Persolaise

“A Family Mission” – Live Interview With Veronique Spoturno & Christopher Sheldrake A few years ago, Veronique Spoturno -- Francois Coty's great-granddaughter -- launched the Spoturno perfume brand with the legendary Christopher Sheldrake (Ambre Sultan, Muscs Koublai Khan, A La Nuit, amongst many others) as her perfumer. The other day, they popped into my virtual studio for a live interview in which we discussed the creation of the brand, the formulation of both…

A live interview with Veronique Spoturno -- of the brand Spoturno -- as well as the legend himself, Christopher Sheldrake, creator of nearly every single Serge Lutens perfume ever made.

L’Artisan Parfumeur L’Amant, Christian Dior Cuir Saddle and Le Labo Violette 30 reviews – 2026 For reviews of Christian Dior Cuir Saddle, Le Labo Violette 30 and L'Artisan Parfumeur L'Amant please click on this link to my Substack: Christian Dior Cuir Saddle, Le Labo Violette 30 and L'Artisan Parfumeur L'Amant. The post is not behind a paywall and you shouldn’t have to subscribe to be able to read it. Persolaise

We have a new Dior... and it may be the best one yet from Francis Kurkdjian. Plus: reviews of new releases from Le Labo and L'Artisan Parfumeur.

20 Years Of Escentric Molecules – Live Interview With Geza Schoen Escentric Molecules -- the brand that continues to win fans and divide opinion with its single-ingredient Molecule 01 -- is twenty years old. To mark the occasion, co-founder and perfumer Geza Schoen popped into my virtual studio for a live interview in which we talked about his two new releases (Molecule 01 + Champaca and Molecule 01 + Cistus…

Escentric Molecules is 20 years old! Here's a live interview with co-founder and perfumer Geza Schoen in which he discusses the development of his brand, as well as his two new releases, Molecule 01 + Champaca and Molecule 01 + Cistus.

Acqua Di Parma Colonia Il Profumo Millesimato, Born To Stand Out Dirty Milk and Stora Skuggan showcase reviews – 2026 For reviews of Acqua Di Parma Colonia Il Profumo Millesimato, Born To Stand Out Dirty Milk and the entire collection from Stora Skuggan, please click on this link to my Substack: Acqua Di Parma Colonia Il Profumo Millesimato, Born To Stand Out Dirty Milk and Stora Skuggan showcase reviews. This Substack post is not behind a paywall and you shouldn't have to subscribe to be able to read it. Persolaise

How many of you out there have heard of Stora Skuggan? If you haven't, then I'd urge you to seek out their work. Here are my thoughts on their entire collection, together with reviews of new releases from Acqua Di Parma and Born To Stand Out.

More Matches Made In Heaven – Top 10 Perfumes For Valentine’s Day 2026 For this year's Valentine's Day list, I've gone back to the library and matched some famous fictional couples with perfumes. Here's a link to the YouTube video: Perfumes for iconic couples - Valentine's Day 2026. And this is a link to the accompanying Substack post: Perfumes for famous fictional couples.

From Wuthering Heights to Brokeback Mountain -- my rundown of the best perfumes for Valentine's Day 2026

Love At Chapter One: Perfumes For Valentine’s Day 2013

- This post has been moved to my Substack. To read it, please click on this link: Top 10 perfumes for fictional couples. Persolaise

Frederic Malle Contre-Jour review – Annick Menardo; 2026 - For years, the arrival of a Frederic Malle perfume has been a cue for a total nerd-fest. But the brand’s latest release, Contre-Jour, pushes the opportunities for geekery to greater extremes, urging us to read and consider it through many more lenses than are normally used to peer at the subject of a review. For a start, the very fact that it’s the first scent since 2024 from what was once a peerless brand means it’s worthy of the highest level of attention.

We have a new Malle! The first one since 2024... and also the first ever by the legendary Annick Menardo. Here's my review.

The Slow Burn – Top 10 Best Tobacco Perfumes Smoking may be a socially dubious activity these days -- and rightly so -- but there's no doubt whatsoever about the allure of tobacco perfumes, which is why I featured them over on YouTube the other day. Here's a link to the video, followed by a list of all the scents I covered, with timestamps: Top 10 best tobacco perfumes

The suave sophistication of tobacco -- here's my list of the Top 10 best tobacco perfumes

Tom Ford Soleil Neige, BDK Vanille Caviar, Nez 1+1 Ansongo and other reviews – 2026 We're trying something different. For the foreseeable future, the usual post-video updates will appear not here, but on my Substack. However, they will NOT be behind a paywall and you will NOT have to subscribe to the Substack if you want to read them. If the system doesn't work, we'll revert to the updates on Persolaise.com. So, for a round-up of the latest series of…

The first reviews of the year are in: Tom Ford Soleil Neige, BDK Vanille Caviar, Nez 1+1 Ansongo, and more...

Chanel Gabrielle L’Eau review – Olivier Polge; 2024 - I confess I keep forgetting about the existence of Gabrielle. In my mind, the last high-profile, mainstream, feminine release from Chanel was Coco Mademoiselle. And yet, the Gabrielle line has been growing. The original edp came out in 2017 (has it really been nearly eight years?), followed by the Essence in 2019 and the parfum in 2022. And in late 2024, we were given 

My first review of the year is of a flanker from 2024: Chanel Gabrielle L'Eau, by Olivier Polge. Could it possibly be the best of the Gabrielles?

The Top 10 Best Perfumes Of 2025 - It’s often people in the most dire situations, with few opportunities to enjoy the finer things in life, who insist that those with the ability to keep creating beauty must carry on doing so. In territories torn to pieces by conflict, the thirst for self-expression and creativity becomes more acute, as though the individuals caught up in the maelstrom want and need a reminder of what it is that they’re fighting and suffering for — a symbol of a future existence in which the idealistic aspirations inherent to art might come to be realised.

Here we go -- my Top 10 perfumes of 2025. Are any of your favourites on the list?

Born To Stand Out Black Creme, Hiram Green Ultra, Comme Des Garcons Monocle Syros and other reviews – 2025 For this year's final review episode of Love At First Scent, I covered new releases from Comme Des Garcons and Zoologist, as well as Quentin Bisch's much-hyped Black Creme for Born To Stand Out. Here's a link to the episode, followed by the full list of the scents I covered, with timestamps: Born To Stand Out Black Creme…

My final reviews of the year: Born To Stand Out Black Creme and Black Karak, Hiram Green Ultra, Comme Des Garcons Syros and Max Richter, Zoologist Portuguese Man O'War

Top 10 Best Perfumes For Winter 2025 – A Light In The Darkness Perfume as a light with which to combat the darkness -- that was the theme of my latest seasonal Top 10 broadcast, in which I presented my scented recommendations for winter 2025. Here's a link to the episode, followed by the full list of fragrances covered, with timestamps: Top 10 best perfumes for winter 2025.

My list of the Top 10 best perfumes for winter 2025 -- scents that act like a light in the darkness.

Christmas Wishes 2025 Festivals of light -- no matter what they may be called -- are needed more than ever at the moment. So as we approach Christmas, regardless of whether it happens to be a festival you celebrate, I would like to wish you and all those dearest to you the very, very best that life has to offer: excellent health, plenty of laughter and an abundance of beauty to appreciate and enjoy. May 2026 be peaceful for us all. Persolaise

All my very best wishes for the festive season -- happy Christmas to those celebrating it.

Serge Lutens Bois Roi D’Agalloche, Zurafa, Sidi -Bel-Abbes, Tarab and Cracheuses De Flammes reviews (Christopher Sheldrake; 2015, 2020 and 2025) - Reading between the lines, it would seem that Royaume is the brand’s update of the Section D’Or range, which launched in 2014 to loud protestations about its exorbitant price tag. One presumes that as the Gratte Ciel seem to have had their day, the folks at Lutens decided the house needed another ‘haute’ collection, and the bling-fully packaged Royaume…

A feast of light -- My review of the recently-launched, exclusive collection from Serge Lutens, comprised of two new scents (Zurafa and Bois Roi D'Agallaoche) as well as Tarab, Cracheuses De Flammes and Sidi Bel-Abbes from what used to be the Section D'Or range.

Who fancies a reissue of a Coty classic? Here are my thoughts on Ambre Antique (of which only 1,905 bottles have been made) as well as the full range from Solferino and Vranjes. Plus -- the 25th anniversary of Alberto Morillas' masterpiece, Kenzo Flower.

Tauer L’Air Du Desert Marocain Noir, Etat Libre D’Orange Above The Waves, BDK Impadia and other reviews – 2025 Please click on the link below to be taken to my Substack reviews of the following perfumes: BDK ImpadiaMontale Oud SapparotJeroboam BohaFerragamo Sublime LeatherTauer L’Air Du Desert Marocain Noir, Rose Absolue & HeraudOrto Parisi Stercus & MegamareEtat Libre D’Orange Above The WavesL’Artisan Parfumeur Contes Du LevantCavalli SerpentineD’Annam Japanese WhiskeyChloe Tubereuse Lazuli Here's the link: Tauer L'Air Du Desert Marocain Noir, BDK Impadia, Etat Libre D'Orange Above The Waves and other reviews. Persolaise

Reviews of new releases from Tauer, Etat Libre D'Orange, BDK, Montale and more.

Candles, Cookbooks & A Fair Bit Of Perfume – Gift Recommendations For Christmas 2025 I don't even want to think about how many (ie few) days are left until Christmas... but I know that one way or another, the day will be upon us before too long. Until then, you might find my annual gift recommendations useful if you're on the lookout for something scented to buy for your nearest and dearest. Here's a link to the list, which features offerings from Neela Vermeire, Les Indemodables, Chanel, Goutal, Guerlain, Hermes, Trudon, Coty, Sainte Cellier, Nyita, Kenzo, Moschino and many more: Christmas gift recommendations 2025. Enjoy! Persolaise

My annual list of Christmas gift recommendations, featuring: Guerlain, Hermes, Chanel, Marc-Antoine Barrois, Les Indemodables, Trudon, Acqua Di Parma, Neela Vermeire, Kenzo and many more.

Brioni Les Extraits, Chanel Pour Monsieur, L’Entropiste Ensang Noir and other reviews – 2025 Foxes, wolves and serpents -- just three of the creatures that came up in my recent set of Love At First Scent episodes, during which I covered new releases from L'Entropiste, Gucci and Nos Republic, amongst others. Here are links to all the videos, followed by further thoughts on some of the perfumes: Gucci Muschio Mineralis, L'Entropiste Ensang Noir…

Reviews of new releases from L'Entropiste, Puente, Brioni and Gucci, as well as thoughts on two classic -- Chanel Pour Monsieur and Caron Troisieme Homme.

Ask Me Anything To Mark 600 Episodes Of Love At First Scent The other day I reached episode 600 of my Love At First Scent series, but as I didn't want to devote any portion of that instalment to anything other than interviewing Patricia De Nicolai, I thought I'd use episode 601 as an opportunity step back and mark the milestone. Cue: an Ask Me Anything session. As ever, the range of topics that I was prompted to cover was wide, from my thoughts on the current state of the Frederic Malle brand, to my connection with the BBC's 2010…

Another Ask Me Anything broadcast from yours truly, in which we talked about Frederic Malle, disappointing blind buys, the BBC's Perfume documentary, my personal Top 10 and much more.

For The 600th Episode Of Love At First Scent – A Live Interview With Patricia De Nicolai For the 600th episode of my Love At First Scent series, I was joined in the virtual studio by a very special guest: Patricia De Nicolai, founder of her eponymous brand, member of the Guerlain family, recipient of France's Chevalier De La Legion D'Honneur award, former president of the Osmotheque, and creator of some truly beloved perfumes, including New York…

Love At First Scent has reached episode 600! To mark the occasion: a very special interview with none other than Patricia De Nicolai.

Jovoy’s Francois Henin On Changing His Brand’s Look & Making The New Perfume, Ha Long Bay - We are under stress. We have many players selling stock. They are discounting. We don’t know where they got the product from. It could be on social networks, it could be on Snapchat. We don’t know if they are original. And this is stressing the traditional players like us who are paying rent, training staff, doing things by the book.

An interview with Jovoy's Francois Henin in which he discusses the house's re-brand, the problems caused by counterfeit bottles and the creation of the new Ha Long Bay. He also reveals which Jovoy perfume he believes to be the very best... and it's not the new one.

Tauer Vanilla Absolue, Arquiste Nocturnality, Granado Apotecario and other reviews – 2025 There was a time when the word ‘Tauer’ was almost entirely synonymous with the idea of independent perfumery. Zurich-based Andy Tauer — a self-taught perfumer who started his brand by selling his wares at a friend’s shop — represented all that was best and most authentic about the non-mainstream side of the industry. Things have changed since then. The notion of indie scent-making is markedly different from what it was a few decades ago, and Andy’s style and approach to his work have also gone through a bit of a transformation.

Anyone fancy a 1990s New York leather god? -- Reviews of new releases from Arquiste, Granado and Tauer, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.

Spray & Tell – Scented Perfume Chat With Alice Du Parcq In the first instalment of what will hopefully turn out to be a regular series, I was joined by Alice Du Parcq for a bit of Spray & Tell -- a completely unplanned perfume discussion, guided by nothing more than the wandering of our minds and some questions from the live audience. In this edition, we talked about our favourite releases of the year, the new 100th anniversary flanker of Guerlain…

Spray & Tell – Scented Perfume Chat With Alice Du Parcq

In the first instalment of what will hopefully turn out to be a regular series, I was joined by Alice Du Parcq for a bit of Spray & Tell -- a completely unplanned perfume discussion, guided by nothing more than the wandering of our minds and…

Scents For Classic Halloween Characters – Top 10 Perfumes For 2025 For this year's Halloween list, I paired perfumes with some classic costume ideas, and enlisted some visual assistance from Google Gemini. Here's a link to the video: Top 10 perfumes for Halloween 2025. Skeleton 5:26Corpse Bride 11:31Pirate 16:26Mummy 24:00Morticia Addams 29:53Frankenstein's Monster 34:38Grim Reaper 39:35Ghost 44:00Witch 47:11Count Dracula 51:26 Enjoy! Persolaise

Scents For Classic Halloween Characters – Top 10 Perfumes For 2025

For this year's Halloween list, I paired perfumes with some classic costume ideas, and enlisted some visual assistance from Google Gemini. Here's a link to the video: Top 10 perfumes for Halloween 2025. Skeleton 5:26Corpse Bride…

Waiting For The Right Time – Christine Nagel On The Creation Of Hermes Barenia Intense - Some perfumes arrive on the market not at the right time. I have a good example — Wrappings from Clinique. I love this perfume. But it arrived too early. It wasn’t the right moment, and really it didn’t have the success it deserved. I thought my sample number 99 was very good, but perhaps it wasn’t the right moment for it.

Hermes' in-house perfumer Christine Nagel explains the process of creating the new Barenia intense

Hiram Green, Live Interview On The Launch Of Ultra I was delighted to welcome self-taught, Holland-based perfumer Hiram Green into my virtual studio a few days ago. He discussed his latest release, Ultra -- which he describes as channelling the energy of the 1980s -- as well the way he got into perfumery in the first place, and what he thinks of the current standing of all-natural scent creation. Here's a link to the interview: Hiram Green live interview. Persolaise

A live interview with self-taught, all-natural perfumer Hiram Green.

Balenciaga 2025 releases, Nissaba Les Alpes, Prada Paradigme and other reviews – 2025 Five reviews in brief 9:21Le Dix 12:50Getaria 17:09Extra 23:10Muscara 27:07No Comment 31:17 A few years ago, brands followed the 'why make one when you can make three' strategy of perfume creation. Now, that number has increased to at least five, with houses releasing six or seven scents in one fell swoop. Under the ownership of Kering, Balenciaga have upped the ante even more, offering a re-launch portfolio that includes no fewer than ten compositions, including a new version of…

Balenciaga are back... but should we be excited? Or maybe we ought to save our excitement for Nissaba and Homework. PLUS -- Do Prada know what the word paradigm actually means?

Creed Oud Zarian, Bon Parfumeur 403 Myrrh Shadow, Chambre 52 Soleil Tonka and other reviews Please click on the link below to be taken to my Substack reviews of the following perfumes: Room 1015 Jasmine FreakStephane Humbert Lucas God Of FireMaison Mataha Printemps BlancBon Parfumeur 403 Myrrh ShadowLe Gout De Peau Leigong MountainChambre 52 Soleil TonkaSospiro Il PadrinoCreed Oud ZarianBelnu Rose SteadyPlowden & Fallow Debonaire, Squire Jack, Audacity, A Masquerade and Ophrys Here's the link: Creed Oud Zarian, Room 1015 Jasmine Freak, Belnu Rose Steady and other reviews. Persolaise

My thoughts on Creed Oud Zarian... and other new perfume releases.

The Black Narcissus & Persolaise On Chanel Antaeus My friend Neil Chapman (of The Black Narcissus) and I recently indulged in a chat about a vintage bottle of Chanel Antaeus, but if you don't mind, I won't write anything more about it here and instead I'll direct you straight to my Substack: The Black Narcissus and Persolaise on Chanel Antaeus. Once you reach the Substack, you'll have to do one more click to read the complete transcript of the conversation Neil and I had, and I apologise about placing this excessive demand on your 'click patience threshold', but trust me, there is a method to my madness. Anyway, I hope you enjoy our musings. Persolaise

A conversation on a vintage bottle of Antaeus -- a chat between me and Neil Chapman of The Black Narcissus