Tag: Match

Perfuming Emily in Paris (Season 3)

If you’ve not already binged Emily in Paris Season 3, have you even got a Netflix account? Continuing our series of matching characters in popular series to scents they should wear, of course I had to pick some perfumes for the cast of Emily in Paris!

 

 

Okay, perhaps you avoided it thus far and thought it beneath you, somehow? Well cast off your snobbiness, wind back to the first two seasons and give it a go! There’s a lot of talk about scent, for a start, with an ongoing storyline about the creation of a fragrance and (in the third season) a plot involving Emily trying to save a potential disaster for a lavender farm’s luxury perfume. Fun, frivolous and with some absolutely gorgeous Parisian scenery, it’s one to watch when you just need something easy, breezy and beautiful for a change, and while fans await the much-anticipated fourth season of Emily in Paris, here’s some fragrance choices to explore in the meantime…

 

 

Emily (played by Lily Collins) – Lancôme La Vie Est Belle

Optimistic, confident (even though her French, fashion sense and romantic decisions are sometimes shocking) Emily’s joie de vivre often gets her in trouble, but her plucky spirit and great ideas save her. She embodies the joy of this free-spirited fragrance by a trio of top-notch noses (Anne Flipo, Dominique Ropion and Olivier Polge), which was reportedly with 5000 trials in the making. Starring a contemporary, silky iris swagged by radiant orange blossom and sparkling jasmine, its fruitiness is woven with praline (to satisfy her sweet tooth). Pretty, perky, with a long-lasting trail, it’s a scent that says ‘I’m here to stay, and you’re going to love me!’

£65 for 30ml eau de parfum lancome.co.uk

 

 

Alfie (Lucien Laviscount) – Jack Piccadilly ’69

Suave, sarcastic, but with a seemingly good heart, Alfie’s the ambitious banker [NB: not a spelling error] who’s fully London-born and proud of it, with no intention of fitting in to the French way of doing things. Piccadilly was the third fragrance from Richard E Grant’s house, and similarly swaggers with pride. Based on Grant’s own first venture to the big city in 1969, and working with talented perfumer Alienor Massenet, these extraordinary memories are evoked via rich patchouli, Earl Grey tea, ginger and leather swirling against the backdrop of a vibrant city, cool cars, petrol fumes, illicit parties, a buzz of excitement. Thrillingly addictive!

£95 for 100ml eau de parfum jackperfume.co.uk 

 

 

Gabriel (Lucas Bravo) – DS&Durga Bistro Waters

A talented chef conflicted by the ongoing battle between his heart and head (and possibly other parts, too), Gabriel gets away with an awful lot by looking soulfully confused and running his fingers through his hair. While dreaming up new ideas for menu, he should liberally spritz this: a savoury special of juicy green peppers and aromatic, just-chopped herbs with undercurrents of fancy cocktails to follow, late-night lock-ins and snogging the chef (when you really shouldn’t be), this always fun niche house nevertheless serve up seriously great fragrances. It’s the scent of a great night out and, very likely, will scent the morning after the night before.

£148 for 50ml eau de parfum libertylondon.co.uk

 

 

Camille (Camille Razat) – Histoire de Parfums This is Not a Blue Bottle 1.2 

Ah, Camille – the gal pal unfairly turned love rival with secrets of her own to hide. I think her love of art would be intrigued by this contemporary niche French house’s scent inspired by ‘The Treachery of Images’ – a famously surrealist work from the 1920s by Belgian painter René Magritte. It resonates the dualities of sparkling light and fiery emotions, so perfect for Camille. From a bright beginning of ivy leaf with a fizz of pink pepper, the softness of lilac and lily of the valley are interrupted by passionate ylang ylang’s embrace, with the base of sandalwood and vanilla-lapped musk being sexy in a luminously insouciant but now subversively sexy way.

£105 for 60ml eau de parfum harveynichols.com

 

 

Sylvie (‎Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu) – Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche

Being the boss isn’t always easy, especially when you’re not sure you are the boss anymore, and you’re doubting your romantic entanglements; so I think Sylvie would reach for a classic that reminds her of more carefree times and boosts her confidence. Completely chic but with a bohemian soul, Rive Gauche was launched in 1971 and – shockingly, then – presented in tin casing so a woman on-the-go could throw it in her bag . Timelessly French Chypre in style but with that rebellious Left Bank spirit. Soapy, sparkling aldehydic bubbles burst to clean-cut woodiness with claws out, while the rich oakmoss dry down is an irresistibly seductive purr.

£75 for 100ml eau de toilette boots.com

 

 

Luc (Bruno Gourey) – Parle Moi de Parfum Woody Perfecto

Always dapper, slightly eccentric, but ever dependable in a crisis – even when everyone seems to desert Emily, Luc is a friend indeed and thus deserves a scent to match his quirky but warm personality. Composed by master perfumer Michel Almairac (who runs the house with his sons), expect mischievous names paired with immaculately blended fragrances that blend great taste with not taking yourself too seriously. This one wafts aromatic notes of coffee and cool, rooty vetiver with undercurrents of naughtiness implied by a smooth infusion of leather. Symbolising freedom, the scent is perfect for offices or star-studded parties alike.

£100 for 50ml eau de parfum lessenteurs.com

 

 

Julien (Samuel Arnold) – Christian Louboutin Loubicrown

Dramatic? As if! Okay, well sometimes he can go a tiny bit over the top in his reactions, but Julien’s tantrums never last that long, and he’s one of those friends you’d definitely want to party with (as long as you weren’t held responsible for their actions). Never exactly averse to a designer name with a bit of boldness and bling, his ever-colourful wardrobe needs a fragrance that’s just as fantastic, and I reckon he’d love the crowned bottle, too. The scent itself is one that beckons the red carpet via oodles of cedar, deliciously resinous patchouli and a tonka bean accord that will draw crowds of admirers for another sniff.

£235 for 90ml eau de parfum eu.christianlouboutin.com

 

 

Mindy (Ashley Park) – L’Orchestre Parfum Rose Trombone

Gregarious, loyal and super-talented, Mindy is a fave of Emily in Paris fans – a magnificent singer with a difficult background of a family who definitely don’t approve of her busking career choices. Mindy’s fortunes may be changing, but that means extra complications for her romantic life. This niche French perfume house couldn’t be more perfect – all their fragrances have songs inspired by them, written by world class musicians; this one’s a beautiful raspberry-tinged rose that turns into a smoky smooch of vanilla-laced rum. Think: torrid glances, forbidden kisses and the sultry voice of a chauntress rising above it all, aching with emotion, hushing a crowd.

£138 for 100ml eau de parfum jovoyparis.uk

 

Written by Suzy Nightingale

 

 

Fragrance consultations online: discover your perfume personality

Fragrance consultations have moved out of the perfumery and on to our laptops, with many notable houses now offering free ways to discover your next new scent online – via so-clever ‘perfume personality’ quizzes, one-to-one Zoom experiences and even group ‘scent school’ classes you and your friends can take together.

With the beauty counters still closed in most places (and the fragrance testers removed from all others) it’s been extremely challenging to actually get your nose on a new scent, if you didn’t want to ‘blind buy’ a full-size and pray to the olfactory gods that it suited your skin.

Many of you have been delighting in our Discovery Boxes and Brand Sets of samples and mini ‘try me’ sizes for just that reason (the perfect way to explore new perfumes from the comfort of your home). And of course you’ve been taking to our Fragrance Finder, which brilliantly uses algorithms based on your preferences to suggest six new scents for you try.

But we’ve been so happy to see that many fragrance houses have also stepped up their innovation game and made it far easier to navigate your way through their collections.

Whether a fun multiple-choice fragrance quiz to take in your tea break or an in-depth consultation with an expert, think of them as a scented stepping-off point to exploring and be ‘matched’ with your perfect perfumes online….

 

 

Molton Brown Fragrance Finder – free (online quiz)

Created in tandem with trend forecasting and innovation agency The Future Laboratory, in this quick and easy profiling quiz, you’re invited instinctively to choose from a series of images that represent textures, interior design styles and note-inspired pictures, and at the end you’ll discover which ‘psychological perfume profile’ you match. It’s spookily accurate [NB: both our Senior Writer and Editor have very similar tastes in scent, and sure enough, this matched them both with the same one] and an insightful start to your fragrance journey.

 

Floral Street scentschool™ in a Box – from £24 for eight fragrances + online class

When you buy this special discovery set of eight fragrances, blotters and scented ‘touch and smell’ cards, you also receive a code to book a complimentary live online class to delve deeper into the fragrance notes and help you find your faves, plus there’s a discount on your next purchase. You can do this one-to-one, or there’s even the option for a whole group of friends to do this together. Such a fun activity (and it will make a change from Zoom quizzes!)

 

Shay & Blue 15 minute Fragrance Consultation – free (online chat)

When you hop on the Shay & Blue website, an online chat box opens up, inviting you to schedule a free 15 minute consultation. They explain that it’s been designed to combine ‘…the best of the convenience of shopping online with the personal touch of human conversation. We spend 15 minutes getting to know you and your perfume choices and we are then able to select what we think will make you smile.’ Ultimately, they say ‘the more information you can give us the better,’ and then you can be guided to ‘the one’ (or several) for you to try.

 

 

The Merchant of Venice Personal Shopper – free (online consultation appointment)

To aid your navigation of their website, The Merchant of Venice tell us you can ‘interact with specialists in a sophisticated presentation of the collections’ that will guide you in your choice of the perfect perfumes for you to try. So, from your home, you can ‘take advantage of a private, tailor-made and highly professional service as in The Merchant of Venice boutiques.’ Personal shopper Christian Waas will be your scent-presenter, and you can make a free appointment by emailing: personal[email protected]

 

 

 

Penhaligon’s Live Video Consultation – £15 for 1 hour + 5 fragrance samples

Penhaligon’s now warmly invite you ‘…to try our new video appointments and enjoy a personalised consultation with our obliging team. Answer a short questionnaire aimed to discover a little about your likes and dislikes and a selection of 5 fragrance samples will then arrive through the post to assist in your nasal education. The cost of the appointment is ‘fully redeemable after your session with our sommelier either online or in-store,’ so peace of mind while you’re helped to peruse their perfumes. Alternatively…

 

Penhaligon’s Online Profiling – free (online quiz)

If time is of the essence, the free online profiling quiz is jolly good fun (as you’d expect from Penhaligon’s) and only takes about a minute to complete. Choosing from categores such as the time of day you’d like to wear it and how it should make you feel, your most suitable fragramce is then revealed (with the option to purchase a sample and a selection of others you may like).

 

Creed Fragrances Ask a Scent Expert – free (online chat / video)

As you can’t currently take advantage of their fragrance advice at the Marylebone boutique, Creed are offering the opportunity for an online chat via a message box that pops up on their website as you browse. Alternatively, you can request to be connected via a video chat if that’s easier for you, and you’d prefer to actually see the expert you’re chatting to! Afterwards, if still not sure, you could always buy yourself a pack of the samples, either ‘Men’s’, ‘Women’s, ‘Univerdal’ or ‘Royal’ to try at home.

 

Guerlain Fragrance Consultation – free (online quiz)

Designed to help you choose ‘a perfume for yourself or a loved one… Thierry Wasser, Guerlain’s Master Perfumer, and Guerlain Perfumer Delphine Jelk select the rarest and noblest raw materials to create exceptional fragrances.’ Taking the overall atmosphere and main notes of the fragrances as choices, you’re then presented with either one or several scents that should fit the bill. It doesn’t beat being in-store and revelling in the glamour of sniffing be-ribboned glass stoppers, but really, nothing does… and this is a good starting point if you’ve no idea where to begin.

Indeed, all of the quizzes, while great fun to take online, can of course only guide you so far. Some perhaps work best for those who already have an inkling as to which fragrance notes or main families they prefer, but need a little bit of help to guide them through the virtual shelves.

So what to do if you need some more in-depth or specialised help, but can’t book a video consultation (or don’t feel comfortable with that)?

 

Our new Perfume Agony Uncle, James Craven, says that ‘Helping a client to find the perfect scent requires the combined skills of a psychologist, palmist and priest’, and often talks about the expertise a skilled fragrance consultant will pick up over the years; learning to do ‘a cold read’ when someone walks through the door and, as well as listening to what they say, picking up on their reactions – sometimes what you don’t say can be just as revealling!

Luckily, James is going to be answering some of your fragrance questions in The Scented Letter magazine, so if you’re still struggling to find the right scent, ask your questions, here…

By Suzy Nightingale

 

Panic perfume shopping? STOP! Use our easy Fragrance Finder…

You can see the look in their eyes – it’s always a giveaway – the frantic stare of the zombified scent shopper desperate to get SOMETHING, but not at all sure what that ‘something’ should be… STOP what you’re doing immediately, and use our super easy, astoundingly accurate, and completely free Fragrance Finder tool!

Retail assistants know the panic shopper’s look well. They rush in with that rabbit caught in headlights look, sometimes half-remembering names of things loved ones have hinted at, most often with very few clues as to what that person might actually want to wear.

But it’s all okay, honestly. Panic-shoppers, we have you covered!

All you need to know is the name of a perfume they already love. Based on this, our incredible Fragrance Finder will automatically suggest six other fragrances they should adore, and it’s genuinely brilliant for those wishing to find something new to fall head over heels for.

Perhaps they’re devastated a treasured perfume is now discontinued? We can help you find something to match their fragrance taste! Maybe they just want you to ‘surprise’ them? We’ll narrow down that otherwise endless search…

You see, it’s not one of those randomly generated or tenuously connected algorithms that just churns up what ‘Other Customers Have Purchased’. Ours is based on the input of hundreds of thousands of detailed descriptions of the fragrances in our extensive database – with suggestions for every budget, from pocket-friendly to ultra-luxe.

Why not have a look now, and see what our Fragrance Finder suggests for you…?

Sense of smell may rule the heart, new study finds…

According to research run by dating site match.com, the biggest romance-killers are a bad smell (94 per cent) and poor sense of humour (89 per cent) far moreso, apparently, than basing judgements on how someone looks (though 73 per cent still admitted to being put off by this.)

Nearly half (43 per cent) of singles who took part in the study said the scent of their potential mate had an impact on their date’s success, while more than one in four (26 per cent) said they’d prioritise smell over looks when checking someone out. Almost a third (31 per cent) of females said they were more likely to notice a man with a good scent than one with good looks.

The study was commissioned by Match to mark the launch of Eau.M.G. – a store exploring the role of scent in attraction.


Match opened the unique pop-up store ‘Eau.M.G.’ (‘Eau Mon Garcon’), where male Match members apparently had ‘their natural odours’ (whatever that means!) bottled into scents for single ladies to sniff out a date this Valentine’s Day. The bespoke scents have been created in partnership with Parisian laboratory, CARACTER, which uses ‘…brand new technology to capture the scent of humans and, literally, bottle it.’ Match sent six of its bachelors’ clothing to CARACTER’S lab, in order to distil their ‘olfactory portraits’ and bottle them into personalised scents.

Visitors to the pop-up store, located in Clerkenwell’s Exmouth Market, will be encouraged to ‘…follow their nose as well as their hearts in this unique experience that explores biological compatibility and innate attraction, allowing singles to go beyond just profile pictures.’

Dr Caroline Allen from Newcastle University says: ‘Research suggests that we can get a lot of information about a person from their body odour. Humans have distinct odour ‘fingerprints’, and so smell may be more important to us than we once thought – perhaps especially so when selecting a sexual or romantic partner. Studies have found that we prefer the odour of an individual who is genetically dissimilar to us, which suggests that we can get information related to the genetic compatibility of a potential partner from their body odour.’

‘There are a whole range of traits which we seem to be able to detect in body odour such as quality of diet, health, and personality, how masculine or feminine someone is, as well as their current emotions – all of which might be useful to us when choosing a romantic partner, or for attracting a potential partner to us.’


The Eau.M.G store was only open for four days in the run-up to Valentine’s Day, helping to match new couples based on their instinctive attraction to the different pheromones bottled in each. So will they have sniffed out the scent of L.U.R.V.E? We await to hear what happened with baited breath…!

Written by Suzy Nightingale