Arquiste Sydney Rock Pool ~ new fragrance

Posted by Robin on 4 May 2018 6 Comments

Niche line Arquiste has launched Sydney Rock Pool, a new mineral amber musk fragrance…

Absolutely objectionable

Posted by Robin on 23 February 2018 17 Comments

And that’s one of the things for which I’m extremely grateful to Arden/Revlon [Ed note: the holder of the fragrance license for John Varvatos]. They use me as part of their brand, and it’s a very open and well-known thing. It’s basically the only brand in international perfumery that has used only one perfumer. And that has become part of its DNA. John Varvatos comes to me and says, “What’s next, Rod?” There are a couple of brands out there that have very officially asked for the perfumer not to be mentioned. I find that absolutely objectionable and anti-ethical and very ungrateful. I’m saying it on record. They know who they are.

— Perfumer Rodrigo Flores-Roux talks to Persolaise about brands that refuse to acknowledge their perfumers. And about all sorts of other things — read more at "Your Claims Have To Be Honest" - An Interview With Rodrigo Flores-Roux.

Xinu Monstera & Carta Moena 12|69 ~ fragrance reviews

Posted by Kevin on 21 February 2018 17 Comments

Ad copy for most perfumes leaves me cold, or laughing. Aspirational advertising (looking at you, Aerin Lauder) feels icky and old fashioned. Sexy images can be fun to look at but I don’t see a handsome half-naked (or fully naked for that matter) man in an ad campaign and then run to Nordstrom to buy the perfume he fronts. Occasionally, I come across an interesting perfume bottle I’d like to own, but it’s usually a vintage bottle selling at an exorbitant price. I’ve never bought a contemporary perfume for the bottle alone (my bottles stay out of sight in a dark, cool cabinet their entire “lives”).

Advertising that can get to me includes (who knew?) perfumes inspired by dead French people¹ — the likes of Marquis de Sade, Joséphine de Beauharnais, Napoléon Bonaparte, Louise de La Vallière, Marie-Antoinette, Empress Eugénie, George Sand, Léonora Dori Concini, La Maréchale d’Ancre and Colette. A list of intriguing botanical fragrance notes or places I love or want to visit (travel-porn perfumes) can entice me, too.

Today, I’m reviewing two fragrances that ignited wanderlust based on ingredients and locales, with great bottles thrown in as a bonus…

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