It’s the last episode in the current season of ‘Man in the Mirror’ and this one is just me for a change! I wanted to highlight the Barnes Fragrance Fair that is taking place this Saturday 17th May 2025 in Barnes, West London. I’ll be hosting 2 talks during the fair, the first at 9.30a.m. is called ‘Scents & Songs’ and I’ll be hosting alongside Olympic Studios archivist Roger Miles. We’ll be delving into the rich legacy of the world famous Olympic Studios in Barnes and I’ll be matching a fragrance to 6 iconic songs that were recorded there. Think of it as ‘musical sniff-along’ and there will be plenty of chance for interaction and questions. The auditorium is within the Olympic Studios complex, which is now an independent cinema. Ticket info below.

Then at 2pm I’ll be hosting a panel talk called ‘Men Smell’ featuring 4 guests (including 2 former guests from the podcast!) I’ll be joined by journalist Adam Hurly, retail buyer Vesa Kalho, content creator TJ Talks Scents and writer and YouTube creator Persolaise. It promises to be a lively and interactive conversation, I do hope you can join us! There are also loads of other workshops and talks from other leading fragrance writers, presenters and podcast hosts. It’s free to attend the main fair - the talks and workshops are ticketed and the tickets can be bought via the link below. 

Ticket details are here:

https://www.barnesfragrancefair.com/talks-2025

I also mentioned the following products that I’ve been loving recently:

Jo Malone London - Black Cedarwood & Juniper Shaving Cream and Aftershave Moisturiser

https://www.jomalone.co.uk/gents/grooming

Jo Malone London - Care Collection - (Exclusive to Selfridges)

https://www.selfridges.com/GB/en/cat/jo-malone-london/collection-care2dcollection/

Acqua di Parma - Buongiorno Eau de Parfum

https://www.johnlewis.com/acqua-di-parma-buongiorno-eau-de-parfum/p113439344

Aesop - Eleos Body Cleanser

https://www.aesop.com/uk/p/body-hand/body-cleansers-and-scrubs/eleos-nourishing-body-cleanser/

Kiehls - Routine

https://www.kiehls.co.uk/mens

Adam Reed Arkive - Shampoo and Conditioner

https://arkiveheadcare.com/collections/cleanse-treat

Veronique Gabai - Eau D’Azur (EDP) 

https://veroniquegabai.com/collections/eau-dazur

See you in the summer for season 10. Thanks for all your support and thanks for listening!

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When I heard about a collaboration between British menswear specialist MOSS (formerly Moss Bros) and Happy Paul, a mood-lifting skincare and fragrance brand, I thought it would be the perfect thing to discuss on Man in the Mirror.

I was invited to record this episode at the MOSS HQ in Camden where I met Robbi Hicks, the MOSS Head of Visual Development and Paul Gerrard, Founder of Happy Paul. You’ll probably know MOSS for occasion wear and suits, but if you haven’t visited a store recently you may not be as aware of the excellent range of casualwear, linens, shirts as well as contemporary tailoring. Recently the brand added Happy Paul’s mood-boosting skincare and fragrance products into 10 MOSS shops, to try to help men feel their best and to open up discussions around self-care and mental wellness.

During the conversation Paul talked about Happy Paul supporting the Young Minds charity. More info and ways to donate can be found here. 

https://www.youngminds.org.uk/

(MOSS kindly gifted items for us to wear for the podcast and for the pictures. I’m in a two-piece dark grey linen suit, available in store and online now.)

Robbi & Paul mentioned the following products during our conversation:

(Robbi)

Le Labo - Another 13

https://www.cultbeauty.co.uk/p/le-labo-another-13-eau-de-parfum-rm-50ml/13319645/

Comme des Garçons - Wonderwood

https://comme-des-garcons-parfum.com/products/wonderwood

Byredo - Body Wash 

https://www.libertylondon.com/uk/brands/b/byredo/body/

(Paul)

Jack Black - Energising Face Scrub

https://www.maleskin.co.uk/jack-black-face-buff-energising-scrub.html

Creed - Aventus 

https://www.creedfragrances.co.uk/products/aventus?variant=46601626845494

Happy Paul - Bright Spice Fragrance 

https://www.moss.co.uk/bright-spice-edp-50ml-bell-967011700

MOSS on IG:

https://www.instagram.com/mossbros/

Online at: 

https://www.moss.co.uk/

Happy Paul on IG:

https://www.instagram.com/we_are_happypaul/

Online at: https://happypaul.co.uk/

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Over the last few months I’ve seen posts from ‘Teddy the Perfumer’ crop up on my socials and have really enjoyed his videos and his take on the fragrance industry, so I got in touch and he kindly agreed to come on the show. Teddy Haugen is (unsurprisingly!) a perfumer and is the co-founder of the eponymous independent brand based just outside San Francisco. He’s unusual in that he’s compelling and instinctive on social media - Teddy doesn’t just plug his own creations, he lifts the curtain on his creative process, demystifies the industry and is not afraid to be controversial. Clearly a perfume lover and collector, Teddy’s social posts are just as likely to be his hot take on other brands - or even style and grooming tips. Basically he’s the perfect guest for the podcast!

There are currently 3 fragrances in the Teddy the Perfumer line-up, Banane Au Chocolat, Passing Stranger and Summer in Love, with more in development. It was great to talk to Teddy and he was every bit as engaging and open as I’d hoped he would be. https://www.teddytheperfumer.com/

Teddy mentioned the following products during our conversation:

Dae - Prickly Pear Hair Oil

https://daehair.com/products/prickly-pear-hair-oil?_pos=2&_sid=2a5cd288b&_ss=r

Gummy Professional - Wax Extreme 

https://gummyprofessional.com/collections/hair-styling/products/gummy-styling-wax-150-ml-ultra-hold?variant=39906322251857

Phillips - One Blade

https://www.philips.co.uk/c-m-pe/oneblade-trim-edge-and-shave/oneblade-360-with-connectivity

Tend Skin 

https://tendskin.com/

It Cosmetics - Bye, Bye Under Eye

https://www.boots.com/it-cosmetics-bye-bye-under-eye-concealer-10267973

Teddy The Perfumer - Banane Au Chocolat

https://www.teddytheperfumer.com/products/banane-au-chocolat

You can find Teddy on IG:

https://www.instagram.com/teddy_haugen/

On TikTok:

https://www.tiktok.com/@teddy.haugen

Online at: 

https://www.teddytheperfumer.com/

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You can ‘tip’ me via the link below. This really helps me with the podcast running costs (it’s a costly business!): https://ko-fi.com/maninthemirror

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You may remember a previous guest from season 7, the wonderful Adam Hurly, who is a journalist and the man behind the ‘Blue Print’ channel. He mentioned a U.S. grooming brand that I didn’t know called Brightside and then kindly connected us. Brightside have now launched in the UK and EU, so I took the opportunity to chat to co-founder Chris Hjerling about the inception and the ethos of the brand, the influence of his coastal location in San Diego, California and what’s next for Brightside (hint, it may include fragrance and more body products!ñ

Chris was a fascinating guest, with real insight into the joys and the challenges of developing a brand from scratch. Along with his co-founder Landon, they have created men’s hair products that have been lauded by GQ (as well Adam Hurly!) and are all about elevating personal care and styling using clean, premium ingredients. The products are high performance, but low-maintenance - now that’s something we can all get behind…

Chris mentioned the following products during our conversation:

Acure - Facial Scrub

https://acure.com/products/brightening-facial-scrub

Wahl - Beard Trimmer

https://www.wahl.co.uk/product-category/personal-care/mens-grooming/beard-trimmers-mens-grooming/

Brightside - Hair products

https://brightsidestyle.com/collections/all

https://slickstyles.co.uk/product-category/brands/brightside/ (U.K stockist)

Kiehls - Facial Cleanser

https://www.spacenk.com/uk/skincare/cleansers/cleanser/ultra-facial-cleanser-MUK200003314.html

Salt & Stone - Body Mist

https://www.saltandstone.com/en-gb/products/body-mist?variant=45052090876154

You can find Brightside on IG here:

https://www.instagram.com/brightside.style

Online at: 

https://brightsidestyle.com/

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You can ‘tip’ me via the link below. This really helps me with the podcast running costs (it’s a costly business!): https://ko-fi.com/maninthemirror

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https://www.tiktok.com/@yousmellgreatwhatisit

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Thanks to Anders Sundberg for ‘Man in the Mirror’ sound mixing and production, Andy Goff @goff_andy for the artwork and Andy Gilbert (ATRX) @andygilbert_atrx for the theme music. 

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It was a real treat to talk to Thomas Dunckley this week on the podcast. He was one of the first accounts I followed when I got into fragrance and has an incredible ability to make his content accessible, relatable and fun. 

Thomas is a hugely experienced and knowledgeable writer, blogger, speaker and podcaster. He used to write using the name ‘the candy perfume boy’ (changing the gender of the title of a Madonna song!) but now goes under the name ‘making scents make sense.’ This seems to neatly encapsulate his ethos - democratising fragrance and bringing it to life.

Thomas’ new podcast will start in April 2025, also called ‘making scents make sense’ and it sounds like he has some great guests and topics lined up. 

He mentioned the following products during our conversation:

Pixie - Glow Tonic

https://pixibeauty.co.uk/products/glow-tonic-250ml

Pixie - Rose Ceramide Cream

https://pixibeauty.co.uk/products/rose-ceramide-cream

Chanel - Hydra Beauty Micro-Serum.

https://www.chanel.com/gb/skincare/p/143180/hydra-beauty-micro-serum-intense-replenishing-hydration/

Bedhead for Men - Shampoo/Conditioner

https://escentual.com/products/tigi-bed-head-for-men-clean-up-shampoo-and-conditioner-tween-duo-2-x-750ml?variant=49266697896260

Roger & Gallet - Fleur de Figuier

https://escentual.com/products/roger-gallet-fleur-de-figuier-wellbeing-shower-gel?variant=49265921294660

Bon Parfumeur - 403 Myrrh Shadow

https://www.bonparfumeur.com/en-gb/products/403-timut-pepper-myrrh-benzoin

You can find Thomas on IG here:

https://www.instagram.com/makingscentsmakesense

Online at: 

https://www.thomasdunckley.com/

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You can ‘tip’ me via the link below. This really helps me with the podcast running costs (it’s a costly business!): https://ko-fi.com/maninthemirror

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https://www.tiktok.com/@yousmellgreatwhatisit

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Thanks to Anders Sundberg for ‘Man in the Mirror’ sound mixing and production, Andy Goff @goff_andy for the artwork and Andy Gilbert (ATRX) @andygilbert_atrx for the theme music. 

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This week I had the pleasure of talking to Rodrigo Nikaido who is co-owner and Global Growth Director at Mexican luxury interior fragrance brand Aromaria. 

Aromaria recently opened their flagship European store on Regent Street in London and it’s a stunning expression of Mexican creativity and flair fused with an elegant, minimalist aesthetic. The brand is known for candles, room sprays and giant ‘perfume sticks’, which are available as 50cm (M) & 1.2m (XL) incense sticks in a variety of scents. All the fragrances are developed in Grasse, France and the products are crafted in Mexico. If you’re ever in Central London the Aromaria store is well worth a visit, you can even craft your own bespoke fragrance. 

Rodrigo mentioned the following products during our conversation:

Aromaria - Cabinet de Curiosities Incense Sticks 

https://www.aromaria.co.uk/products/buddhas-apprentice-pure-perfume-stick-collection

Aromaria - Fresh White Room Spray, Grapefruit Room Spray

https://www.aromaria.co.uk/collections/room-sprays

La Mer - Lip Balm

https://www.spacenk.com/uk/skincare/lipcare/lip-balm/the-lip-balm-MUK200034795.html

Rodrigo uses fragrances from - Amouage, Byredo, MFK, Orto Parisi - as well as fine fragrance that Aromaria is developing for release soon.

You can find Aromaria on IG here:

https://www.instagram.com/aromariamx

Online at: 

https://www.aromaria.co.uk/ (UK)

https://aromaria.mx/ (Rest of the world) 

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You can ‘tip’ me via the link below. This really helps me with the podcast running costs (it’s a costly business!): https://ko-fi.com/maninthemirror

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Thanks to Anders Sundberg for ‘Man in the Mirror’ sound mixing and production, Andy Goff @goff_andy for the artwork and Andy Gilbert (ATRX) @andygilbert_atrx for the theme music. Special thanks to Bacchus Agency for arranging the interview.

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A very special episode this week with not one, but two hugely talented and in-demand perfumers. I am joined by (friend of the show!) Julien Rasquinet along with Paul Guerlain. 

The two of them were at Harrods in London to discuss ‘Lustre’, a fragrance they co-created for the house of Amouage. ‘Lustre’ is one of a trio of fragrances that make up ‘The Essences’ and each one is double-infused and aged for 6 months. The other two fragrances in the new collection are ‘Reasons’ and ‘Outlands.’ They have all been created using a high concentration of 30% perfume oil, along with many other technical and aesthetic innovations that we discuss during our conversation. 

We had chance to talk about ‘The Essences’, the opportunity to work with the prestigious Amouage, how they approached working as two perfumers on one fragrance and also (for Paul) what it means to be part of the Guerlain family.

Paul mentioned the following products in his routine:

Abeille Royale Day Cream - Guerlain

https://www.guerlain.com/uk/en-uk/p/abeille-royale-day-cream-P061500.html

Abeille Royale Night Cream - Guerlain 

https://www.guerlain.com/uk/en-uk/p/abeille-royale-honey-treatment-night-cream-P061850.html

Julien is a man of simple pleasures and uses bar soap and anti-dandruff shampoo!

You can find Amouage on Instagram at:

https://www.instagram.com/amouageofficial/?hl=en

Online at: 

https://amouage.com/en-uk/pages/the-amouage-essences

‘The Essences’ are available in the UK at Harrods:

https://www.harrods.com/en-gb/p/amouage-lustre-essence-de-parfum-100ml-000000000007713693

Julien is on Instagram at:

https://www.instagram.com/julienrasquinet/?hl=en

Paul is on Instagram at:

https://www.instagram.com/paulguerlain/?hl=en

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You can ‘tip’ me via the link below. This really helps me with the podcast running costs (it’s a costly business!): https://ko-fi.com/maninthemirror

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Thanks to Anders Sundberg for ‘Man in the Mirror’ sound mixing and production, Andy Goff @goff_andy for the artwork and Andy Gilbert (ATRX) @andygilbert_atrx for the theme music. Special thanks to KGA for arranging the interview.

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Welcome back! This is the first ‘Man in the Mirror’ of 2025, we’re in March so I’m WAY too late to say ‘Happy New Year’ to you, but I hope the year has got off to a great start. I’m delighted to be back with more new episodes, there’s some amazing guests to come this season…

My guest in episode 1 is Stuart Williams-Philp, who describes himself as a ‘Liberty veteran and retail survivor!’ Stuart has been a sales specialist in the Ground Floor fragrance department at the world famous Liberty in London, UK for over 20 years. There can’t be many people who know the retail space, the trends and most importantly, what the customer wants better than Stuart. 

I first ‘met’ Stuart via his Instagram channel @Stubieblessed. If you aren’t following him, you should do so immediately. It’s a (rare) positive, joyful and fun account where he talks about his love of interiors, design, beauty and of course fragrance. Oh - and he also has a ‘Monday moan’, so you can see what gets on his nerves each week! I subsequently met him IRL in the Liberty store and I can confirm he’s just as friendly and fabulous in the flesh! 

Stuart mentioned the following products in his routine:

Augustinus Bader - The Rich Cream

https://www.libertylondon.com/uk/the-rich-cream-30ml-000725185.html#pos=2

Aesop - Facial Cleanser

https://www.libertylondon.com/uk/purifying-facial-cream-cleanser-100ml-304141.html#pos=34

Sam McKnight - Shampoo

https://www.libertylondon.com/uk/rich-cleanse-nourishing-shampoo--250ml-000783331.html#pos=11

Ultra Violette - SPF50

https://www.libertylondon.com/uk/brands/u/ultra-violette/

Escentric Molecules - Molecule 01

https://www.libertylondon.com/uk/brands/u/ultra-violette/?algq=escentric%20mol

New Notes - Latte di Cherry

https://www.libertylondon.com/uk/brands/n/new-notes/

You can find Liberty on Instagram at:

https://www.instagram.com/LibertyLondon/

Online at: https://www.libertylondon.com/

Stuart is on Instagram at:

https://www.instagram.com/stubieblessed/

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You can ‘tip’ me via the link below. This really helps me with the podcast running costs (it’s a costly business!): https://ko-fi.com/maninthemirror

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Surprise! A cheeky Christmas mini-pod episode with me/Santa recommending a few festive gifts in fragrance and grooming at various price points. Hopefully there’s something to suit your budget to either buy for someone (or to ask for yourself!)

I’ll be back with a brand new season in January with lots of great guests. Have a great Christmas break, thanks for listening in 2024 and I look forward to your company in the new year.

Brioni - Suave EDP - £76 (60ml) 

https://www.debenhams.com/product/brioni-brioni-eau-de-parfum-suave_ydd17333?colour=misc

Herlum - Hand & Body Duo - £56

https://www.cultbeauty.co.uk/p/herlum-hand-and-body-wash-and-lotion-duo-sandalwood-and-grapefruit-500ml/13950834/

Arkive by Adam Reed - No One Elsie Scent for Hair & Body - £30

https://arkivehea£dcare.com/products/no-one-elsie

Roger & Gallet - Cologne Twist Eau de Cologne - £34.96

https://escentual.com/products/roger-gallet-twist-eau-de-cologne-spray-100ml?variant=49266671419716

AKT - Deodorant Balm - £21

https://www.aktlondon.com/

Acqua di Parma - Caminetto Candle 200g - £63.75

https://www.johnlewis.com/acqua-di-parma-caminetto-scented-candle-200g/p112520183

Murdock London - Quince & Oakmoss Shampoo/Conditioner Gift Set - £35.70

https://www.murdocklondon.com/products/quince-oakmoss-shampoo-conditioner

(Please note - some of the above items were gifted to me, with no obligation to post or review. Some of them I bought myself.) 

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You can ‘tip’ me via the link below. This really helps me with the podcast running costs (it’s a costly business!): https://ko-fi.com/maninthemirror

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Special thanks to Anders Sundberg for ‘Man in the Mirror’ sound mixing and production, Andy Goff @goff_andy for the artwork and Andy Gilbert (ATRX) @andygilbert_atrx for the theme music.

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My guest on the show this week is Sebastien Tissot, the founder of Nissaba, a Swiss fragrance brand that arrived in Selfridges here in the UK earlier this year. Each of the fragrances combines natural ingredients from a single origin and showcases that area or region in olfactory form. The range is absolutely stunning and my personal favourite is a beautiful example of a patchouli fragrance called ‘Sulawesi’. If you get chance to sample Nissaba near you, I really recommend you do so!

I had a fascinating conversation with Sebastien, whose previous role was Head of Sustainable Sourcing at one of the world’s largest fragrance manufacturers, DSM Firmenich, so he has a wealth of experience around materials and ingredients. When he started Nissaba he wanted it to be about doing good as well as smelling good. To that end, the company invests 5% of its turnover in supporting young people in communities of perfume plant growers, enabling them to put in place practices that are resilient to climate change and can adapt to local conditions. They fund young farmers and vocational schools in communities where they source ingredients and they aim to be a ‘positive-impact brand.’

This also extends to the products themselves - Nissaba fragrances are designed according to the principles of circularity and essentiality. All components are either recyclable or reusable, and the quantity of raw materials used is minimal, to keep the overall carbon footprint to a minimum. Bio-sourced, recycled, and/or certified materials have been chosen wherever possible.

Sebastien mentioned using hand cream, (natural) menthol toothpaste and Déclaration by Cartier in his daily routines. 

Nissaba is available in the UK in Selfridges

https://www.selfridges.com/GB/en/cat/nissaba/

Brand website:

https://nissaba.com/

Also on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/nissaba.fragrances/

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You can ‘tip’ me via the link below. This really helps me with the podcast running costs (it’s a costly business!): https://ko-fi.com/maninthemirror

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On TikTok:

https://www.tiktok.com/@yousmellgreatwhatisit

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Special thanks to Anders Sundberg for ‘Man in the Mirror’ sound mixing and production, Andy Goff @goff_andy for the artwork and Andy Gilbert (ATRX) @andygilbert_atrx for the theme music.

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