Columnists
40 found. Showing stories 1 to 12, with most recent first.
Study Notes: A Very English Problem
by Pia Long, 01 November 2009
"If I pay for jasmine absolute, I should get jasmine absolute", said Mark in one of our early meetings. He had gathered a small group of us to discuss the never-ending problem of essential oil adulteration.
”And the same goes for any oil we buy,” he continued, “we want the best quality. Let us do our own perfumery. Don’t dilute the stuff for us.”
It doesn't help that Mark's demands exceed the generally accepted standard that he has a tendency to be paranoid.
"We know that the majority of the oils out there are adulterated, but we really want to make it clear to the suppliers: give us the real thing and we're prepared to pay for it. But if you lie to us, we'll name and shame you."At this point our essential oil buyer cut in: "We already have them sign a declaration. Naming and shaming might mean that we could be left with no suppliers."
...Double Deckers, Disappointments and Excellence
by Walker Minton, 01 August 2009
Front seats on the top deck of a London bus are always in demand. Every time I climb the stairs and turn the ninety degrees at the top, I hope one of them is free. Sitting there seems to be one of those rare pleasures which never diminish with age, the incredible unwieldiness of the vehicle distilled into that one small area, making it somewhat like a fairground ride. In every other seat, the journey is mundane but here it is a rollercoaster of just missed tree branches and building corners....
Study Notes: Back to school
by Pia Long, 26 June 2009
In this new column Pia Long will be telling you about what it’s like to be a trainee perfumer with the maverick Constantines and an adult distance learner of perfumery.
When I threw my maths book into a Finnish lake one summer camp, little did I suspect I’d willingly study the subject as an adult, decades later in another country. Chemistry and physics were never really a problem at school; in fact, I rather liked knowing how things worked. During my first trip to the zoo, I spent most of the time with my nappy-padded bottom up in the air, head deep in the plumbing and other interesting paraphernalia of the cages. Animals? What animals? How do they get the water in?
...Time to get serious
by Walker Minton, 02 June 2009
When the going gets tough in real life and especially when I am reminded of mortality, wearing fragrance may be thought to be trivial. Not for me. While it is definitely not the most important thing for me to focus on, the unavoidable reality of smell in itself it becomes more earnest, more serious and substantial along with everything else. At times like these, I am reminded of visceral, non-cerebral, bodily reality. I wish for the smell of reassuring natural things rather than that of ideas, echoes or shadows of nature. I crave the soft complexity that brings feelings of comfort and solidity rather than recognisable and impressive constructions of building bricks; all sharp edges, straight lines and uniform components. I avoid the superficial; trivial smells are for trivial times (or times so serious that triviality itself becomes a serious commodity, but fortunately I have not lived through war). With life in normal proportions, a perfume interacts with all aspects of life, fears, anxieties, stresses, the bad parts as well as the good....
Book Review: The Perfect Scent, a year inside the perfume industry in Paris and New York
by Walker Minton, 05 May 2009
Part boardroom drama, part pop psychology, this is a book about perfume business meetings and the characters who attend them. With a strong journalistic style and an informed and opinionated perspective, Burr conjures a moist narrative from the desiccation of the money-go-round and manages to share a little knowledge along the way. ...
Britain’s Jermyn Gentlemen
by Walker Minton, 01 April 2009
Sometimes the most interesting journeys are very short ones. A wander down Jermyn Street behind Piccadilly, London is no exception. Trumpers, Floris and Czech & Speake all have shop fronts there; much of the quintessential British perfume tradition is available in the space of a few yards. ...
Bay Rum
by Walker Minton, 08 March 2009
Uncomplicated, traditional, masculine and long overdue for a comeback, the infusion of bay combined with rum and spicy clove has a clarity and directness which makes it the antithesis of most fragrances. Wearing it today, it reminds me of my Father, long gone. He never wore it but he did take me to the barber shop on Saturday afternoons......
Home Fragrancing: Lavender Fields Forever
by Marcy Goldman, 05 November 2008
Marcy Goldman kicks off our brand new home fragrancing column with a look at lavender. Marcy takes a look at its history and usage as well as recommending some ways lavender can enhance your home....
The Stages of Public Acceptance of Natural Perfumery – An Evolution Unfolds in the Manner of Top Middle and Base Notes in a Perfume
by Anya McCoy, 29 May 2008
Anya McCoy's Natural Perfume Notes: Anya McCoy takes us on a tour of the changing opinions of natural perfumery by critics and the public:
In late Spring 2005 perfume bloggers wafted out across the Internet, writing in a giddy and groundbreaking manner about sampling and reviewing perfumes, discussing the ascent of niche houses and other lovely bits of minutiae, gossip and fun. I wandered into this fragrant party early on, discovering Now Smell This, Bois de Jasmin and many other blogs. Friendly as could be, the perfumistas welcomed the notion of natural perfumes as I posted about them, since the majority of them had never come across this form of perfumery either by name or sniff....Ask Dr. Basenotes: Looking for my father's cologne
by Doctor Basenotes, 25 April 2008
After a very long break, Dr Basenotes returns to help Jaclyn with a search. Jaclyn asks: I am wondering if you can help me figure out what my dad used to wear in the 80's. I think it came in a green bottle and may have had a name similar to Aqua velvet. Anything information you have will be wonderful!!...
The Beauty of Botanicals Made Liquid - The Passion of Natural Perfumers
by Anya McCoy, 20 February 2008
Like everyone who has progressed with passion, training and persistence to become a perfumer, the new wave of natural perfumers started with an intense love of scents. Many can trace their formative moment – the zing of recognition – when a scent transformed their life, and put them on the path of creation
...Xtreme Scents - Ticket to elbow candy - part two
by Chris Peterson, 03 October 2007
Chris Peterson's Xtreme Scents takes a further look into whether there really is a fragrance that would turn any ladies head....
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