Thursday 28 July 2016

ROSA RIBES by 4160 Tuesdays

The advantage of being a small, independent perfumery is that you can sometimes make a fragrance "just for fun" and in small quantities. After all, the ingredients are already on the shelves and you have a stack of empty bottles. Well, this is exactly what Sarah McCartney has done with her latest, semi-secret, Rosa Ribes. In essence it's a sort of "crowd funded" fragrance, but in actual fact you are buying something far more personal. With an initial run of just five litres there is not much to go around. So with that in mind, read on, get your credit card ready and discover something truly special from 4160 Tuesdays.

Monday 25 July 2016

STEPHAN'S SIX - KIM McGOVERN


You never know the route that people take when it comes to perfume creation, but being a doctor first is definitely a new one on me. Kim McGovern lived in Singapore and Australia before coming to England at the age of six. It was here that she studied Medicine at Imperial College London before working as a Doctor. In 2011 she opened a perfume boutique specialising in miniatures and discontinued fragrances before Amygdala Beauty was launched in 2016. Described as a “celebration of creativity and fragrance”, Amygdala produce single note solid perfumes that can be mixed and blended. So, what would we learn about her inspirations during “Stephan’s Six”?

Thursday 21 July 2016

SUNSHINE AND SEA SALT

"The scent of summer" is a phrase that you're going to be reading a lot in the coming weeks, with each perfume company claiming that their fragrance is the true interpretation. The problem is that everyones idea of what makes up the scent of a summer holiday is usually pretty different. Some people envisage scorching sunshine, some imagine a sea-crashing surfers paradise, while some concentrate on that sugar rich candyfloss and ice cream concoction. So, with this in mind, I thought it would be fun to look at two of the most requested aromas and see where they fit into our childhood memories.

Monday 18 July 2016

RUTH MASTENBROEK - The Lost Interview

When Ruth Mastenbroek took part in “Stephan’s Six” back in April 2016 her wonderful answers were unfortunately too long to use in their complete form, so I had to edit them down. However, when I was looking through some old files last week I came across her original interview and realised that what had been removed actually provided a great insight into her creative inspirations. Since launching her own brand, Ruth Mastenbroek has released three fragrances, Signature, Amorosa and Oxford. So, with Ruth’s kind permission, let’s finally read the answers that escaped last time … we'll call it the “lost interview”.

Thursday 14 July 2016

NATURAL v SYNTHETIC

Every couple of weeks you see the same topic raise its weary head again. I say "weary" because you always get the same points presented by both sides and neither will budge in their dogmatic opinion. They each try to win an argument that is fundamentally based on the misconception that natural is always good and synthetic is always bad. I've lost count of the number of times that I've heard "everything smells synthetic these days". So, for the final time, naturals and synthetics each have their own place and when used in combination can create truly mind-blowing fragrances. Still don't believe me?

Monday 11 July 2016

STEPHAN'S SIX - HANUŠ WOLF


A career which included Coty, Helena Rubinstein, Guerlain and Jacques Bogart surely explains why Hanuš Wolf eventually ended up running his own perfume store. Burgins of York is an Aladdin's cave of fragrance, with the shelves literally groaning under the weight of bottles. Hanuš always had a dream to have his own business, so when he was offered to chance to buy Burgins in 2011 he accepted. Five years on I thought it was time to see what gems we could uncover when I asked him "Stephan's Six".

Thursday 7 July 2016

LA PETITE ROBE NOIRE INTENSE - The Imitation Game

When Guerlain launched La Petite Robe Noire Eau Fraîche in 2015 everyone presumed that the wardrobe was complete. That fourth release, or sixth depending on how you're counting, was a "fresh" interpretation and complimented the other three. However, just when Guerlain fans breathed a collective sigh of relief William Lescure, president of Guerlain Canada, dropped the bombshell that there was an exclusive "sweeter" version on the horizon, but it soon became clear that it would actually be a worldwide release. The new edition, La Petite Robe Noire Intense, is really good, but then I've been enjoying it for four years already!

Monday 4 July 2016

STEPHAN'S SIX - LAWRENCE ROULLIER-WHITE


East Dulwich is home to the famous perfume store Roullier White. Now in it’s eleventh year, it’s the passion of Lawrence Roullier-White, but it’s far more than just fragrance. A better description would be Lifestyle Emporium with everything to keep your home running smoothly, but we’ll just concentrate on the perfume side. A regular stop-off point for scent hunters, what would Lawrence reveal about his own fragrant memories during “Stephan’s Six”?