Winter has arrived in Sydney but I’m still holding onto the memory of summer, wearing some of my favourite ‘freshie’ fragrances. With olfactory equivalents of cool greens, watery blues and zesty yellows, here are my current favourite freshies, some old, some new. Santa Maria Novella, S.M Novella Parfum (1533) Notes: Tangerine, lemon, neroli, bergamot, rosemary ..read more

Autumn has returned to Australia and even though the autumnal chill with its colour palette of dark browns and ochres is still weeks away, I’m already dipping into the woodier side of my fragrance wardrobe, typically reserved for winter. Like the May ritual of reorganising coats and knitwear to be within arm’s reach in the ..read more

Perfumed pairings are nothing new in the world of fragrance. Pour femme and pour homme, day and night, cologne and extrait de parfum are common ways two individual fragrances might be linked. Over millennia, humans have used perfume (originating from the Latin phrase “per fumum” meaning “through smoke”) as a means to communicate with the heavens. It ..read more

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Aventus, Creed’s bestselling fragrance, the French perfume house has launched a limited-edition collector’s bottle. The juice untouched, this commemorative bottle is the original Aventus in a matte black and silver presentation.    I began this blog around the same time Aventus launched. I penned a review of Aventus Cologne last year ..read more

In 1913, American avant-garde novelist and poet Gertrude Stein wrote, “Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose.” It’s a delicious maxim, not only because of Stein’s intended meaning, but also for the varied interpretations that circulate the Internet. Superficial interpretation of the line from Stein’s poem, Sacred Emily, explores the idea of things ..read more

Compared to fragrance, cosmetics and skincare brands are often more agile and a bit more fun because they don’t take themselves too seriously. Fragrance is sometimes typecast as the serious older sister in the family that is the beauty industry. The decade’s groundswell of new niche brands has given fragrance something of a modern makeover ..read more

[dropcap]P[/dropcap]apyrus Oud / 71 is a small independent perfume with a big story. Readers who are familiar with the brand Parle Moi de Parfum might know Benjamin Almairac’s story as the young Parisian entrepreneur who created his own independent perfume house with his brother Romain and father, Michele Almairac, one of the fragrance industry’s most respected perfumers. I saw Benjamin in Paris at his store in the Marais in 2018 where he showed me this fragrance. Papyrus Oud / 71 had just launched exclusively at Selfridges in London and would receive a global launch the following year. His c ..read more

[dropcap]P[/dropcap]aradis Provence is the fourth perfume created by New York designer Shalini Kumar. Her latest perfume follows the approach of the last three; opulent ingredients masterfully composed by one of perfumery’s living maestros, Maurice Roucel. The result is presented in Lalique crystal. Paradis Provence also brings a new facet to Shalini’s brand. While the previous two launches, Jardin Nocturne and Amorem Rose both took a sultry approach, Paradis Provence radiates light of a different energy. It conjures feelings of wellbeing and tranquillity, emotions often associated with the p ..read more

[dropcap]W[/dropcap]riting this blog post during the COVID-19 lockdown, I’m appreciating what a luxury it is to travel. I’ve been very fortunate to have worked for companies where travel is a requirement of the job. I should be in Milan this week, but my trip had to be cancelled and now we all have a part to play in staying home and reducing the spread of this virus. In my years working in fashion and now fragrance, Italy, particularly Florence, is a city I visit often. I really enjoy spending time in this charming medieval town and birthplace of the Renaissance. When I am in Florence, one o ..read more

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]ccords are perfumery’s equivalent to the catchy melodic hooks found in the best pop songs. When a new accord is discovered, the perfume industry will replay it, remix it and turn it into literally hundreds of new fragrances. It’s the reason why many fragrances smell very similar. This is expected in the realm of designer and mass market fragrances but it’s now common practice in niche perfumery. How many variations of Santal 33 have you smelled in the past year? You can never have too much of a good thing. History has a special place set aside for a couple of accords, the ..read more