The Barnes Fragrance Fair; The Robb Report Grooming Awards; Harry's + Parfums de Marly Newness

Cheerio, Blue Princes. I’m fresh off a long weekend in London, where I got to speak on a panel at the Barnes Fragrance Fair. I now consider myself part of the UK eau-luminati, and have many a highlight from the visit—chief among them just how close-knit and warm that community is, and how quickly I felt part of it. (Hey, it’s lonely out here on Expat Freelancer Island!)

In fact, let’s have my Barnes spotlight be a section all its own in this newsletter.

Highlights from London’s Barnes Fragrance Fair

First things first, I’ll let this video summary from style/grooming creator Scott McGlashan (@blublazerguy) serve as a terrific spotlight on the fair in its entirety:

Per the panel itself, I got to chat about the state of fragrance as it pertains to men, and I need to shout out the star of the show: a kid named Freddie, maybe all of 12 or 13 years old, who provided plenty of crowd commentary throughout the chat. Freddie should be doing consultant work for big brands. This kid saves up all his pocket change for fragrances, and worships influencers like Cal Cologne and TJ Talks Scents—the latter of whom was also on the panel, and who autographed Freddie’s favorite scent and posed for photos with his biggest fan. Here’s a great roundup of TJ’s part of the chat, which his wife captured.

We chatted about the glut of fragrances that pour into the market these days, and how that pertains to the young men and boys who are purchasing (often expensive) colognes at rapid-fire rates. I posited that there will be some course correction in the industry—not from niche brands per se, but from the big houses, where the glut is fueled by marketing and “throw it all at the wall and let’s just see what sticks”. Examples from 2024 include: Fendi, Bottega, Diptyque’s Essences collections… these collections didn’t feel fully fleshed out, and I suspect we’ll see a scaling back from “launching 5 at once” by the big houses.

I compared it to how there was such a glut of TV shows and a demand for writers in the late 2010s, and now LA writers are starved for work. I think consumer budgets will tighten, perhaps fewer niche brands will launch (sadly) but big brands will also have to edit themselves better (thankfully) rather than letting social media democracy decide. (So lazy, so lacking in POV and storytelling.) That, or low-cost low-qual dupes will get even further out of control as content creators fight for your attention.

We panelists also shared the “best new smells” we encountered at the fair itself (with dozens of UK brands showcasing), and my pick was shared with that of perfume writer Dariush Alavi: The new trio of middle-eastern scents from Gallivant which haven’t launched yet but will soon: Dubai, Souq Wāqif, and Ar Riyǎd.

Nick at Gallivant has been shepherding this beautiful brand for nearly a decade, each one a love letter to different global cities—speaking to my soul as a men’s grooming and travel writer, no? Personal favorites: Brooklyn, Istanbul, Buenos Aires, and Gdansk. I’d highly suggest getting one of their Nomad sampler sets to find your city match.

And to my previous point about big-label brands lacking POV and thorough storytelling: this new trio feels so catered to the Middle Eastern propensities, so lived-in and satisfying. Each of them is beautifully specific and reminiscent of their Qatari, Emirati and Saudi origins. Ar Riyǎd is my favorite, especially as it dries down. I don’t have liner notes on hand… but please take note that these soon-to-launch scents are supremely special.

Other brands I was thrilled to see include: Maya Njie, Altra, Eau de Boujee, Mabelle O’Rama, and Jorum. And a special nod to Kingdom Scotland, a new-to-me brand whose exquisite Kingdom Botanica also earned my shoutout during the men’s panel. (Mom, we’re getting a bottle when we go to Scotland this year; it’s an ode to the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh. My favorite places in the world are botanic gardens… this one nails the brief.)

Also, I saw Niall Horan at dinner after the fair. Major highlight.

The 2025 Robb Report Grooming Awards

I love any awards season—Oscars most of all. And the 2025 Robb Report Grooming Awards are basically the Oscars of the grooming world, right? Or something. I was honored to again be part of the selection process this year with my editor Justin Fenner.

These 60 products are all outstanding in their own right, and while you can read the roundup for insights on all of them, I want to call out a few picks here:

• Dr. Groot Hair Thickening Shampoo and Conditioner: A luscious lather and instant hair-plumping results. Arguably André’s favorite SKUs in many years.

• Santa Maria Novella Quercia: A lavender-oaky essence that beautifully encapsulates SMN’s legacy.

• Wahl Self-Clip 360: Actual innovation for the category. At-home haircutting, minus the wrist torqueing.

• Nocturnal Polar Night Renewal Serum: A+ formula, A+ results, A+ brand story, A+ product design. Average score: A+.

• Claus Porto soaps on a rope: A winner of the Hall of Fame award. I stand by this Portuguese product being one of the single best grooming gifts you can give. (And the rope-less ones are fantastic housewarming gifts.)

New and Notable Products

Here are the products we’re testing out. (I’m saving the latest fragrances for their own dedicated post, which should unveil this week). Those Naomi post-food-prep hand scrubs are killer by the way. Really really loving them. Beautiful skinfeel, fun scrub texture, and innovative scents. I like the iris/cardamom/sourdough one best.

Also, we did dedicated test runs of the new Harry’s Plus Razor (read my Robb Report writeup on that one here—it’s fantastic) and Parfums de Marly Castley (which will be included in this week’s fragrances we’re testing—it’s beautiful if not sleepy).

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I’ll spotlight that new Philips Norelco shaver soon, too, in a bigger spotlight on my favorite electric razors.

A few closing thoughts:

• I encourage you to check out GQ writer Alex Nino Gheciu’s article on the comeback of male toupees (aka “hair systems”).

• Big thank you to my London PR pals for helping make happen my visits + trials with Penhaligon’s, Murdock London, 111Skin, Medik8, and Ormonde Jayne. I hope I have another visit soon, since there are dozens more I need to meet with!

• I stayed at the charming and beautifully appointed The Laslett Notting Hill on this visit, which blends into the neighborhood, as does each of the Living Rooms Collection properties. I spent Friday morning in their lovely Recharge Spa, and until my stay spotlight gets published, I want to call out my first-ever Ozone sauna therapy, which is like visiting the steam room without sweat beads rolling down your face, and which also looks like this…

And Blue Princes? I loved it.