Man In The Mirror

Man in the Mirror went overseas for the first time last month! I was the guest of the Santa Eulalia Perfumes brand, which is part of the stunning Santa Eulalia department store in Barcelona, Spain. The original shop was founded in 1843 and today, on a different site, is the premium multi-brand fashion store in the city.Santa Eulalia stock some of the finest designer brands including Tom Ford, Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Chloe, Jil Sander to name just a few. They also create their own made-to-measure suits, menswear and tailoring under the Santa Eulalia name. Luis Sans is the President of store and the fragrance house, he’s the fourth generation of his family to be custodians of the brand and he very kindly agreed to take part in ‘Man in The Mirror’ in September 2025. Santa Eulalia Perfumes represent the essence of Barcelona - showcasing both the traditional and the cosmopolitan sides of the city. There is a new intense, more powerful collection of some of the classic fragrances under the ‘Forte’ banner. They are available in some of the best perfume boutiques globally, as well as in the Santa Eulalia shop itself. In the UK the range is in Liberty. Luis mentioned the following products from his morning and evening routines:Proraso - Shaving Soap:https://proraso.com/en/products/shaving/Santa Eulalia Perfumes - 175, Obscuro, Marinis:https://www.santaeulalia.com/en-gb/collections/perfumes-santa-eulalia/perfumesIn the UK:https://www.libertylondon.com/uk/brands/s/santa-eulalia/You can find Santa Eulalia Perfumes on Instagram at:https://www.instagram.com/santaeulaliaperfumes/Santa Eulalia Store on IG:https://www.instagram.com/santaeulalia1843/Brand website:https://www.santaeulaliaperfumes.com/en/(PR trip) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -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————————————————————————————————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. 

Marc-Antoine Barrois is a guest I’ve been wanting to feature on the podcast for a long while, so I was thrilled when we got the opportunity to spend some time together this summer at the brand’s flagship UK store in central London. Marc-Antoine is a couturier, as well as the Founder & Artistic Director of his eponymous Maison. He designs beautiful tuxedos, crisp white shirts and jewellery, but is equally well known for his collection of fragrances, created in collaboration with perfumer and friend Quentin Bisch. The perfumes have won countless awards, been critically acclaimed and found a loyal and ever-growing audience. I can’t think of any perfume that gets me as many comments and compliments as ‘Ganymede’ from Marc-Antoine Barrois.The house is still independent and has a dedicated team (including Marc-Antoine’s younger brother, another Quentin!) who carefully plot the brand’s course and slowly, but surely introduce new products and new markets. Here in the UK there is a must-see shop in the Piccadilly Arcade that gives a tantalising glimpse into the ‘Marc-Antoine Barrois universe’ - complete with an upside down blue rabbit in the window! They also have a presence in Harrods and Selfridges. Marc-Antoine mentioned the following products from his morning and evening routines:Augustinus Bader - Hand Creamhttps://augustinusbader.com/uk/en/the-hand-treatmentB683 Fragrance - Marc-Antoine Barroishttps://marcantoinebarrois.com/en-gb/products/b683You can find Marc-Antoine Barrois on Instagram at:https://www.instagram.com/marcantoinebarrois/Marc-Antoine’s personal IG:https://www.instagram.com/mabarrois/Brand website:https://marcantoinebarrois.com/en-gb- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -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————————————————————————————————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. 

Sometimes it’s easy to forget that brands and products are a result of life choices and decisions that may have seemed insignificant at the time. One such decision led Craig Andrade to leave work early to attend a candle making workshop. He fell in love with the craft, the creativity and the connection with olfaction and he decided to make a change and quit his corporate law role. Craig’s ‘Act II’ began when he studied perfumery at the Grasse Institute of Perfumery and eventually he founded his own brand, Raconteur in Australia - focusing on native botanicals. There are now three stores in Australia and the brand is stocked globally, including at Bloom in London. Craig says:“My perfumery practice straddles beauty, art, history, science, botany, geography, and physiology. It comprises rich layers of storytelling and meaning. My focus is on making natural fragrances that combine these elements and provide both pleasure and purpose.”Craig mentioned the following products from his morning and evening routines:Sodashi - Cleanser Clay, Face Polish and Sleek Moisturiserhttps://www.sodashi.co.uk/products/Cancer Council of Australia - Sunscreenhttps://www.cancercouncilshop.org.au/collections/sunscreenRaconteur fragrances are available here in the UK at Bloom - and via the Raconteur website globally. https://bloomperfume.co.uk/collections/raconteurYou can find Raconteur on Instagram at:https://www.instagram.com/the_rac_on_teur/Raconteur website:https://theraconteur.co/- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -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————————————————————————————————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. 

Welcome to episode 3 in the new season. I’m following up one perfumer with another, this time a young, exciting perfumer who is really making waves at the moment. It’s Florian Gallo, who works for the fragrance house DSM-Firmenich. We spoke particularly in relation to a beautiful fragrance Florian has created for luxury Italian brand Brunello Cucinelli called ‘Sofio Zenit’, a study in white fig and aromatics that’s been a huge favourite of mine all summer. It’s part of the’ ‘Icanti Poetici’ collection from the brand which also features fragrances from Alberto Morillas (last week’s guest!) as well as Quentin Bisch and Jordi Fernandez.Florian mentioned the following products from his morning and evening routines:DOP - Douche Creme - Bonbon Colahttps://www.naturalfrenchsoap.com/dop-douche-creme-bonbon-cola-250mlSofio Zenit from Brunello Cucinelli is out now:https://www.harrods.com/en-ua/p/brunello-cucinelli-soffio-zenit-parfum-100ml-000000000007732451You can find Brunello Cucinelli on Instagram at:https://www.instagram.com/brunellocucinelli_brand/Florian Gallo is on Instagram at:https://www.instagram.com/floriangallo_perfumer/- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -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————————————————————————————————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 episode 2 of the brand new season of ‘Man in the Mirror.’ It’s a very special episode this week and something of a career highlight - my guest is none other than Master Perfumer and Founder of niche house Mizensir, Alberto Morillas.Alberto is the nose behind many of the most iconic fragrances of the last 50 years - ck One, Acqua di Gio, Marc Jacobs ‘Daisy’, Kenzo ’Flower’, to name just a handful. He also founded his own brand Mizensir in 1999 in Geneva. Alberto and I chatted in July 2025 before I hosted his masterclass at Harrods, for new Mizensir fragrance ‘Ylang Spirit.’ Morillas has been working with the same fragrance house, DSM Firmenich for over 50 years and we spoke about this relationship, his fragrances, work, travel, his family, garden and his morning routine.Alberto was every bit as charming and engaging as I hoped he would be, with a huge zest for life and a twinkle is his eye! What’s more, his love for his work was evident in everything he said. I hope you enjoy our conversation. He mentioned the following products from his morning and evening routines:Pure Altitude - Edelweiss No. 1 creamhttps://pure-altitude.com/en/products/creme-edelweiss-n-1-universelle-hydratante-protectriceYlang Spirit from Mizensir is out now and available in Harrods:https://www.harrods.com/en-gb/p/mizensir-ylang-spirit-eau-de-parfum-100ml-000000000007810779You can find Mizensir online at:https://www.mizensir.com/en-gbOn Instagram at:https://www.instagram.com/mizensirAlberto is on Instagram at:https://www.instagram.com/morillas.alberto/- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -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————————————————————————————————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. 

Did you miss me?! Welcome back to the new season of ‘Man in the Mirror’… and somehow we’ve made it to season 10! This season promises to be the best one yet and I’m kicking things off with a guest I’ve wanted to chat to for such a long time - it’s Renaud Salmon, Chief Creative Officer at Amouage. Renaud has been with the Omani house of Amouage since 2019 and leads a team that has delivered huge success for the brand in recent years. Just last week Renaud was named as one of the ‘100 Innovators’ of 2025 by Vogue Business. The brand has seen an increase in their global footprint - and there have been critically and commercially successful launches such as The Odyssey Collection (including Guidance) and the Essences Collection.  Salmon is reknowned for his excellent working relationship with perfumers and has created fragrances with the likes of Quentin Bisch, Julien Rasquinet, Cécile Zarokian and Bertrand Duchaufour, to name just a few.I sat down with Renaud in July ’25 in Harrods, London. He was in the store for the release of a Harrods exclusive fragrance, ‘Reception’, created with (former podcast guest) perfumer, Pierre Negrin. The research work Renaud did in the Harrods archive and the way he’s attempted to bring together the ideas of Omani hospitality with the welcome you get at the world’s most famous department store highlights his unique approach to being a Creative Director. I found Salmon to be thoughtful, inquisitive and humble. In our wide ranging conversation we talk about craft, creativity, luxury and innovation, as well as what he thinks when he looks in the mirror. Renaud mentioned the following products from his morning and evening routines:Sulwhasoo - Daily Fluid Sunscreenhttps://int.sulwhasoo.com/products/uv-daily-fluid-sunscreenAugustinus Bader Productshttps://augustinusbader.com/uk/enDr Levy Switzerland Products https://www.cultbeauty.co.uk/c/brands/dr-levy-switzerland/shop-all/‘Reception’ (part of the ‘Essences Collection’) is out now, exclusively at Harrodshttps://www.harrods.com/en-ua/p/amouage-reception-eau-de-parfum-100ml-000000000007810739You can find Amouage online at:https://amouage.com/en-ukOn Instagram at:https://www.instagram.com/amouageofficial/Renaud is on Instagram at:https://www.instagram.com/renaudsalmon/- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -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

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-2025I also mentioned the following products that I’ve been loving recently:Jo Malone London - Black Cedarwood & Juniper Shaving Cream and Aftershave Moisturiserhttps://www.jomalone.co.uk/gents/groomingJo 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 Parfumhttps://www.johnlewis.com/acqua-di-parma-buongiorno-eau-de-parfum/p113439344Aesop - Eleos Body Cleanserhttps://www.aesop.com/uk/p/body-hand/body-cleansers-and-scrubs/eleos-nourishing-body-cleanser/Kiehls - Routinehttps://www.kiehls.co.uk/mensAdam Reed Arkive - Shampoo and Conditionerhttps://arkiveheadcare.com/collections/cleanse-treatVeronique Gabai - Eau D’Azur (EDP) https://veroniquegabai.com/collections/eau-dazurSee you in the summer for season 10. Thanks for all your support and thanks for listening!- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -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/

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 13https://www.cultbeauty.co.uk/p/le-labo-another-13-eau-de-parfum-rm-50ml/13319645/Comme des Garçons - Wonderwoodhttps://comme-des-garcons-parfum.com/products/wonderwoodByredo - Body Wash https://www.libertylondon.com/uk/brands/b/byredo/body/(Paul)Jack Black - Energising Face Scrubhttps://www.maleskin.co.uk/jack-black-face-buff-energising-scrub.htmlCreed - Aventus https://www.creedfragrances.co.uk/products/aventus?variant=46601626845494Happy Paul - Bright Spice Fragrance https://www.moss.co.uk/bright-spice-edp-50ml-bell-967011700MOSS 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/- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -You can ‘tip’ me via the link below. https://ko-fi.com/maninthemirrorFollow me on IG:https://www.instagram.com/maninthemirrorpod/TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@yousmellgreatwhatisit