Man In The Mirror

This week’s guest is Ben Janoušek, the CEO UK & Europe for Kaorium, a company that builds tech to enhance the in-store customer experience with fragrance. Billed as ‘the scent sommelier’, Kaorium sits at the intersection between retail, technology and the customer. It’s an intuitive table-top unit that helps fragrance discovery using words around feelings, emotion and mood, rather than brands, perfume notes or materials.Ben and his team are keen to make the perfume shopping experience as frictionless and fun as possible, with no barriers to participation. It was fascinating to find out more about his career to date, his extra curricular activities in the theatre (!) and of course his morning and evening routines.Ben mentioned the following products from his grooming routines:Original Source - Mint & Tea Tree shower gelhttps://www.original-source.com/uk/products/originals/mint-tea-tree-shower-gel/Sure - Deodorant https://www.suredeodorant.co.uk/products.htmlWella - Shockwaves hair gelhttps://www.wella.com/international/about-wella/shockwavesParfums de Marly - Haltanehttps://uk.parfums-de-marly.com/products/haltaneGallivant - Gdańskhttps://www.gallivant-perfumes.com/products/gdansk-eau-de-parfumYou can find out more about Kaorium here:Brand website:https://www.kaorium.com/Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/discoverkaorium- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -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. 

This week’s guest is recognisable by his first name alone - and is someone that’s been at the vanguard of niche and luxury perfumery throughout the 21st century. Roja Dove is the Founder of Roja London. He’s had a long and storied career that’s taken him from working personally with the Guerlain family to setting up the ‘Roja Dove Haute Parfumerie’ in the Salon de Parfums in Harrods, then going on to create his own brand, Roja London.I sat down with Roja in the brand’s boutique in Burlington Arcade in London in April 2026. We chatted about his background, his career, his favourite products - and what he thinks about the man that looks back at him in the mirror. This was a hugely enjoyable conversation - and thanks to Roja for being so kind, thoughtful and generous with his time.Roja mentioned the following products from his morning and evening routines:La Roche Posay - Effaclar Toner https://www.laroche-posay.co.uk/en_GB/%C2%A0effaclar-clarifying-toner-for-oily-blemish-prone-skin-200ml/LRP_065.htmlChanel - Sublimage Eye Serumhttps://www.chanel.com/gb/skincare/p/147960/sublimage-le-serum-yeux-ultimate-eye-serum-reinvigorates-and-illuminates/Chanel - Antaeus stick deodoranthttps://www.chanel.com/gb/fragrance/p/118700/antaeus-deodorant-stick/Roja London - Bespoke perfumehttps://rojalondon.com/You can find out more here:Brand website:https://rojalondon.com/Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/rojalondon/Roja Dove on IG:https://www.instagram.com/rojadove/- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -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. 

This week’s guest is a Max Foucaut, a young menswear designer I met earlier this year. I was hugely impressed with the collection and then I found out he has also released a trio of fragrances to sit along side the menswear, so I had to chat to him on the podcast!Max was born in Paris, educated in Southern California and studied in London at Central St Martins. His designs take all those contrasting cultures and environments and create something fresh - there’s elements of French workwear, relaxed Californian silhouettes and then the precision and craftsmanship of Savile Row in London. I particularly loved a boxy indigo jacket in the Max’s latest collection shown in Paris Fashion Week, there’s incredible details in the cut and the pockets. Max is a name to watch out for - and an exciting future talent in the fashion and fragrance industries. I’m thrilled he agreed to spend some time talking to me about his life and his work. Max mentioned the following products from his morning and evening routines:Aesop - various products from the hand & body range.https://www.aesop.co.uk/hand-and-body.htmlMax Foucaut Parfums - Ombre Vivante, Ombre Solaire and Ombre Nocturnehttps://maxfoucaut.com/parfumsYou can find out more here:Brand website:https://maxfoucaut.com/Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/max.foucaut- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -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. 

It’s your weekly ‘Man in the Mirror’ fix and this week’s guest is someone I’ve wanted to get on the show for a long time - it’s Geza Schoen, co-founder & perfumer at Escentric Molecules.The brand turns 20 years old this year and is about to open their first stand-alone store in Berlin. It was the perfect chance to chat to Geza about his background, his work, the brand and the plans for the future. There’s a brand new fragrance pillar called ‘Cologne One’ that has just been released and it fits seamlessly into the range. Bright, refreshing, optimistic and a riff on a Gin & Tonic. It has the signature Escentric Molecules ease-of-wear and a dry down of ambroxan, Iso E Super and musk that helps it linger on the skin. I’ve been loving wearing it over the last few weeks. https://www.escentric.com/products/cologne-oneGeza mentioned the following products from his morning and evening routines:Biotherm Homme - Aquapower Creamhttps://int.biotherm.com/en_GB/mens-grooming/by-mens-collection/aquapower/Eccentric Molecules - 01, 03, 05 Body Lotionhttps://www.escentric.com/collections/body-lotionSebastian - Craft Clayhttps://www.sebastianprofessional.com/en-GB/products/specialists/craft-clay-texturizing-and-flexible-styling-clayDavidoff Cool Water - Deodorant Stickhttps://www.justmylook.com/products/davidoff-cool-water-for-men-deodorant-stick-75gYou can find out more here:Brand website:https://www.escentric.com/Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/escentric_molecules/- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -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 back to a brand new season of Man in the Mirror! There’s been a slight hiatus between seasons, slightly longer than planned, to be honest - but I’m back! Thanks so much for joining me for this first episode in season 11, with perfumer Nicolas Bonneville.Nicolas is a perfumer with DSM Firmenich, one of the major fragrance houses. He was in London recently to talk about the Harrods exclusive ‘London Confidential’ for Givenchy. We met in Harrods and chatted about his background, how he got into fragrance and of course the beautiful fragrance he’s created to celebrate the brand new Givenchy boutique within Harrods, London. It draws on the luxury brand’s heritage and its connection to the famous Knightsbridge department store. You can find more information here:https://www.harrods.com/en-gb/c/givenchy-la-collection-particuliereNicolas mentioned the following products/services from his morning and evening routines:L’Oreal Men Expert - Moisturiserhttps://www.loreal-paris.co.uk/men-expert-hydra-energetic/men-expert-hydra-energetic-anti-fatigue-moisturiserHair Wax - VariousYou can find Nicolas on Instagram at:https://www.instagram.com/bonneville.nicolas/Brand website:https://www.givenchybeauty.com/gbBrand Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/givenchybeauty/- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -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. 

One of the joys of this job is learning about new brands - and one of my favourites fragrance discoveries of 2025 is Nosu. I met the co-founders, Jacob Grainger & Lucy Webster at the Barnes Fragrance Fair earlier in the year and it was a pleasure to re-connect with Jacob recently for the podcast.Jacob is the co-founder and self-taught perfumer of Nosu, a British indie perfume house. There are currently 3 fragrances in the collection, made in North London and each one is accompanied by an original artwork created by Lucy, inspired by the textures and themes within the scent. Together, these elements blur the lines between the visual and the olfactory worlds, offering a full sensory experience.Lucy & Jacob are part of a new wave of talented indie brands who are doing things their own way and working collaboratively. In line with that ethos, Nosu are taking part in the first ‘Pop Up Perfumery’ where various brands will take over a temporary space at 69 York Street, London W1 from 13-16th Nov 2025, alongside Eau de Boujee, Soul Notes and Sainte Cellier. https://www.instagram.com/thepopupperfumery/They have also created a bespoke scent for the ‘Passengers’ exhibition at Parallel LDN Gallery, which is running until the end of November in Devonshire Square in London. https://www.instagram.com/parallellondon/Jacob mentioned the following products/services from his morning and evening routines:Tocobo - Moisturiserhttps://www.boots.com/tocobo-multi-ceramide-cream-50ml-10359710The Ouai - The Wave Salt Sprayhttps://theouai.co.uk/products/wave-spray?variant=54933620228478George Northwood Barbers - Shoreditch, Londonhttps://www.georgenorthwood.com/You can find Nosu on Instagram at:https://www.instagram.com/nosuparfum/?hl=enBrand website:https://www.nosuparfum.com/Nosu Fragrances are available from the following stores:https://www.instagram.com/roullierwhite/?hl=enhttps://www.instagram.com/parfumledanceuk/?hl=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————————————————————————————————Thanks to Anders Sundberg for ‘Man in the Mirror’ sound mixing and production and Andy Goff @goff_andy for the artwork.

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.