Jewels, journeys, launches and initiatives in the Kingdom of Luxury
* This post may contain affiliate links. Excess All Areas may receive a small commission, at no cost to readers, if a purchase is made What makes a perfume a classic? Michael Edwards dissects the divas of scent in a tome that has this week been named Fragrance Book of the Year… Perfume is a…
What’s the new centrepiece of luxury travel? Ahead of the re-opening of the Maldives to tourists this week, premium hotelier Sonu Shivdasani has been recalibrating… The new luxury, post Covid-19, mused Sonu Shivdasani towards the end of a lockdown on one of his island paradises in the Maldives, will build on rarity. “The majority of…
Drawing on the savoir faire of a flamboyant French “nose”, Saskia Havekes announces a new addition to her Grandiflora family A fine perfume, says Saskia Havekes, has shape, tempo, and beauty. And, if you’re lucky, Christophe Laudamiel. The French chemist and master perfumer came on board to help create the final fragrance in Havekes’s exclusive…
* This post may contain affiliate links. Excess All Areas may receive a small commission, at no cost to readers, if a purchase is made The thrill of a new place often starts with a book. Here, travel writers share some surprising inspirations. Even with their wings clipped, travel writers are frequently asked to nominate…
Japan in springtime, Morocco in an orange haze, London dipped in derring-do … experience exotic locations through a fragrance filter. There’s a new wave of niche perfumes that aim to re-create a destination in a bottle. It’s a cache that lets the perfume lover daydream about travel that might still be, once closed borders are…
From Japan to Canada, Switzerland to the Scottish Highlands, top-end train travel can be addictive. Just ask trainspotter Rylie Heathfield… As a boy, Rylie Heathfield could go one better than a bedroom full of Thomas The Tank Engine books and toys. Across the valley from his aunt and uncle’s property east of Melbourne was the…
There are many great places to stay in the Penang’s heritage city of George Town, most with a colourful story to tell… George Town’s architecture is like the special family occasion where everyone brings a plate and you cross your fingers for a fine feast. Scotland arrives with the lacy cast iron, England turns up…
From penthouses at sea to safaris by private jet, Australians’ passion for top-end travel knows no bounds In 2019, at least 30 million people embarked on a cruise, up 6% from 2018. According to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), 1.34 millon of them were Australians. The 10 most popular cruise destinations last year were…
Somewhere else you’d rather be? Here’s where the expert travel advisers will be sending you… When it comes to wow factor it’s hard to beat lunch in the prow of Sydney’s three-hat Quay restaurant, overlooking a harbour shimmering with ferries, global landmarks and pre-Christmas energy. A menu of hand harvested seafood eaten with tweezers, smoked…
An art deco vanity case collection in memory of Freddie Mercury dazzles at the V&A Museum’s new jewellery gallery It was what the Italians might call a colpo d’amore – a gust of love, something that takes your breath away. For Kashmira Bulsara, a frosted rock crystal card case depicting a Japanese weeping willow…