U is for Unisex
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.

T is for Testing
T is for Testing

Unsurprisingly, testing and sniffing perfumes is one of my favourite past times. As is stating the obvious, it seems. Anyway, seeing as I love sniffing things so darn much, I have dedicated the latest instalment in my Escentual A-Z of Fragrance to the science, nay, the art of testing fragrances. In the guide you’ll find a raft of handy tips to assist you with scouring the department store shelves, including a toolkit of essential materials. Click here to head over to Escentual and discover ‘T is for Testing’.

S is for Serge Lutens
S is for Serge Lutens

When doing an A-Z Guide to Fragrance, as I have been doing for Escentual over the last two years, one finds some letters to be difficult. For example, ‘Q’ stumped me for quite some time, until I thought that it could be representative of ‘Questions’ (as in fragrant FAQs), and I have absolutely no idea what I’m going to do for ‘X’ or ‘Z’, but they’re a little way off yet so let’s not panic. Anyway, some are hard to pick a theme for, whilst others are pretty easy. ‘S’ was one of the easy ones.

‘S’ could stand for ‘Shalimar’ or it could stand for ‘Sandalwood’. In fact, it could stand for many things. In my mind however, ‘S’ could only, and should only be representative of one thing in fragrance and that is ‘Serge Lutens’. Since the early ’90s, this olfactory enigma has been presenting us with some of the most beautiful, challenging, confusing and fascinating fragrances. He’s a man who speaks in riddles but presents olfactory tales in captivating prose. He is Serge Lutens, and there’s not much more to say than that. Click here to read this week’s Escentual column.

The Latest Instalment in The Candy Perfume Boy’s Escentual A-Z of Fragrance: K is for Kurkdjian…

For the latest instalment in The Candy Perfume Boy’s Escentual A-Z of Fragrance I have taken a look at one of perfumery’s greatest talents – the one, the only Francis Kurkdjian. Taking a look at some of his best works and including interesting tidbits from his recent Perfume Lovers London talk, the piece serves as an introduction to a perfumer that certainly divides opinion.

So please head on over to Escentual by clicking on the image above and don’t forget to let me know your thoughts on Francis Kurkdjian and his perfumes in the comments box there or even the one here!

 

G is for Guerlain…

This week’s stop on my Escentual A-Z of Fragrance is the letter ‘G’ – and the only ‘G’ that could possibly count in the world of perfume is ‘Guerlain’. Like many fellow perfume nerds I have a major soft spot for this venerable French house and with this guide I aim to take you on a whirlwind tour of all that is Guerlain including the perfumers that have made the house the great institution that it is.

Please head on over to Escentual.com by clicking on the image above and don’t forget to leave a comment whilst you’re over there, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the world of Guerlain.

F is for Five Golden Rules…

Tis 01 April which means that many a prank or trick will be played upon a plethora of unsuspecting souls today. I however, am for too kind for all that malarky and instead would like to share with you the latest instalment in my Escentual A-Z – ‘F is for Five Golden Rules’.

Please click on the image above to head over to Escentual to check out my Five Golden Rules for being a perfume nerd – you’d be an April Fool not too!

E is for Etat Libre d’Orange

In continutation of my A-Z for Escentual.com today’s post focuses on the naughty world of Etat Libre d’Orange. From the weird and wonderful to the downright disgusting Etat Libre d’Orange is a brand that never fails to shock, surprise and wow with their range of exciting and unique perfumes.

Click on the image above to head over to the Escentual Blog and read about my favourite picks from one of my most loved brands.

C is for Celebuscents…

Apologies once again for the lack of posts over the last few weeks, our little cat Paddington has been quite poorly, which mixed with a very hectic work schedule has meant that my head hasn’t really been in the right space for blogging.

Tomorrow I shall return with the next instalment in my ‘Guide to’ series, in the meantime please click on the image above to head over to Escentual.com to read the latest in the Escentual A-Z of Fragrance; ‘C is for Celebuscents…’