Happy World Pinocchio Day! Here's a top 10 list for you to mull over. I love the smell of Calone in the morning. That new Clive Christian was an absolute bargain. I reckon I'd have paid double the retail price. A high silk hat and a silver cane, a dash of lime, some petitgrain. I … Continue reading Top 10 Perfume Proclamations For World Pinocchio Day
Category: Articles
Best Perfumes Of 2025
Festive flower. As is my tradition, my last post of the year features a roundup of my favourite perfumes from the past 12 months. In 2025, I didn't purchase many bottles, acquiring only one older release: Eau de Basilic Pourpre by Hermès, from 2022. However, I had the opportunity to sample quite a few new … Continue reading Best Perfumes Of 2025
Best Perfumes of 2024
I hope everyone had a great Christmas! And if you don't celebrate, hopefully, you're enjoying some much-needed end-of-year downtime. Like every year, the months have ticked by quickly, and it's time to take stock of the year in fragrance. I always approach these "best of year" lists with some trepidation, pondering whether I'll even like … Continue reading Best Perfumes of 2024
Top 10 Festive Fragrances
A Christmas scene from a mall in Australia in early November. 'Tis the season to be jolly, and the season of jolliness seems to get longer and longer. I saw ornaments in some areas of Brisbane that were already up in late October. Indeed, some online and many brick-and-mortar stores have been full of festive … Continue reading Top 10 Festive Fragrances
A Rhyming Acrostic Poem Dedicated To Modern Perfumery
A photo of my hippeastrum flowers growing in my yard. Nothing to do with the poem, but I thought they looked nice. Here's my poem dedicated to the modern perfume world. Monotonus, boring, copied blends. Opulent, lavish, costly spends. Drydowns, have they gone away? Endless newness every day. Roja with his magic tricks. Niche perfumes with … Continue reading A Rhyming Acrostic Poem Dedicated To Modern Perfumery
Fantasy Florals – Hibiscus
Fragrant flowers form the core of perfumery. The scented delights of rose, jasmine, violet, and lavender are integral ingredients in the perfumer's palette. Not all flowers are created equally, though. For instance, very few flowers have the powerful scented punch of a graceful gardenia. The other day, I was walking around the neighbourhood and spotted … Continue reading Fantasy Florals – Hibiscus
D.S. & Durga Report Card
And now, for something completely different, it's time to return to school. During their lunch break, D.S. and Durga hang out with Byredo and Le Labo (and some other cool guys called Atticus, Leopold, and Gulliver), sipping kombucha and listening to Bon Iver and Death Cab for Cutie. In the 2024 yearbook, they are voted … Continue reading D.S. & Durga Report Card
Tobacco Perfumes For Every Season
Late last year, I wrote an article focusing on jasmine perfumes. (Jasmine Perfumes For Every Season) I wanted to showcase four jasmine perfumes, pairing each perfume with a specific season. For instance, I selected the jasmine/citrus combination of California Reverie from Van Cleef & Arpels for summer and the greyer, darker Tapis Volant from Liquides … Continue reading Tobacco Perfumes For Every Season
It’s Not Easy Being Green
I love my greens. Kermit knows what's up! When he sang "It's Not Easy Bein' Green," he was singing about his discontent with life. However, by the song's end, Kermit accepted his "greenness," citing positive examples of being green. Indeed, the song's sentiments can be applied to the fragrance world, as I often think green … Continue reading It’s Not Easy Being Green
Farewell To Frédéric Malle (For Now)
I love that the brand offers a 10ml travel size. F is for Frédéric as in Frédéric Malle, and it was another f-word I muttered when I heard that one of the leading figures in modern perfumery was stepping away from his brand for good in June. I can't, or perhaps I refuse to believe … Continue reading Farewell To Frédéric Malle (For Now)