Man In The Mirror

My guest on the show this week is Forat Al Haider, who is Creative Director of Ghawali, a fragrance brand from the UAE. Ghawali combines the art of Middle Eastern perfumery with a modern, niche touch, crafting unique, long-lasting fragrances that evoke a sense of elegance and sophistication. It is part of the Chalhoub Group, which is a family owned luxury goods retailer and distributor and is the largest retail operator in the Middle East. I met Forat a couple of months ago in London when he was introducing people to the brand here at Selfridges. I really enjoyed his company and fell hard for some of the Ghawali fragrances, particularly ‘4 Walls’, which has become a regular wear for me. It seems to me Ghawali represents a really interesting intersection of the Middle Eastern and European-styles of perfumery - and this is probably no surprise at Forat grew up in Sweden, was born in Iraq and now lives in Dubai! I hope you enjoy our conversation - and a special thank you to Forat for making time to do this from his office in Dubai.Forat mentioned the following brands/products from his routine:The Ordinary - Skin carehttps://theordinary.com/en-gbThe Inkey List - Skin carehttps://uk.theinkeylist.com/Kevin Murphy - Hair Care & ‘Doo.over Hair Powder’https://www.kevinmurphystore.com/kevin-murphy-doo-over/K18 - Hair carehttps://www.k18hair.co.uk/Ghawali Fragrances You can find Ghawali on the web:https://ae.ghawali.com/Available in Selfridges:https://www.selfridges.com/GB/en/cat/ghawali/Ghawali on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/ghawaliofficial/The Chalhoub Group:https://www.chalhoubgroup.com/en- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -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/maninthemirrorYou can follow me @maninthemirrorpod on IG:https://www.instagram.com/maninthemirrorpod/On TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@yousmellgreatwhatisit————————————————————————————————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.

This week my guest is Jun Lim, Creative Director and Founder of South Korean fragrance brand BORN TO STAND OUT. I met Jun a couple of months ago at Jovoy in London. He was introducing the brand to some of the UK media and I was struck by his singular vision and his mission to do things differently. It’s fair to say that South Korea is well known for skincare, but less so for niche fragrance brands. In just over 2 years BORN TO STAND OUT has made real waves, both in Jun’s home market and around the world. There are over 20 fragrances in the range, all in a bold (of course!) red and white bottle. There is an emphasis on gourmand notes, musks and ‘pleasures of the flesh’. Popular perfumes include Dirty Rice, Drunk Saffron, Fig Porn and Filthy Musk. See what I mean? This is not your typical brand, both in terms of the names, the aesthetic and the juice inside. Jun has created BORN TO STAND OUT in his own vision. The products are inspired by HIS dreams, memories and experiences. It was a real honour to spend time with him and fascinating to get a different perspective away from the prevailing (and my own!) Euro-centric views.Some of the products Jun mentioned were:Vaselinehttps://www.boots.com/vaseline-original-petrolium-jelly-50ml-10226343Baby S.O.S Cremehttps://www.ohfeliz.co.uk/penaten-baby/little-helpers-sos-cream-with-dexpanthenolAlpecin Shampoohttps://www.boots.com/alpecin-caffeine-shampoo-250ml-10081360BORN TO STAND OUT FragrancesYou can find Born To Stand Out on the web at:https://borntostandout.com/BTSO on Instagram at:https://www.instagram.com/borntostandout.official/- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -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/maninthemirrorYou can follow me @maninthemirrorpod on IG:https://www.instagram.com/maninthemirrorpod/On TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@yousmellgreatwhatisit————————————————————————————————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.

Thanks for joining me for the third episode in the new series (8.) This week I'm building on a wonderful conversation I had over lunch at a Creed launch last month with model and content creator Ben James. We happened to be seated next to each other and I found him to be so engaging and illuminating I thought I had to ask him to come on the podcast! Ben is a ‘plus size’/‘big & tall’ model, which he explains in more depth in our chat. He is 6’ 6 and has a 42” chest, so is not traditional ’sample size’. He models for brands such as Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger and Jacamo as well as cultivating a huge following (275K) on TikTok for his outfit advice and content about watches. Ben is also a photographer who has shot campaigns for brands here in the UK and U.S. Whilst Ben is now at a stage where he’s using his height as a positive force in his career, he was over 6 ft as a young teenager. Standing out - and the adverse attention that attracted when you’re so young had a real impact on his weight and his mental health, which he says more about during our conversation. Ben was a really frank, honest and articulate guest who made me re-evaluate my attitude to height and stature - and made me realise it can be a more complex and nuanced thing to deal with, especially as a young man.Some of the products Ben mentioned were:Cerave - Cleanser https://www.boots.com/cerave-foaming-cleanser-236ml-10246702#BVRRContainerHeath - Eye Serumhttps://www.heathlondon.co.uk/collections/face/products/eye-serumFjor - Hydrolytic Moisturiserhttps://www.fjor.life/products/hydrolytic-moisturizerSPF, Sea Salt Spray and Jade Roller/Gua Sha Penhaligons Helfeti https://www.penhaligons.com/uk/en/product/halfeti-000000000065188931Christian Dior - Oud Rosewoodhttps://www.dior.com/en_gb/beauty/products/oud-rosewood-Y0996414.htmlMolton Brown - Clementine & Vetiverhttps://www.moltonbrown.co.uk/store/fragrance/citrus-fragrances/sunlit-clementine-vetiver-eau-de-parfum-100ml/NMR342Ben is on TikTok athttps://www.tiktok.com/@ben_jjamesAnd on Instagram at:https://www.instagram.com/ben_jjames- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -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/maninthemirrorYou can follow me @maninthemirrorpod on IG: https://www.instagram.com/maninthemirrorpod/

Hi and thanks for checking out episode 2 of the new series. This one is a very freewheeling conversation that took place on a narrow boat (the ‘Disco Volante’) near King’s Cross, London. The Disco Volante is a floating lab and the spiritual home of new fragrance brand Vallense. I sat down with founder Will Borrell and discussed the brand, the debut collection, Will’s background, why he moved into perfume - and everything in between! I really hope you enjoy our chat, I found Will to be brilliant company - fascinating, funny, charming and a real zest for life. Thanks for inviting me on board, Will!Some of the products Will mentioned were:Dermalogica - Micro-scrub Folianthttps://www.spacenk.com/uk/skincare/cleansers/scrubs-exfoliants/daily-microfoliant-MUK200030223.htmlThe Ordinary - Niacinamidehttps://theordinary.com/en-gb/niacinamide-10-zinc-1-serum-100436.htmlDr David Jack - All Day Long Moisturiser https://drdavidjack.com/collections/moisturisers-spfs/products/all-day-longNo. 7 - Energising Moisturiserhttps://www.boots.com/no7-men-energising-moisturiser-50ml-10334936Vallense fragrances can be found at:https://vallensefragrances.com/On Instagram Vallense is at:https://www.instagram.com/vallensefragrance/- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -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/maninthemirrorYou can follow me @maninthemirrorpod on IG:https://www.instagram.com/maninthemirrorpod/On TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@yousmellgreatwhatisit————————————————————————————————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.

It’s the first episode of season 8, so ‘welcome back’ if you’re a regular listener and ‘hello’ if this is your first time! I recorded this episode in late August at Harrods, the world famous department store in London. I had the opportunity to host an event there with one of my favourite brands, Jusbox and to introduce their new fragrance ’54’ to press and to customers. The creative team who worked on the launch joined me on stage and so it seemed like the perfect chance to record this podcast while we were all together. ‘’54’ is a collaboration between Jusbox, perfumer Julien Rasquinet and U.S. content creator and YouTuber Sebastian Jara, a.k.a ‘The Perfume Guy.’ So I sat down with the trio of Andrea Valdo (Jusbox co-founder, an old friend of the podcast and previous guest!) Julien and Sebastian and talked about ’54’, how they worked together, the inspirations and how it all came about. If you were there at Harrods you’ll know that the event also featured Chiara Valdo, Andrea’s sister and fellow Jusbox Co-founder. She is a massive part of the ’54’ story. As always on the podcast I like to chat to the guests about the products they love in their morning and evening routines. Admittedly, there wasn’t time to make it a massive part of this particular episode, however these are the products mentioned.Reuzel - Strong Hold Pomade (Sebastian’s choice) https://reuzel.uk/collections/pomade/products/blue-pomade-strong-hold-high-shineLigne St Barth - Facial Fluid (Andrea’s choice) https://www.parfumdreams.co.uk/LIGNE-ST-BARTH/Care/HOMME/Moisturising-facial-fluid-Homme/index_39740.aspx?variation=53152Lightly scented soap and anti-dandruff shampoo (Julien’s choice) Jusbox can be found at:https://www.jusboxperfumes.com/On Instagram Jusbox is:https://www.instagram.com/jusboxperfumes/Julien is at:https://www.instagram.com/julienrasquinet/Sebastian is on IG and YouTube as follows:https://www.instagram.com/theperfumeguy/https://www.youtube.com/@ThePerfumeGuy’54’ from Jusbox is out now and can be found in the UK at:https://www.harrods.com/en-gb/shopping/jusbox-fifty-four-eau-de-parfum-78ml-24190525- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -You can ‘tip’ me via the link below. This helps me with the podcast running costs (it’s a costly business!): https://ko-fi.com/maninthemirrorYou can follow me @maninthemirrorpod on IG:https://www.instagram.com/maninthemirrorpod/On TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@yousmellgreatwhatisit

It’s the final episode of season 7 and I’m ending with a guest I’ve wanted to get on the podcast for a long while. Adam Hurly is an American journalist (now based in Portugal) who writes about grooming, fragrance and lifestyle. As a grooming writer you will have seen Adan’s bylines in GQ, Robb Report, Forbes, to name but a few. He’s about to embark on his own brand new project called ‘Blue Print’, which is going to be a content hub and community for all things grooming and will launch in the autumn/fall this year (2024.) You can sign up for more info now at the following address:www.grooming.tipsIt was a real pleasure to connect with Adam again after our meeting in London. I’m a big fan of his work, I’m in awe of his knowledge and writing style, but more than any of that he’s such a warm, positive ‘radiator’ person who has been so generous with his time and expertise. There’s no one better to discuss products and routines with, so here’s his current edit (it will have changed next week, for sure!) Cardon - Clay Cleanser https://cardonskin.com/products/purifying-clay-cleanserCardon - Daily SPF + Moisturiserhttps://cardonskin.com/products/cardon-daily-spf2Horace - Hydrating Serumhttps://horace.com/en/product/hyaluronic-acid-panthenol-serumUrsa Major - Force Field SPFhttps://www.alyaka.com/products/ursa-major-force-field-spf-30-50mlDavines - Love Smoothing shampoo, conditionerhttps://www.cultbeauty.co.uk/c/brands/davines/Tretinoin - available on prescription, so seek medical advice on this.Le Labo - Cedrat 37 and Thé Matcha 26https://www.lelabofragrances.com/fine-fragrances-2.htmlBianco Profumo - Neroli Pomodorohttps://biancoprofumo.com/products/neroli-pomodoroOn Instagram Adam is at:https://www.instagram.com/adamhurly- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -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/maninthemirrorYou can follow me @maninthemirrorpod on IG:https://www.instagram.com/maninthemirrorpod/On TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@yousmellgreatwhatisit————————————————————————————————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.

My guest this week is Nick Buckley, the Co-founder and Commercial Director at fragrance & beauty distribution company, Phoenix Beauty.Sales & distribution is a key part of the industry and a company like Phoenix Beauty acts as the bridge between the brands, the retailers and us as the end-consumers. Much of the work goes on behind the scenes, but it was fascinating to spend some time with Nick where he shed light on how some of the process works - the retail exclusive products, working with ‘celebrity’ brands, the cost of doing business and the current market trends.Phoenix Beauty distribute a wide range of brands from the designer fragrances (Banana Republic, Steve Madden) celebrity fragrances/beauty (Eilish, by Billie Eilish, Florence by Mills) and niche brands (including bdk, Goldfield & Banks, Les Eaux Primordiales, Jusbox etc) Many of the brands and the founders have featured on the podcast over the years, so it’s definitely worth going back and revisiting some of those episodes!In the episode Nick mentioned the following products in his routine:Temple Spa - Cleanser, Truffle Moisturiser, Eye Creamhttps://www.templespa.com/shopAlmora Botanica - Cleanserhttps://almorabotanica.com/collections/cleanserBdk - Gris Charnel Extraithttps://www.harrods.com/en-gb/shopping/bdk-parfums-gris-charnel-extrait-de-parfum-100ml-18178727Les Eaux Primordiales - Ambre Superfluidehttps://www.harrods.com/en-gb/shopping/les-eaux-primordiales-ambre-supermassive-perfume-extrait-50ml-24219840Goldfield & Banks - Bohemian Limehttps://www.selfridges.com/GB/en/product/goldfield-banks-bohemian-lime-perfume-concentrate-100ml_R03649248/Jusbox - Cheeky Smilehttps://www.selfridges.com/GB/en/product/jusbox-cheeky-smile-eau-de-parfum-78ml_496-3004815-6711E101/NOYZ - Monochromehttps://www.harrods.com/en-gb/shopping/noyz-x-damon-baker-monochrome-parfum-50ml-23921760Ojar - Wood Whisperhttps://www.harrods.com/en-gb/shopping/ojar-wood-whisper-eau-de-parfum-100ml-19164596You can find out more about Phoenix Beauty here:https://www.phoenixbeauty.co.uk/On Instagram at:https://www.instagram.com/phoenixbeautyltd/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

Thanks for joining me for the ‘Man in the Mirror’ podcast. My guest this week Arnaud Poulain, the Founder and Artistic Director of French fragrance brand Les Eaux Primordiales. I recently spent the morning with Arnaud, firstly listening to him being interviewed by my journalist friend Suzy Nightingale at Harrods and then the two of us got to spend some time recording this week’s episode at a nearby hotel.Arnaud was in London to talk about the new Harrods exclusive fragrance ‘Ambre Supermassive’, which he has created alongside his longtime perfumer, teacher and friend Amelie Bourgeois. Arnaud is unusual in that he is a trained perfumer, as well as the brand founder. He came to perfumery in his early twenties after studying engineering and embraced the new career with a real energy and fervour. He’s achieved a huge amount in that short time, working first for Byredo and then eventually setting up his own brand in 2015.Les Eaux Primordiales is the sum of all his education and experience. There’s elements of his engineering background, his love of architecture, his need to make things with his hands and of course his desire ’to dream’. All of this is located in the brand’s own ‘domaine’, and chateau in Northern France. It’s an atelier where everything to do with Les Eaux Primordiales happens - the creation, bottling, the carpentry, the point of sale and metalwork. In the episode Arnaud mentioned the following products:Clarins - Cleanser face washhttps://www.clarins.co.uk/clarinsmen-active-face-wash/80085184.htmlClarins - Double serumhttps://www.clarins.co.uk/double-serum/80025862.htmlLes Eaux Primordiales - Washing Chantilly (Body Wash) https://www.leseauxprimordiales.com/collections/soin-primordial/products/chantilly-lavante-250mlLes Eaux Primordiales - Hand Washhttps://www.leseauxprimordiales.com/collections/soin-primordial/products/gel-mains-exfoliant-400mlAmerican Crew Wax- https://www.johnlewis.com/american-crew-fiber-85g/p110198890American Crew Fiber Cream  https://www.johnlewis.com/american-crew-fiber-cream-100ml/p3316794Chanel No. 5 - EDPhttps://www.chanel.com/gb/fragrance/p/125430/n5-eau-de-parfum-spray/You can find the whole Les Eaux Primordiales product range online at:https://www.leseauxprimordiales.com/On Instagram at:https://www.instagram.com/leseauxprimordiales/- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -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