Hello, Fragrant Friend 👋 

Did you know: One year ago today, the Perfumer’s Garden at the Palace of Versailles opened to the public. Under the patronage of Francis Kurkdjian, this garden showcases hundreds of perfume-making plants, celebrating the rich history of fragrance at the court of Versailles.

🗓️ Content of this Issue

1. Story: The man with the ultimate perfumer superpower

2. Industry Insights: The solution to make blind-buying fun?

3. Fragrance picks: Ethyl Maltol and Lavender

The man with the ultimate perfumer superpower 🦸 💪

A few weeks ago, I interviewed Matt. He runs the Postmodern Perfumer brand and is known for his work to share knowledge about fragrance creation. Also, he is in the conceptual process to creating his very first commercial scent.

How did you get into perfumery, Matt?

It started at a very early age. I was fascinated by smells, always sniffing everything I could get my hands on. My first significant scent memory was the woody aroma of my grandfather’s house. However, my interest waned for several decades until 2015 when my favorite perfume, L'Occitane Pour Homme, was reformulated. The new synthetic smell was disappointing, so I embarked on a journey to recreate it as it originally was.

Tell us about your journey in perfumery and how it has evolved over time.

My journey has been quite obsessive. After the disappointment with L'Occitane, I delved into online forums, Facebook groups, and Reddit to gather as much information as possible. I started ordering from Hekserij, later from other shops, and soon amassed a library of about 400 ingredients. This journey was intense but also very fulfilling as I learned to create and appreciate fragrances deeply.

You’ve mentioned you have Phantosmia. How does this condition affect your work?

Phantosmia is an olfactory hallucination, allowing me to smell things that aren’t physically present. It’s like a superpower in perfumery 🦸. I can dream in smells and wake up with a complete fragrance idea in my head. This ability started about three years into my perfumery journey and has since helped me create unique and innovative scents. However, I'm fortunate as some people with phantosmia experience unpleasant smells.

What is your take on the current state of the fragrance industry, particularly regarding independent perfumers?

I see a significant shift happening, almost a French Revolution moment in perfumery. Independent perfumers, like Christophe Laudamiel, are pushing for recognition and rights, like proper credit on perfume bottles and better contracts. Many perfumers sign contracts that no musician or actor would ever agree to, leading to unfair compensation. Without being able to copyright a formula you can't do anything against dupes and everything starts to smell the same, stifling creativity and diversity in the industry.

Can you share a bit about the eventual first commercial fragrance you’re working on?

Sure, I'm working on a concept called "Broken Flowers." It's inspired by the bittersweet nature of broken stems. The scent will be a celebration of fragility, duality, and finding beauty in imperfection. Think of it like Japanese Kintsugi but as a wearable fragrance. Vegetal green notes paired with an opulent floral bouquet. Like in a flower shop. The base will revolve around myrrh, with its medicinal bitterness, paired with sweet notes like vanilla and sugar. I hope I can pull it off.

What inspires you in your creative process?

My inspiration often comes from everyday experiences and memories. For "Broken Flowers," I was inspired by seeing men carrying bouquets in Berlin. Phantosmia also plays a big role, allowing me to imagine and combine smells in new ways. It's like having a mental playground for scents.

The solution to make blind-buying fun 🎯 

The Parisian fragrance shop NOSE offers a tool called Olfactive Diagnosis. This tool lets you name 2-5 of your favorite fragrances and suggests others you might like. For 12€, you receive a sample kit with the five best matches. Once you get the kit, you're asked to rank the fragrances so the algorithm can learn your preferences and improve over time. We've been using Olfactive Diagnosis since 2016 and often find that NOSE delivers on their promise. 

So, how does it work?

STEP 1

Fill in your current to last worn fragrances you like.

STEP 2

Have a look at the analysis of your favourite ingredients and fragrance families.

STEP 3

Discover the five best matching scents based on our inputs. If you like them, you can order 1.5ml samples in a box of five. If you decide to purchase a full bottle, you can use the voucher from the Olfactive Diagnosis, making the sample kit essentially free.

Fragrance picks 🤌 

Matt mentioned Ethyl Maltol as a popular synthetic ingredient in gourmand fragrances. His childhood scent, L'Occitane Pour Homme, is rich with lavender from southern France.