fragrance

A.P.C is coming for your bathroom shelf



APC Beauty

Does the world need another beauty brand? Clearly not. And yet. I’m wholly seduced by the idea of A.P.C Self-Care. The signature orange blossom fragrance always transports me to trying on boots in their store near the Tuileries in Paris circa 2010 – so quintessentially ‘garconne style‘ – so the notion that this scent underscores the products, gives me a good feeling. It’s all about the sensorials for me.

The line is miniscule – just six products; a cologne (£65), shower gel (£40), body lotion (£45), hand soap (£40), hand cream (£20) and lip balm (£15). (more…)



Secret London: Clifford Street



Perfumer H Clifford Street

Clifford Street, a London gem so discreet I can never quite locate it, just got more inviting.

If you ever need some respite from the madness of New Bond Street and Regent Street, just look for the wee street opposite the Dior flagship on Bond. Here you’ll find Morris’s café for a cuppa (and occasional sighting of Bill Nighy), Connolly’s leathergoods and fabulous oversize knits, Adret’s relaxed-yet-always-refined contemporary menswear, and all manner of gentlemanly ready-to-wear finds at Anderson & Sheppard Haberdashery (in a past life this was the rather more flamboyant Mr Fish). (more…)



Shop the post: an olfactory escape



Lola James Harper - The Betty Lee

Going anywhere nice this year? If not, perhaps you’d like an olfactory vacation? No, not the classic coconut-and-vanilla beachy blends, but something much more niche and personal.

It’s the era of the hyper-specific location perfume. Rather than Mediterranean colognes and fruity-florals, the latest crop of wanderlust fragrances are landing in far-flung places like Dubai, Tokyo and the Sahara Desert or close-to-home hang-outs like The Woody Office of Daddy and The Bomboneria in Barcelona*. (more…)



Coming soon: Brunello Cucinelli fragrance



Brunello Cucinelli fragrance

“We wanted a fragrance that could feel like a cashmere sweater…”

It’s an embarrassment of cliches; the ‘cashmere sweater’, the Umbrian outdoorsy inspo, the his-n-hers coupling, the mid-century minimalist bottle design. Brunello Cucinelli has gone full fragrance launch bingo and yes, I’m here for it. (more…)