2017 was a remarkable year for the aviation industry. There was not a single passenger death from flying. The industry was quick to point out that there was an element of luck involved. But even so, given that their business is ferrying people around the world in metal tubes at a great height, to not have lost a single person in 12 months is quite an achievement. Continue reading
Some things are impossible to describe. Smell for example. But fragrance is a huge multinational business worth billions. So with so much at stake it is necessary to try. There have been various schemes put forward over the years but they all rely on the same basic idea. Continue reading
The popular singer Beyoncé is not backward in coming forward and has come up with a striking fragrance offering, Beyoncé Heat Eau de Parfum Spray. It is described as a rich, sophisticated scent with hints of red vanilla, magnolia,honeysuckle and almond. It sounds great, and the pack is clearly a work of art in itself in a curvaceous bootyesque bottle with a fiery red colouring. With an international profile so high it probably needs an oxygen mask, this is a product that will have no trouble getting distribution and attention. I was not suprised to see that at time of writing it is the biggest seller on Amazon. Continue reading
Based on a totally unscientific sample of people whose opinion of Jasmine I happen to know, it is a very polarising smell and is one that appeals to men more than women. That many people don’t particularly like the smell is a bit unfortunate given the trouble that has to be gone to to obtain it.
The Roman Emperor Elagabalus once threw a party for some guests, against whom he had a grudge. After they had eaten at a prearranged signal his servants poured vast quantities of rose petals onto them. They suffocated to death. Continue reading
I was disappointed with the way Watchdog handled its coverage of methylisothiazolinone. Quite apart from the blatant sensationalisation and lack of explanation, it also failed to address a pretty key question. What do you do if you develop a reaction to a cosmetic product? Continue reading
Long standing reader Ffiona has not only a question but also some happy news as she expecting her first baby in July.
Hello Colin love the blog I always scan my feeds to see if you have written anything new and read that first. I have another question, this time about phthalates. I have seen stuff that says pregnant women should avoid fragrances because they contain phthalates. Is this just a scare story or is there something in it?
Thanks for the kind words Ffiona and thanks for sticking with Colin’s Beauty Pages for such long time. So what is the relationship between phthalates, fragrances and pregnancy? Continue reading
Ambergris is really one of the weirdest ingredients used in the cosmetics industry. It is a foul smelling substance that is from time to time washed up on beaches around the world. It was in the news in the UK back in February when a man called Ken Whitman found a huge chunk of it on Morecambe beach. He was alerted to it when his dog found it fascinating. Continue reading
I’ve had this Genealogy of Perfumes in my papers since I picked it up in the eighties. It was produced by a big fragrance house called Haarman and Reimer. It has always been something I have found interesting. I have had it stuck on the wall of labs I’ve worked in at times. Continue reading
How does a shampoo get to smell the way it does?
Colin’s Beauty Pages is a science blog as well as a beauty blog. Think of it as a sort of social media two in one shampoo. And so it is always great to get a question in from a scientist. This comes from my friend David Bradley, the man behind the blog http://www.sciencebase.com (which incidentally, I thoroughly recommend.)
“Do you happen to know what additives are used in Timotei that supposedly make it smell like a meadow of Timothy Grass?” Continue reading
