Thousands of new fragrances are pumped onto the market every year. And despite the pandemic hitting the industry hard, the global fragrance market for perfumes was estimated at US$ 43.6 billion in 2020. By 2027, it is expected to reach US $54.6 Billion. The average American woman uses 12-16 cosmetic products daily. Most contain fragrance. (Guardian). There are more than 6000 materials used in the fragrance industry. (RIFM) The global perfume revenues totaled USD 30.6 billion in 2021. It is projected to grow to USD 43.2 billion in 2028. (Fortune) In the United States, the fragrance market reve ..read more

In my previous article on fig, we broke down the composition of fig leaf fragrance accord. Understanding what facets it has makes it easier to imagine the versatile uses of fig in perfumes – be it highlighting the coconutty, lactonic facets for tropical and heady scent, zesty green juicy for high heat and humidity, earthy green notes for a sketch of the whole tree, or woody-spicy aromas for warmer, deeper, more masculine or cold weather oriented fragrance. Let’s take a deeper look at some great examples of fig perfumes. 1) Premier Figuier by L’Artisan Parfumeur Premier figuier, © 2021 L’Artisa ..read more

When I saw a sample of Cuir Velours in a traveling perfume sample box, my first – involuntary – thought was – there are so many excellent leather fragrances. Why bother? Is there more to say and smell on the topic? Can it be original enough? Upon smelling it, I decided it deserves a closer look. Naomi Goodsir started as a fashion designer focusing on luxury hats, headpieces, and handbags, later expanding to fragrance (as many have done before). The perfumer behind this fragrance is Julien Rasquinet. Naomi Goodsir: Cuir Velours, eau de parfum. Source: Naomi Goodsir Official fragrance notes Here ..read more

Tiare flower is a type of gardenia – gardenia tahitiensis (or taitensis) by its latin name. It is the national flower of Tahiti and Cook Islands and central to Polynesian culture and traditions. It has delicate white flowers with intoxicating, sweet, creamy scent. The smell of tiaré flower is often connected to memories of beach vacations, as its often used to scent tanning products. While it plays a big part in Tahitian culture today, it isn’t native to Tahiti. It originates in Melanesia and Western Polynesia. It was introduced by its indigenous people to French Polynesia and the Cook Islands ..read more

The leaves are still just changing into their autumn festive colors, but it feels like Christmas to me already. A very fragrant one indeed. I have barely had the time to digest all the news and smells from the fall Sniffapalooza ball in NYC, where Marissa herself presented her creations.And now a huge traveling sample box of niche scents, edited and rolling between a small group of fragrance enthusiasts, hit my doorstep. I have only a week or so to get my nose on it, so very few things will get down on paper, but Marissa Zappas, dear fragheads, is one that deserves a few words. View this po ..read more

Some of the best things about the nation’s capital are its countless museums – whether Smithonian or privately owned, it seems like there is always more to see. But one thing was missing – until recently. A cultural experience for our noses. In May 2021, the Qatar America Institute for Culture opened its Perfumery Museum, the first permanent exhibition dedicated to perfumery in Washington DC. I’m guilty of delaying my visit, despite living in the ‘hoods. At last, I made it! I booked my visit when I figured I would have a babysitter watching my precious little ones, put a pretty dress on, and w ..read more

What do you consider to be an innovative, unique perfume? Is it a new scent you never encountered before? A new impression? Unusual note? Well, Fils de Dieu du Riz et des Agrumes is none of it. Neither did the inspiration come from some uninhabited, unseen place outside this world. None of its ingredients are too uncommon in perfumes. Yet, the way it’s constructed makes it a unique, innovative, one-of-a-kind fragrance—a trip to an Asian street food market. Fils de Dieu is gourmand, but not in the typical “vanilla frosting cupcakes” style, but rather a foodie type. Olfactive memory of Asian foo ..read more

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. And something that smells awesome, pretty please. You chose the dude/dudette, the dress, jewelery, accessories, shoes, undies, makeup, hairstyle, location, another location, dates, backup dates, decor, meals, alergy-friendly meals, size, guests, more guests, close relatives, distant relatives, banned relatives, entertainment, music, photographer, wine, colors, wedding announcencement designs, envelopes, … yada yada yada. I have no idea how folks do those big events without being completely overwhelmed and heading to Vegas instea ..read more

Tl; dr – I had covid, and my beautiful baby daughter was born. And I want to keep writing. And newborns smell epic. Blogs tend to fail early on. There were a whopping 600 million blogs as of 2019 (GrowthBadger, 2019). That’s huge. The New York Times claims that as much as 95% of all blogs are abandoned. When I started writing this one, I had dreams and plans for it. But only one real goal for the entire first year – whatever happens, don’t give up. Just keep working on it and don’t look back. Evaluate later. And then I didn’t. Only a few days are left until this blog hits its first birthday. B ..read more

Tom Ford’s new fragrance, Soleil Brûlant, is unexpected. This totally isn’t just another beachy perfume. It has little in common with the rest of “Soleil” releases by TF. Beachy? No. At least not in the “tanning oil” sense. Does it imply sun? Yes. In a dusty, burning way. Like spending too much time outside on a hot day, somewhere in an arid climate late in summer, when air gets heavy with pollen that stays on your skin. And that skin had a little too much sun. Not in a bad way. Of all “Soleils,” this is the most daring. The opening is bergamot and pink pepper mostly; they are easy to identify ..read more