What a year it's been. Madonna and Gaga clashed in a celebrity scent battle. A little black dress went viral on YouTube. Brad Pitt spouted nonsense about journeys in an attempt to sell No 5. The luxury goods market continued to grow. And the future of perfumery became gloomier than ever, as EU law-makers turned their attention to the controversial subject of allergens. Oh, and a slim tome entitled Le Snob: Perfume was let loose into the world...
Friday, 28 December 2012
Best Perfumes Of 2012
What a year it's been. Madonna and Gaga clashed in a celebrity scent battle. A little black dress went viral on YouTube. Brad Pitt spouted nonsense about journeys in an attempt to sell No 5. The luxury goods market continued to grow. And the future of perfumery became gloomier than ever, as EU law-makers turned their attention to the controversial subject of allergens. Oh, and a slim tome entitled Le Snob: Perfume was let loose into the world...
Labels:
2012,
Afternoon Of A Faun,
Anima Dulcis,
Best Of,
Interlude Man,
L'Ambre Des Merveilles,
L'Heure Vertueuse,
Loretta,
Mito,
Noir,
oud,
Oud Ispahan,
Seville A L'Aube,
Songe D'Un Bois D'Ete
Monday, 24 December 2012
Christmas Wishes 2012
Persolaise.
PS Please don't forget to come back on Friday for my list of the best perfumes of 2012!
Labels:
Christmas,
cooking,
Madame Persolaise,
Maison Persolaise,
nieces,
weather
Friday, 21 December 2012
Playing Catch-Up: Autumn/Winter 2012 (part 2) - from Balmain to Liz Earle
As promised last week, here's the second phase of my move to tick a few names off my 'Should Review' list.
Apart from oud, if there was one trend that continued to grip the mainstream in 2012, it was fruity shampoo accords (the sort which can trace their lineage to Sophia Grojsman's Calyx). I tend not to have much time for such creations - largely because they're the very definition of cheap and nasty - but I also believe that just about any idea can be made worthwhile through skilful execution. Cue: the 2012 version of Balmain's Ivoire. When you've got someone like Michel Almairac at the helm (in collaboration with Jacques Flori) chances are that the final result will at least be wearable, and sure enough, this stylish composition doesn't disappoint on that front. Its secret weapon is restraint (employed equally well by Almairac in his Bottega Veneta creation). So yes, it is fruity, clean, soapy, shampoo-y and musky in ways you've smelt before, but it manages to come across as affluent rather than effluent... sorry, I meant 'bog-standard'. If you're after a comparison with the 1979 original, I'm afraid I can't help you, but I'd love to hear from anyone who's done a side-by-side test.
Labels:
2011,
2012,
Botanical Essence No 15,
Coralina,
Cuir Blanc,
Granada,
In Peace,
Ivoire,
L'Amandiere,
Mi Corazon,
Note De Luxe,
Oriental Lace,
perfume review,
Pomme D'Or,
Santo Domingo,
Sargasso
Wednesday, 19 December 2012
Winding Down... And Wondering How Much Cash Santa Has In His Sack
It's time to prepare Persolaise.com for its winter slumber. Friday will see the publication of the second instalment of my 'catch-up' reviews, and on the 28th I'll reveal my list of the best scents of 2012. But apart from those two posts, things are going to be fairly quiet here as I'll be turning my attention to family, turkeys and marzipan... not necessarily in that order. Having said that, I probably won't be able to resist popping back on the 24th to wish you all the very best for the festive season, so let's not say goodbye to each other just yet.
Labels:
Acqua Di Parma,
Beauty Bible,
Brad Pitt,
Cartier,
Christmas,
Colonia,
Guerlain,
Harrods,
holiday,
L'Heure Mysterieuse,
La Petite Robe Noire,
limited edition,
perfume shopping,
Robert Piguet,
Selfridges,
Visa
Monday, 17 December 2012
No More Scented Goodies From The Skies - Perfume Banned On Air Mail
Labels:
air mail,
Andy Tauer,
online,
perfume shopping,
Royal Mail,
transport
Friday, 14 December 2012
Playing Catch-Up: Autumn/Winter 2012 (part 1) - from Lauder to Piguet
Maintaining a regular blogging schedule isn't always easy when you're meeting the demands of a full-time job, pursuing other writing interests and trying to have some sort of personal life. So it's inevitable that, every now and then, a backlog builds up of various perfumes I feel I ought to write about. In order to reduce it - and start the new year with something resembling a clean slate - I'm going to devote this week's and next week's review slots to capsule-sized musings on releases which, for one reason or another, have kept slipping through my net.
Labels:
2012,
Aramis Gentleman,
blossom,
Cafe Rose,
Chai,
Jeunesse,
Jonquille De Nuit,
Lys Fume,
Musc Intense,
Myrrhe Et Delires,
Ombre De Hyacinth,
perfume review,
Petit Fracas,
Sensuous Nude,
Very Estee
Wednesday, 12 December 2012
Harrods Is Full Of Snobs
![]() |
Image by the author of the purple one in the middle |
I know, I know, I have to stop doing this sort of thing. But I just couldn't help myself. I was in Harrods with Madame Persolaise the other day, so naturally, I decided to pop up to the second floor to see if they had a copy of a little book with a picture of Shalimar on the cover.
Labels:
Basenotes,
Beauty Bible,
CandyPerfumeBoy,
Die Zeit,
Downton Abbey,
Harrods,
Laduree,
Le Snob Perfume
Monday, 10 December 2012
Ormonde Jayne Sets The Record Straight
Labels:
Four Corners Of The Earth,
Geza Schoen,
interview,
Linda Pilkington,
Montabaco,
Nawab Of Oudh,
Ormonde Jayne,
perfumer,
Qi,
Tsarina
Friday, 7 December 2012
Persolaise Review: Pot Pourri from Odette Toilette & Candles from L'Artisan Parfumeur, Jardins D'Écrivains + Voyager
![]() |
Image: George Dunlop Leslie |
Labels:
Alexandra,
Blend 1,
home scent,
Interieur Figuier,
Jardins D'Ecrivains,
L'Artisan Parfumeur,
Odette Toilette,
Olivia Giacobetti,
Premier Figuier,
review,
Rose Des Indes,
Traversee Du Bosphore,
Voyager
Wednesday, 5 December 2012
Tauer Perfumes Advent 2012 Winner
Thanks very much indeed to each and every one of you who entered yesterday's Tauer Perfumes draw. Your entries were a joy to read and I wish I could reply to all of them. I'm pleased to announce that the winner is
Joaquim, who wrote about Five O'Clock Au Gingembre
Congratulations! Please send a message with your postal address and choice of perfume to persolaise at gmail dot com and I'll forward it to Andy Tauer straight away.
Commiserations to everyone else. But don't be too despondent: I'm sure I'll hold another draw soon.
My thanks once again to Andy for inviting me to take part in this year's advent calendar... and also for today's give-away on his blog, which took me completely by surprise when I read it. He's offering a copy of my very own book, Le Snob: Perfume, as today's prize, so click here and leave a comment to be in with a chance of winning!
Persolaise.
Labels:
Advent,
Andy Tauer,
giveaway,
prize,
Tauer Perfumes
Tuesday, 4 December 2012
Tauer Advent Give-Away + Quentin Bisch Interview
Ian Denyer's 2011 Perfume documentaries featured many prominent members of the fragrance industry. Jean-Paul Guerlain, Thierry Wasser, Jean-Claude Ellena, Chandler Burr, Roja Dove and several others were all allowed considerable time in the limelight. But if there's one individual from the series whom most people seem to remember it's Quentin Bisch, the young Givaudan trainee who was overcome with emotion in episode 2 when telling the story of how he was accepted onto the world's most famous perfumery course.
Labels:
Advent,
Andy Tauer,
BBC,
Givaudan,
giveaway,
Ian Denyer,
interview,
ISIPCA,
Jean Carles,
Jean Guichard,
Opium,
Quentin Bisch,
Shalimar
Saturday, 1 December 2012
A Fresh Intake Of Art
Labels:
Alberto Morillas,
Amouage,
art,
Chandler Burr,
Edmond Roudnitska,
Givaudan,
Interlude Man,
Jean-Claude Ellena,
Museum Of Arts And Design,
Pierre Negrin
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)