Hello, Fragrant Friend 👋,

Did you know? Scently Speaking has been sharing stories, insights, and fascinating facts about the world of independent and niche perfumery since May. Across 32 issues (without missing a single week!), we’ve explored everything from rare ingredients to emerging trends—all with the goal of enhancing your fragrant journey.

Your feedback—both encouraging and constructive—has been my greatest motivation, and I’m truly grateful to have you here. Now, after this whirlwind of a year, I need a break to recharge and spend some quality time with my loved ones. But don’t worry—I’ll be back on January 9th, ready to bring you even greater content in 2025, along with one or two surprises. 😏 Stay tuned!

🗓️ Contents of this Issue

1. It’s a wrap: Scently’s first year in the rear-view mirror 🪞👈️ 

2. Christmas Gift: The Scents of a Better Tomorrow 📈📆 

Scently’s first year in the rear-view mirror 🪞👈️

The community’s favourite brand

🥇 Tom Ford
🥈 Marc Antoine Barrois
🥉 Naomi Goodsir

The community’s favourite topic

🥇 Fragrance ingredients and facts
🥈 Niche perfumery insights
🥉 Perfumer interviews and stories

…some useless Scently Speaking knowledge in between

The community’s favourite issue

🥇 The Best Dutch Fragrance Secret (OR: 58.62%)
🥈 The Art of Niche vs. Faux Niche (OR: 55.13%)
🥉 Perfume Ban Threatens the EU? (OR: 53.71%)

The community’s favourite quiz

🥇 Which flower’s scent contains a key odourant that is undetectable by approximately 30% of the population? (Go to Quiz)
🥈 Which citrus note has compounds that some individuals may perceive as soapy rather than zesty? (Go to Quiz)
🥉 What's the Country with the Highest Perfume Consumption Per Capita? (Go To Quiz)

Well-known readers from the community

Among others: Individuals from Givaudan, MANE, DSM-Firmenich, IFF, Robertet, L'Oréal, LVMH, Coty, Harrods, Sephora

A Fragrant Christmas Manifesto

‘Twas the season of scents, with snow in the air,
But perfumery’s ghosts whispered despair.
"Where is the artistry?" cried Laudamiel bold,
“Lost in a fog of bling and scents sold.”​​

For too long, it seems, in glitter they trust,
While perfumers stay hidden, their brilliance unjust.
Brands claim jasmine, oud, and pure vetiver,
Yet it’s Ambroxan that scents the cashier.​

No perfumer’s name graces the gilded flacon,
No royalties flow where credit is gone.
Let’s reclaim the art, and with noses unite,
For Scently Speaking stands for what’s right.

Flashes of Genius

In Portugal’s mists, Cláudia reigns supreme,
Crafting Sintra’s soul in a peppery dream.​

From the courts of law to scents of the earth,
Giovanni’s vetiver echoes rebirth.​

Indonesia’s maestro, Riyal Noor,
Sees musk as bass, citrus as a score.​

Chad turns amber and spice into prose,
From Seattle's rails, his fragrant art rose.​

Wasim bridges jasmine and British streams,
Damascus in London—a perfumer’s dreams.​

Jan Barba’s tales, poetic and rare,
Found beauty in Poland’s frosty air.​

And Shawn, the most transparent of all,
Sings St. Louis pride in scents that enthrall.​

Marie-Pierre in Berlin blends scents that are clear,
MISKEO’s minimalism brings concepts near.​

Chester Gibs paints with scents, bold and true,
Amsterdam’s spices turn old memories new.​

Sy Truong’s Molotov ignites hearts with might,
Vietnam’s olfactory rebel takes flight.​

From India’s hills, Anjali’s roots grow,
Himalayan Dawn, where fragrant winds blow.​

A Christmas Wish

So here’s to you, perfumers with flair,
For whom Scently Speaking shows we care.
Raise a glass to the craft, its stories and lore,
And let fragrance reclaim its art once more.

Merry Christmas from Scently Speaking!