Josh Asks - Does Consumption Influence Perfume Development?

Josh doesn't "do" perfume.

He wears Tom Ford For Men because his girlfriend's mum bought it for him.

However one evening in the pub he started asking some great questions so I started a feature called "Josh Asks..."

Josh's full question is

"What impact does the way fragrances are bought have on how they're developed? There is a nose bamboozling mix of smells in shops so surely brands are trying to make a big impact on that first sniff, does that impact overall quality?"

Short answer - Yes, you can design something just to sell.

Long answer-

Review - Dior "Eau Sauvage Extreme"

You smell like my grandad.

Is that a compliment?

Yeah, he always smelt good.

I think that comment perfectly summarises ESX and I could do this as a brief review, however that doesn't really give you an idea of what the scent is like, so I shall continue.

Wall of Scent - An Afternoon with Sarah McCartney of 4160 Tuesdays

I recently attended "The Wall of Scent" hosted by Sarah McCartney who runs 4160 Tuesdays, a British perfumery based in London.

On this day you spend time sniffing a variety of scents from Sarah McCartney's collection as she educates your nose.

Some of them are originals that you can no longer buy (Vintage Chanel), some are hard to find, and some are easy to find (Justin Bieber. No joke.)

So much to smell!

"Why I Don't Like Florals"

I wrote an article for fellow perfume blogger "The Smelly Vagabond" after we were discussing florals.

You can read it on his blog here.

Review - L'Artisan Parfumeur "Dzing!"

I love an odd scent, one that makes me pull my head back in surprise and say with wide eyes,

"Ooh, how strange!"

Made by Olivia Giacobetti, apparently she was given free reign with this and I guess this is what happens when a perfumer lets their hair down.

Before reading any further I encourage you to smell this yourself and form an opinion first before reading my interpretation so that your sniff isn't clouded by expectations.

Review - Six Scents "M"

The full title of this should be-

Six Scents - Series 3 - Number 6 - M by Ohne Titel and Yann Vasnier

Quite a mouthful.

I await the day that I wear M and am asked what aftershave I'm wearing, I'll probably just say M.

Review - 4160 Tuesdays "The Dark Heart of Old Havana"

I like it but I wouldn't wear it regularly.

It's skanky sweet, filthy nasty. Yet it absolutely works.

I can totally see why it has divided opinion online, however it suffers from the expectation curse whereby people read "Havana" and wanted it to smell a certain way, thereby disregarding what it actually smells like.