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Most of us may think of Paris when the subject of perfume is raised, but the fact is that the Middle East has held fragrance at the heart of its culture far longer than Western Europe. The Bedouins of the Empty Quarter have been using rose oils, sandalwood, frankincense and, of course, oud, to scent their homes and their bodies for centuries, so it’s not surprising that the souqs of the UAE, Kuwait and Oman have long been an excellent source of traditional, oil-based attars.
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On 27-28 May, Dubai will host the Second Middle East Fragrance Summit. The event is designed to be a global platform for industry thought leaders to come together to discuss, ideate and innovate, as well as strategize on how to tap the unlimited potential of the Middle East fragrance retail market. With a wide spectrum of topics from niche retail to innovative ideas in visual merchandising.
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To mark the ten year anniversary of Jennifer Lopez's JLo Glow, Coty have launched Glowing. The new fragrance was created by Calice Asancheyev-Becker and Caroline Sabas, and was inspired by the smell of Jennifer Lopez' favourite scented candle. The bottle features an innovative technology that gives it the ability to actually light up and "glow" when you spray it.
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Chanel have announced Brad Pitt as the new face for Chanel No. 5. No further details from Chanel, but other reports say that filming begins in London this week. Pitt is the first male face for the fragrance, but joins other previous celebrity faces for the iconic perfume such as Nicole Kidman, Audrey Tatou and Marilyn Monroe.
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Fashion house Elsa Schiaparelli is set for a comeback: Schiaparelli was acquired by Tod's SpA in 2006, and the company are planning to relaunch the fashion house with headquarters at Place Vendôme in Paris. As well as fashion, Schiaparelli was also known for fragrances such as Shocking, Zut and Snuff.
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John Stephen is owner of the Cotswold Perfumery in Bourton-on-the-Water. As well as his own line, John also creates perfumes for some well known Houses - many have a cult following. ...

Having sniffed out the skankiest new launches in London, Basenotes set me the challenge of seeking a spectacular Oud. The Oud / Aoud / Agarwood trend just keeps on giving. And every house seems to have a different name or spelling for the note!

M7 started it out all that time ago, and has recently been relaunched as Oud Absolu as part of YSL's heritage collection. M7 Oud Absolu felt fizzier than before in the opening, less of the 'cherry lips' sweetness from my “old timer” bottle, with a deeper and richer myrrh note in the base. In my mind I'd linked Parfumerie Generale's Iris Oriental to M7 years ago, and as Oud Absolu it feels even closer. That wet woody quality. (Interestingly, PG claims to use 'Jinkoh' wood in Iris Oriental. Jinkoh is Japanese for sinking incense, or 'oud'...)
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Dawn Spencer Hurwitz has created a line of fragrances to accompany the only North American Showing of the Yves Saint Laurent Retrospective Exhibit at the Denver Art Museum. This is the fifth occasion that DSH has created a fragrance collection for the museum. ...

A Report by Basenotes Member Ghandajala

Thursday the 19th April saw the Perfume Lovers London Meetup convene once again for an evening of what hostess Katie Puckrik likes to refer to as ‘scentertainment’. For many Brits, Katie is perhaps best recognised for her presenting roles on Channel 4 in the mid-90s. In recent years however, she has forged a successful career as a perfume reviewer, maintaining a hugely ...