Launching a perfume company at any time takes balls. Launching a perfume company in 2020, in the midst of the Covid pandemic, takes balls of steel. And dollops of optimism and a strongly defined vision. All of which Anselm Skogstad of Der Duft seems to have in abundance. In the two years since its launch,...
It’s summer! And the best way to keep freshly scented is with our selection of the best citrus fragrances. We love citrus fragrances for their refreshing, uplifting qualities when temperatures rise, but also wear them in winter when we want a reminder of the warmer months to follow. They often have a classic and timeless...
Water, water everywhere… Is there a genre that invites more scorn and derision than the aquatic? Perhaps that has something to do with the fact that at their peak in the 90s and noughties, there were some awful ones doing the rounds. But more than that, we reckon there’s just plain ol’-fashioned snobbery about them. As...
Tea is not just one of our favourite beverages; it’s also one of our favourite fragrance genres. The category is a relatively new one and originated with Eau Parfumée au Thé Vert. Commissioned to make the Bvlgari stores smell nice, according to Chandler Burr’s fascinating book The Perfect Scent, its unexpected success (customers were snapping it...
Maurice Roucel called me last week. Shameless name-dropping aside, I’ve always wanted to say that. After all, how often does a living legend respond to a flurry of emails with a phone call to set up a time for an interview a week later? I gush because, in his nearly five decades-long career, Maurice Roucel...
Before the phenomenal success of Nishane, Turkish perfumery was often more renowned for its fragrance dupes. While that industry continues unabated, the niche brand has put the country’s olfactory traditions on the scent stage for all the right reasons. Founded by Mert Guzel and Murat Katran in 2012, Nishane (meaning “mark”, “sign” or “symbol”, according...
This round-up of the best Bvlgari fragrances for women is perfectly timed if we can say so ourselves. Founded by Greek silversmith Sotirio Bulgari in Rome in 1884, the Italian luxe jewellery company celebrates three decades in the fragrance biz in 2022. In its 30 years in the fragrance game, Bvlgari has maintained a level...
Sophie Labbé’s first big commercial hit – the classic Givenchy Organza EDP (1996) – was no fluke. The Paris-based perfumer had already shown she was destined for great things when she graduated top of her class at perfume school in 1997. In her career spanning more than three decades, she has worked for big fragrance...
Whether for their sensual or comforting properties, we can’t get enough of powdery perfumes. The powdery genre covers a lot of territory. Of course, there isn’t any powder in these fragrances, but they showcase notes or accords with this sensation to varying effect, from the grandma-ish (nothing wrong with a bit of nostalgia) to thoroughly modern. ...
It’s intriguing to see buzz (as opposed to the hype) develop around a perfume brand. And there’s plenty of that when it comes to Maison Crivelli. Founded in 2018 by Thibaud Crivelli, the Paris-based niche company focuses on fragrances inspired by his experiences. When Thibaud Crivelli moved to China in 2006 and lived in various...
“If I had a middle name, it would be Ambrox, the sexiest molecule alive,” says Ilias Ermenidis with characteristic humour. This ability to see the lighter side of things has served the perfumer well in his career that spans more than three decades and several countries. Ilias Ermenidis was born in Istanbul, Turkey, and was...
Musk fragrances have come a long way from the days when this perfume staple involved cruelty to animals. Before it was banned in the 1970s and protected by CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), the male musk deer was hunted almost to extinction for the natural musk...
Fragrance nerd alert! Did you know that the first designer to launch a perfume was Paul Poiret? The Parisian couturier founded his company, Parfums de Rosine (named after his daughter), in 1911. It enjoyed considerable success until it was forced to close when the Great Depression hit in 1929. The house was brought back to...
What do you get when you combine the knowledge of a perfumer (Sarah McCartney, founder of 4160 Tuesdays) and a fragrance blogger (Sam Scriven, iscentyouaday), both award-winners in their fields? It could only be the recently published book, The Perfume Companion: The Definitive Guide To Choosing Your Next Scent (Frances Lincoln). Most of us know...
The numerous awards Jérôme Epinette has earned in recent years speak volumes about his creative and technical expertise. These include Perfume Extraordinaire of the Year for Atelier Cologne Café Tuberosa at The Fragrance Foundation Awards 2018 and Fragrance of the Year – Universal Luxury for Byredo Tobacco Mandarin at The Fragrance Foundation Awards 2021. Industry accolades aside, you’ll...
December = special occasion fragrances. It’s that time of the year when there seem to be more events than usual, from family get-togethers to office and end-of-year parties. You’re not completely dressed without a fragrance, of course. So we’ve rounded up the best scents that are guaranteed to make you feel special. The good news:...
If there’s one brand (designer or otherwise) that does musk to perfection, it’s Narciso Rodriguez. Since its fragrance debut in 2003, the company founded by the award-winning American designer (who could forget his dresses for Carolyn Bessette and Michelle Obama?) has made its name with perfumes that all have a musk theme. Apparently, the designer...
Certain fragrances come to define a decade, for better and for worse. And you don’t get any more definitive than Dior Sauvage. An update on the classic Dior Eau Sauvage, created by Edmond Roudnitska in 1966, it’s now a fully-fledged range in its own right. A rapid succession of super-lucrative releases – Dior Sauvage EDT...
In 1998, the Ferragamo Group introduced its first scent to the world: Salvatore eFerragamo for Women. Since that auspicious arrival, the Florence-based innovator has built upon its presence in the market with perfumes that blend classicism and modernity in the way only Italy can. Salvatore Ferragamo began in the 1930s as a luxury goods operation...
From Aventus and Green Irish Tweed to Viking and Bois du Portugal, Creed’s male releases get lots of attention. However, their female fragrances tend to be overlooked amid all the hype. This is a pity, as we think there are quite a few that are worthy of your attention and hard-earned cash (Creed fragrances don’t come...
You know you’re a highly regarded perfumer when Frédéric Malle gives you his customary carte blanche to create a fragrance for his eponymous brand. Three times. Only the select few – for example, Jean-Claude Ellena and Dominique Ropion – have been acknowledged this way. But then Bruno Jovanovic is not your average perfumer. His abundant...
You may be familiar with the olfactory offerings from luxury jewellery and watch brands such as Bvlgari, Boucheron and Cartier. But what about Chopard? The Swiss company founded by Louis-Ulysse Chopard in 1860 has been in the fragrance biz since the 1980s. The debut classic Chopard Happy Diamonds (1986) has been discontinued. But judging from...
The outbreak of Covid in 2020 and the lockdowns that accompanied it caused much turmoil, but also produced intriguing ways of doing things. New York-based visual artist Danilo Lauria recently launched L’Eau de Distance, a digital-inspired perfume available on the cryptocurrency platform, Hic et Nunc. While quarantined in Barcelona, Spain, in May 1920, his investigations...
A walk down the aisles of your local supermarket will confirm that veganism is now completely mainstream. So it was just a matter of time before vegan fragrances became a thing. Vegan fragrances contain no animal-derived ingredients whatsoever, including beeswax, honey, and milk, and are not tested on animals. Our Top Picks for Vegan Fragrances...
In the four years since it was founded in 2017 by Michelle Feeney, Floral Street has bagged a number of awards, including The Fragrance Foundation Retailer of the Year 2019. Although a small player in the scheme of things, the company has made a big impact with its vibrant, very British approach to vegan, cruelty-free,...
From its founding in 1916 in Parma by Carlo Magnani, Acqua di Parma has been identifiable with all things elegantly and luxuriously Italian. Signor Magnani set the stylish tone by spraying a handkerchief with his debut fragrance Colonia and then slipping it into his pocket. It doesn’t get more “la dolce vita” than that. It...
The venerable Italian luxury jewellery brand entered the fragrance biz in 1992, almost 90 years after it was founded by Greek silversmith Sotirio Bulgari in Rome in 1884. In its nearly three decades in the fragrance biz, Bvlgari has maintained a level of quality that befits an upmarket company. Our Top Picks of Bvlgari Colognes...
Compared to many of its competitors, Elie Saab entered the fragrance biz fairly recently, in 2011. Nevertheless, in this short period of time, it has earned a reputation for its quality releases. The Lebanese designer is known for his gorgeous bridal wear and haute couture gowns. His fragrances have the same luxurious effect. Where known,...
Launched in 2001, Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue’s evocation of the sun, sea, and sensuality of a southern Italy summer has been a huge commercial success. Even those with only a passing interest in a fragrance will have heard of the Italian luxury fashion brand’s blockbuster. A large part of its success is down to...
The sexy and flamboyant Italian luxury fashion brand founded by Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana in the 1980s needs no introduction. Since the launch of their debut scent in 1992, they’ve also become a major player in the designer fragrance biz, with best-selling franchises such as Light Blue and The One. Many of their releases...
When a perfume turns 100 years old, you can bet it has a story to tell. And it doesn’t get more convoluted and juicier than Chanel No. 5. While The Secret of Chanel No. 5: The Intimate History of the World's Most Famous Perfume by Tilar J Mazzeo (Harper Perennial) was published in 2010, it...
Founded in 1961 by theatre director and set designer Yves Coueslant, painter Desmond Knox-Leet and interior designer Christiane Gautrot, Diptyque celebrates its 60th anniversary this year. The pioneering French niche company is highly regarded for its consistent quality and creativity, with many of its perfumes becoming classics and among the best in their genres. So, as you...
Though once relegated to cleaning products and potpourri, modern perfumery has recently come to embrace the wonderful complexity and versatility of lavender. It is no wonder, either; lavender has a long and storied history as a perfume. Many ancient cultures, such as the Greeks and Romans, valued it for its scent, and the Ancient Egyptians...
Discover our picks for the best incense perfumes. The smell of burning incense and the waft of its smoke continues to enchant.
If there’s one occasion you want to smell really special for, it’s your wedding. Not only do you want to smell great on the day of your marriage, you also want to maximize the powerful associations of memory that only fragrance can create. Without stating the obvious, it’s all about romance. And the good news...
During the winter, there's no shortage of events to attend, from office parties to romantic nights out to family gatherings and of course the biggest night out of the year, New Year's Eve. This involves big decisions in terms of what fragrance to wear to enhance your style. We've done a lot of sniffing around...
Styles come and go, but the popularity of fruity fragrances (in particular fruity florals in recent years) shows no signs of abating. There’s a huge variety of fruity fragrances on offer. Popular notes include peach, pear, plum, fig, apricot, black currant and lychee. More exotic options include goji berries, maninka and dragon fruit. This list...
There aren't that many fragrance companies that can celebrate 150 years in the biz. But then Penhaligon's perfume isn't just any brand. It has come to represent the best of British heritage since it was founded in 1870 by William Penhaligon. So British in fact, that Princess Diana herself has been reported to have a...
Not for nothing is the rose known as the queen of flowers and, we can add, a mainstay of perfumery. This year alone, big releases include Mon Guerlain Bloom of Rose EDP, Tom Ford Rose Prick EDP, and Dior Miss Dior Rose N’Roses EDT. Rose fragrances are always popular and part of their appeal is...
Mention some of the biggest fragrances of the last decade and chances are that Anne Flipo was behind them. The French perfumer is highly respected in the industry and by her many fans for her accomplished and distinctive work across the niche and designer fragrance categories. Some of her standout creations and co-creations during...