tells the story of the refuge and sanctuary Chanel sought in this wild and rugged landscape with the Duke of Westminster, her lover in the early 1900s. The scent itself stands out as a subversive summer scent that relies on aromatic and resinous notes to create an unusual sense of freshness, with a rugged, masculine quality that slots in nicely along the freshness, silkiness, aquaticness (not a word), and powderiness (also not a word) of the current line up. It completes the range quite nicely, if you ask me, which I’m assuming you did, because you’re here reading this review…. Anyway, let’s sniff!

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On Escentual: What is a Warm Fragrance?

In my latest Escentual column I talk about the Warm fragrance family. This is a new word we are using in place of ‘Oriental’, because it is outdated and no longer fit for purpose (plus it tells you nothing about the fragrances within the family). So if you want to learn about warm ambers, warm florals, warm spices and warm resins, click here to read my column and find out.

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Perfume Review: Rêverie de Bergamote by Miller Harris

I do love a surprise, especially a fragrant one, and when that fragrant surprise is from one of my favourite (and most-worn perfume houses) well then, I’m a happy boy. So imagine my surprise (I promise that’s the last time I say ‘surprise’ in this review, maybe..) when the first launch from Miller Harris in 18 months landed on my doorstep. Being real with you, MH had been launching A LOT of things before their brief pause and some of those launches (Blousy, Brighton Rock, I’m looking, nay, I’m glaring at you) felt a bit rushed and unfinished, and didn’t set my heart on fire. So it was with great intrigue that I approached their new launch ‘Rêverie de Bergamote’ and (massive spoiler alert!) it did not disappoint.

Rêverie de Bergamote is described by Miller Harris as an “aromatic citrus” fragrance. They say it’s a “bright, soulful scent for a slow Sunday morning” and I feel they’re going for something that sets a mood or a vibe, and that vibe is bergamot-scented relaxation (something we could all do with, let’s face it). Emilie Bouge (Robertet) created the perfume and took inspiration from relaxing mornings listening to music. And whilst the theme is very ‘Bergamot and Chill’, I would say that Rêverie de Bergamote is not to be underestimated – it has a few tricks and unexpected twists up its sleeves to raise the excitement levels. Let’s sniff!

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Reel: Your Scent, Your Strength, Your Style @ Ormonde Jayne

Did you know that you can visit Ormonde Jayne’s boutique in London and personalise a fragrance from their Signature Collection? Well, now you do! The process is actually really cool – you pick your fragrance (from the 15 in the Signature Collection), then the concentration (up to a whopping 50%), followed by the bottle (from 8 beautiful shades). I took a trip to the boutique last week to test out the service and I made a quick Instagram Reel of my experience.

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Perfume Review: Bergamotto di Calabria La Spugnatura Perfume Review

What do Acqua di Parma’s new fragrance Bergamotto di Calabria La Spugnatura and beloved cartoon icon Spongebob Squarepants have in common? OK, I admit that this is probably not the question you expected to be asked in this review, but bear with me, it’ll make sense, maybe. The answer is simple: they’re both made from sea sponges. What do you mean that doesn’t make sense? Surely it’s obvious? Surely?!

OK, I’ll clear things up for you. La Spugnatura is actually a limited edition version of Acqua di Parma’s popular Bergamotto di Calabria fragrance, which sits within their Blu Mediterraneo collection. What makes this edition different is ‘La Spugnatura’, a traditional and labour-intensive method of extraction which involves, you guessed it, our good friend Spongebob. OK, not Spongebob, but actual sponges. In this process, bergamot fruits are cut and separated from their peel, the peels are then pressed (very carefully) onto sea sponges, which absorb the fruit’s essence. These sponges are then squeezed into terracotta jars. The result is beautiful, brilliant bergamot.

Bergamotto di Calabria La Spugnatura is a limited edition fragrance that features this special bergamot material and because it’s so exceptional, it’s also housed in a gorgeous vessel. For this edition, Acqua di Parma has created a handmade porcelain bottle, adorned with a white and gold bergamot pattern. It’s absolutely beautiful and it really does add to the special feel of this unique, limited edition. But does it smell extraordinary too? Let’s sniff!

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IGTV: New Fragrance Launches May 2021 (Part One)

This week’s IGTV is actually a two-parter. I had so many new launches to share for May that I’ve split them over two videos. Part one is live today and features five fragrances, all of which feel a bit summery in tone. Expect gorgeousness from CHANEL, bergamot beauty from Acqua di Parma, and scantily-clad cabana boys from MUGLER (of course). To check out the video, head over to my instagram, or click below the jump.

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