Fornasetti

On my radar: Fornasetti L’Eclaireuse



Fornasetti scented candle L’Eclaireuse in Mistero a woody spicy fragrance

Fornasetti klaxon! Exciting news from the Fornasetti Profumi camp, there’s a brand new scent incoming for autumn. If you like warm, spicy, peppery scents then you’ll love Mistero, which has woody notes of sandalwood, cedarwood and musk as its base, with Incense and pink pepper on top. This isn’t as heady as Otto (the most famous Fornasetti fragrance, created by Olivier Polge), but it still has a ‘Fornasetti’ warmth to it. (more…)



How to discover niche fragrances



Selfridges fragrance concept space ground floor

Perfume departments are becoming all about discovery, mimicking the feel of concept stores like Colette and The Avery Perfume Gallery. Selfridges has taken its cue from this, with a new fragrance and home scent destination on the ground floor, dedicated to a mix of niche brands old and new. It’s a far cry from ye olde big brand approach. For starters, no-one will assault you with a flacon of Angel. Instead, there are islands of products, with the cult faves Fornasetti, Diptyque, Penhaligon’s and Frederic Malle rubbing shoulders with lesser-known brands, many of which are very new. (more…)



Long read: The rise of the scented object



Scented ceramic objects at Avery Perfume Gallery at Selfridge, London, UK.

I first became aware of the power of ceramic as a scent diffuser at a Chanel beauty launch. We were given tiny ceramic tiles in the shape of a camellia that were scented with Chanel no 5. The porous surface lets the scent linger for ages on a ceramic tile, making it both pretty and useful – who doesn’t love that? A year later, I was given an Hermès scented ceramic tile in the store when testing some fragrances. So much nicer than a paper blotter, no? And keepable too. (more…)



What’s in store from Selfridges this Christmas?



Personalised Mini moet champagne Selfridges

I know it’s not cool to talk about Christmas when the clocks have only just gone back but let’s be realistic. The shopping season starts early these days, and stores have to do what they can to grab attention. Last week saw Selfridges unveil its Christmas offer, ‘Journey to the Stars’ which is themed around constellations – aka everything to do with the galaxy, astrology, spiritualism and mysticism.

Selfridges is also maximising its offer on personalisation as it has done for the last two years. (more…)