If the world of fragrance has you scratching your head in a mass of confusion, or if you need the perfect present but have no idea what you’re looking for, Fragrance Mad has just the feature for you. Brand new to our site is the Clueless About Fragrance section, featuring everything you need to turn yourself from a perfume novice into an expert. Features include a Beginner’s Guide to Fragrance, giving you information on how to distinguish notes and styles of fragrance; our Scent Room, where you can browse fragrances according to the different styles available; guides to buying for both men and women: ideal if you’re looking for that perfect present and need some help; our bestselling fragrances for men and women to let you know what’s hot in the world of fragrance; and Summer and Winter advice guides, which will soon be filled with information on how to look after yourself, whatever the weather. We’re hoping that this section will make buying fragrance and cosmetics a thousand times easier, and if you have any ideas for other guides that you’d like to see, please let us know.

Aftershave is used to close the pores after shaving and protect the face against dirt and bacteria, and is a relatively modern solution to an age-old problem. It is documented that the removal of beard hair first began with trapping hair between two shells and plucking it out, the modern style of shaving became possible with the invention of copper tools around 3000BC. In the fourth century BC Alexander the Great encouraged his subjects to shave in order to avoid “dangerous beard-grabbing in combat”.

With the Gilette Mach 3 Turbo not being around, the problem of blunt razors leaving open wounds on faces, which could then become infected, was a pertinent one. Roman barbers formulated plasters soaked in oil and vinegar to stick to the faces of their cut customers, the theory being that skin treated as such would be protected from infection. Aftershave lotions, often containing alcohol, became popular to close the pores and sanitise the skin, and, as male grooming became increasingly en vogue in the eighteenth century and onwards, perfumers added fragrance to the lotions. Today, splash-on aftershave lotion is used to clean the skin and give it a short-term scent, whereas Eau de Toilettes for Men give a longer lasting, more pungent fragrance.

We were very sorry to see in the local news that a British warhero who lost three limbs while serving in Afghanistan, paratrooper Tom Neathway, recently had a quad bike stolen from his home. Tom bought the bike to bring his life back to a semblance of normality after being injured by a roadside bomb, and we were disgusted that somebody had robbed him of this. Unfortunately the quad bike was not insured, so we decided to step in and replace Tom’s bike. Read the full story at the Worcester News website.

As the first good Summer in years belts sun down upon this fair isle, now’s surely a good time to sort out your skin and make sure it has the ultimate protection to flourish this year. You may have spent the last couple of years slathering yourself in cooking oil in a futile attempt to tan as the sun peeked through the clouds for a matter of seconds, but this year things have changed, so get yourself protected.

At Fragrance Mad we have a huge range of tanning products, and some great deals to keep you in change for buckets and spades. Our complete Piz Buin range is on three for two, including tan intensifying lotion, day-long protection lotions, and after-sun to revitalise you after a day soaking up rays. Nivea Sun Care is also on 3 for 2 and, with factors ranging from 6 to 50, there’s protection for everybody, from bronzed beauties to porcelain princesses and all shades in between. Nivea even does a specialist Baby Sun Lotion, in case you want to leave your kid in the garden while you get some rest, or something like that. And don’t forget the old classic, P20, the ten-hour revolutionary protector. Just take a look at the reviews to see how effective this product is, and as a bonus, on Fragrance Mad it comes complete with a bottle of after-sun.

But maybe you’re stuck chained to a desk, or work down the pit. By the time you leave work each day that inconsiderate sun is just disappearing over the hills and far away, and your pasty skin is embarrassing you in front of all those fools jetting off around the world and coming back looking like Donatella Versace. Why not try some fake tan? The complete Fake Bake Beyond Bronze Set is just £13.99 from us, a huge saving on prices on the high street and wildly inferior online retailers. There are also a host of other big brand names in our Tanning section, including the likes of Roc, Clarins, St Tropez, Vita Liberata, and St Moriz. Stock up today, and leave your skin more dazzling than the sun itself! Have a great Summer!

It’s been a lean Twenty20 campaign for Worcestershire thus far, but Sri Lankan legend Sanith Jayasuriya powered them to a comprehensive victory on Friday in front of the difficult-to-please Fragrance Mad banner. Jayasuriya slammed 87 off just 45 balls to make a mockery of Northamptonshire’s apparently challenging total of 140 for 5. The Fragrance Mad logo was hilariously said to be ‘in the pink’ after witnessing the performance.

In other news, as Walkers have invented a crisps World Cup to coincide with the football this Summer, we were wondering about the kind of fragrances leading perfumers could come up with to reflect some of the different countries taking part in the competition. Germany’s presumably would be a sickly-sweet Gluhwein concotion with a leathery base note, the USA would perhaps go for the classic masculine barbecue ribs scent, and England? Top notes of hope and expectation, a heart of bloody-minded determination that things must surely improve, and a lingering four-year base of crushing disappointment. Enjoy the game! Let us know on our Facebook page what you think would make a killer World Cup fragrance.

Just in at Fragrance Mad: the brand new super-stylish Just Been Funked hair straighteners from Fake Bake. These bad boys are high on quality but low on size: they’re small enough to take with you wherever you may go, and can fit easily into a handbag or overnight bag.

Never wake up screaming in sheer terror on the train again after nightmares of yourself starring in Annie, get that hair straight as a die in seconds with either the pink or gold straighteners from Fake Bake. Marvellous.

Circus is the latest perfume from the best-selling Britney Spears Fantasy range, supposedly inspired by her recent album of the same name. Let us know on our spanking new Facebook page (please like us, please) if there are any classic albums or songs that you’d like to be magically turned into a fragrance; perhaps there’s something pungent lurking in Madonna’s leotard from the Hung Up video just waiting to be wrung into bottles.

Lucky really, that Circus is not inspired by the smell of elephants and clowns, but instead a captivating and mischievous blend of juicy raspberry, apricot blossom, blue peony, lotus, orchid, vanilla, musk, and violet candy. It smells sensational and, even better, we’ve got it in stock now at whip-cracking prices of £17.99 for 30ml, and a staggering £26.99 for the 100ml bottle. Get it while it’s hot, or, preferably, room temperature.

We have a wide range of Nivea Sun Creams in-store, covering any kind of skin imaginable. Keep yourself protected, and make sure your skin goes a glorious brown and not a stinging red, with the range covering SPFs 6 to 50 and everything in between. Stay safe and look great in the Summer sun, and keep some money in your pocket, because the entire range is on 3 for 2 at Fragrance Mad. This is getting boring now…

Further to the recent post about our new sponsorship deal with Worcestershire County Cricket Club, here are more pictures of the Worcester Royals vs Notts Outlaws game taking place in front of our banner. The first shows Worcestershire’s captain Vikram Solanki batting, who made 50 One Day International Appearances for England, with current Australia player David Hussey fielding at slip behind him, while the second depicts Chris Read, who kept wicket for England in the most recent Ashes Down Under, behind the stumps and in front of our advertising board.

Have a look at Worcestershire’s website for details of all their upcoming games.

Eagle-eyed Sky Sports viewers watching the Twenty20 cricket on Thursday may have noticed a Fragrance Mad banner at the New Road ground. As well as continuing to support Worcester Warriors Rugby Union, we are now a proud sponsor of Worcestershire County Cricket Club.

Unfortunately, the Royals were clearly spending too much time thinking about great fragrance deals, and not enough about clearing the boundary or bowling an inch-perfect off-stump line, and lost out to Nottinghamshire. Perhaps if Moeen Ali (pictured in front of our shiny advertising board) revitalises his beard with some of our expanded TIGI range he’ll fare better in the next New Road fixture: the grudge match against local rivals Warwickshire.