The Fragrance of her Love

My Nanna regretted a little that her hands were no longer as smooth, but to me they were like butter, the butter we used to layer on cardamon and cinnamon yeast buns together. There wasn’t too much to say this time although we saw each other every day of my recent short visit except to cuddle [...]

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Chanel Allure Homme Edition Blanche

Launching on 10th March in London, I was given a sneak preview and sample of this. The packaging is architectural and luxurious and the accompanying brochure is a work of art on thick card, gloss white printing on white and solar bronze. To quote it is “driven by design” It is a fragrance dedicated to [...]

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Latest London Scent News

10% of ALL perfumes, including Guerlain, Dior, Chanel, Annick Goutal and all others at Debenhams Department Store, Oxford St until this Friday. Some other perfumes are reduced between 25 and even 50%. Georgio, 50ml is reduced to £12.47 and 30ml Anais Anais to £13.95 less another 10%. All the latest celebrity perfumes are also on sale and the aisles are congested [...]

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Parfum de Morny of 201 Regent Street

My first antique bottle purchased over 20 years ago was a full bottle of Parfum Violette by Morny. Who could have guessed then that I would be living near the old shop premises of that point zero bottle. On my recent visit to Australia, I retrieved from storage some of my vintage bottles, including the apothecary shaped Jicky by [...]

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Koala Cologne

I could smell the pungent aroma, of cough drops and to put it politely, droppings from afar. As I approached the Koala enclosure I was amazed at the rank but fascinating odour of the male Koalas, and bombarded the attendant allowing me to briefly pet a Koala with questions about their smell. The attendant told me the [...]

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Bioperfumes- more of ME and only ME scent

I came home last night from the “I Smell Love” event, with a mysterious new pheromone scent on my arm, my husband urged me to buy it. I would, only it isn’t available yet. The Science museum  and Dana centre organises some nifty events, especially this one led by the perfumer and aroma scientist George [...]

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Perfume Museums

On my to do list is to visit as many perfume museums as I can find. On my recent trip to Paris, I visited the two Fragonard museums, though the Scribe one was closed for renovation. On Tuesday I explored the hidden private museum of Floris in London. In January I had planned to visit the perfume [...]

Parfum Femmes Francais

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Scent Systems-niche naturals

I do miss Hiram Green’s old shop near Carnaby Street. Local artists used to paint custom murals on his walls, that were ever so sparsely and selectively shelved with sumptuous scents. His shop introduced me to a new world of natural perfumes that I have never forgotten, and I still feel vaguely nostalgic about. I enjoyed many [...]

Discount Fragrance Shop

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Perfume Breath and Bubblegum

Encens et Bubblegum by Etat Libre dOrange is a highly unusual combination. Available from Les Senteurs I gravitate to this and wear it for fun. It brings a smile to my face every time I smell my wrist. A reminder of the child within who still loves sweets and the bukhoor or frankincense I burn regularly to [...]

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Luca Turin- How Smell Works

It was just as well that his new book, Perfumes The Guide has yet to be published, because afterwards he joked, he “would have to wear a bullet proof vest!” Thus commenced an extraordinary lucid joint lecture by Turin for the British Society of Perfumers and the Society of Cosmetic Scientists held at the Kings [...]

Antique Perfume Shop

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Taoist Inspired Aromas

Cinq monde has just opened their first spa shop in London, in fact the official spa opening is on 22 Feb between 12-8. I nipped in to receive a complimentary tin of Black Tea with rare spices, but more importantly to sniff out these new scents in London. In addition to Taoist, Balinese, Siam, Ayurvedic [...]

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Spiritual Scent Sellers

Where can I find a scent seller like the one in a charming story by the Noble Peace Prize nominee and Korean poet,  Ko Un. In his story of a pilgrims spiritual quest, called, “Little Pilgrim” there is a story about the protagonists meeting with the blue lotus perfume seller. The pilgrim Sudhana has been despairing [...]

Antique Perfume Shop

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Roja Dove - finding my signature fragrance

Anyone reading my blog might think I work for the Haute Perfumery, but I don’t blame you for thinking so. Yesterday, I discovered my signature scent cost an aspirational £1000 pounds! But if I could live on perfume alone, I would buy it. I had been looking forward to an exclusive fragrance consultation with one of [...]

Parfum Femmes Francais

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Perfumed Chocolate

Kaori: “meaning perfume, scent and fragrance.” The language of scent has been borrowed to describe a plethora of taste or gustatory sensations. I am always trying to find ways to eat perfume as well as imbibe it. So discovering delicacies where the lines blur is always a pleasure. Whether it be describing cigars, teas, coffee, [...]

Antique Perfume Shop

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Chloe- curious tickler

With a promise of a rose scent and gorgeous bottling, I really wanted to like  Chloe Eau de Parfum.  But why oh why did I smell insect repellant? I was shocked but bashfully asked for a sample, I had to give this another chance.  The first curious sensation is of sticking a feather up my [...]

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Nibbling Violets

Owing to a rare find of a vintage Devon violets bottle and a request for violet perfume, my attention has gravitated towards a violet theme this week. (The bottle on the right with a hand painted violet still smells great, with notes of absinth, actual violet leaf and sweet violet top notes.) For those who know me as obsessed with roses, it [...]

Solid Perfume Shop

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Divine-mmm! Maybe..

This was a fortuitous find, the Paris Boutique of Parfums Divine and close to Fragonard’s Perfume Museum too. I first came across this range at Liberty in London last year and immediately hinted to my husband that he would love the scent of L’Ame Soer on me. He duly obliged and I am the proud [...]

Solid Perfume Shop

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Pinch of Paris

I popped over to Paris to attend the Perfume Cosmetics and Design Congress on Tuesday at the Cite des Sciences et de L’Industrie. I have always been interested in the packaging and promotion of perfume. My first collection of advertisements started when I was 15. I would tear out perfume ads and stick them on my wall. [...]

Parfum Femmes Francais

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Anosmia

When sweetened lard and chocolate taste the same and scent eludes you! A moving interview with a generous anosmic friend,  who shares her experience of a odourfree life  after a car accident.
Q: When did you realise you lost your sense of smell?
YR: It happened after a serious accident in which I sustained a head [...]

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Roja Dove: The Art of Fragrance Report

For all those who couldn’t make it to the V&A this evening in London, I took copious notes for you and here is a brief summary of this wonderful lecture that Roja Dove gave. He ended his speech with a reverie of when he first realised the ”beauty of perfume,”  which he describes as “bottles of magical [...]

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Roja Dove Haute Parfumerie

I know a place where glamour and beauty still exist. This hidden chamber on the fifth floor in Harrods is accessible from the Egyptian escalators. I have lost count of the number of times I have been there to shimmer and indulge in luxury. I have never been there and not received a wonderful reception and [...]

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Musk, Ambergris and Aloes

Al Qurashi
For weeks now I have been checking the progress of this new fragrance shop in Knightsbridge. The doors were covered in paper, but tauntingly a sliver of the opulence, chandeliers and glass shelves, were still visible. Finally, they opened their doors three days ago and with excited anticipation I stepped into this Aladdins cave [...]

Parfum Femmes Francais

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Welcome

www.perfumepilgrim.com

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