Hello, Fragrant Friend 👋,

Did you know: Marie Antoinette’s love for perfume was so extravagant that she had a secret escape scent created to calm her nerves during the French Revolution?

🗓️ Contents of this Issue

1. Note Worthy: Layering, Unilever and Innovation Summit 🌈 🧴 

2. Strictly Independent: Francesca Bianchi 🇮🇹 / 🇳🇱 

3. Scent MythBusters: Only Specific Types of Fragrances Can Be Layered 💐 

4. QUIZ: Fragrance Profile Variance 🎭️ 

5. Flower Spotlight: All You Need to Know about Ambrette 🟤 

Note-Worthy 🔎🌸

• #LAYERING: Fragrance layering is having a moment, with personalised scent wardrobes becoming the new norm. Rooted in Middle Eastern perfumery's oud-rich and opulent notes, the trend is spreading West. Brands like Jo Malone’s 'Scent Pairing’ even recommend specific combinations, making layering more accessible than ever. Fragrance is shifting from an accessory to identity—reshaping how we wear and experience scent.

• #NEWENTRY: Could Unilever become conglomerate giant No. 11 in fragrance, alongside L’Oréal, Coty, and Estée Lauder among others? With a €100 million investment to build its own fragrance house, the company is blending scientific precision with artistic experience. A key highlight: hiring expert perfumers, like Mathieu Lenoir, to combine olfactive artistry with neuroscience and AI-driven innovation. This move signals a commitment to superior, in-house fragrance design while maintaining partnerships with traditional houses.

• #INNOVATIONSUMMIT: The Fragrance Innovation Summit revealed key advances shaping the future of perfumery. AI-powered greenhouses by Interstellar Lab address sustainable ingredient sourcing, while upcycled vineyard alcohol offers eco-friendly alternatives. Alcohol-free perfumes, enhanced by technologies like Mane’s Aqua Fine, bridge skincare and fragrance with moisturising benefits and strong sillage. Emotional analytics tools, such as Mane’s Wellmotion, link scents to measurable emotional impacts.

Strictly Independent 🎨✨

Discover the bold and artistic world of Francesca Bianchi, a self-taught perfumer inspired by contrasts—light and dark, innocence and seduction, spirituality and materiality. With a background in art history and roots in Tuscany, Francesca draws on her global experiences to create fragrances that evoke deep emotions and sensuality. From her Amsterdam studio, she designs scents that tell unique stories, blending artistry with individuality.

Francesca Bianchi 🇮🇹 / 🇳🇱 

• For Fans Of: If you appreciate the sophisticated creations of Marc-Antoine Barrois designed by the world’s most trending staff perfumer Quentin Bisch (Givaudan), you may also like Francesca Bianchi. Francesca’s perfumes often explore themes of memory, emotion, and sensuality, much like the atmospheric and nuanced compositions found in MAB's fragrances like Ganymede and Tilia.

• Founded: Established by Francesca Bianchi in 2016.

• Headquarters: Amsterdam, Netherlands

• Number of Scents: 21 and 7 ‘Perfumed Oils’

Scent MythBusters 🎭️ 

TL;DR

Many believe only certain fragrances can be layered, fearing mismatched scents. In truth, most fragrances can be combined to create a unique, personalised scent. The key is understanding intensities, notes, and experimenting within compatible scent families. Starting with versatile notes like vanilla, musk, or citrus makes layering approachable and easy to master.

The Art of Layering Fragrances 🎨🌺

Understanding Fragrance Intensity

Order Matters: The secret to successful layering is to apply scents in order of intensity. Start with a more intense fragrance as the base, and layer lighter notes on top.

Example: Begin with a base note of oud, add a middle note of rose, and finish with a top note of jasmine.

Fragrance Families and Notes

Beginner-Friendly Families: If you're new to layering, it's advisable to stick within certain fragrance families that blend well together, such as floral, warm and sweet gourmand, fresh, and citrus notes.

Versatile Notes: Scents like vanilla, musk, and most citrus notes are known to layer beautifully with a variety of other fragrances.

How to Start Layering Fragrances 📝✨

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Choose a Base Scent: Start with an intense fragrance that you love, such as oud or musk.

2. Select Complementary Notes: Pick one or two additional fragrances with lighter notes that complement your base. For example, floral notes like rose or jasmine.

3. Test on Skin: Apply the base scent to your pulse points, then layer the lighter fragrances on top. Allow the scents to meld with your skin chemistry.

4. Adjust as Needed: If the combination feels too strong or unbalanced, adjust the amounts or try different notes.

Three Combinations to Start With 🏃‍♀️ 

Floral Layering 🌸

• Base: A musk-heavy fragrance like Juliette Has a Gun – Not a Perfume

• Top: A floral fragrance with rose and jasmine, such as Le Labo – Jasmin 17

Citrus Freshness 🍊

• Base: A warm vanilla-orange blend like Atelier Cologne – Orange Sanguine

• Top: A bright bergamot fragrance such as Le Labo – Bergamote 22

Woody Depth 🌲

• Base: A rich woody fragrance like Byredo – Super Cedar

• Top: A warm floral scent like Maison Francis Kurkdjian – Amyris Femme

QUIZ 🎲 

All You Need to Know About Ambrette 🟤 

Did You Know? 🌟

Ambrette seeds are the only botanical source of natural musk aroma, providing an ethical and sustainable alternative to animal-derived musks in perfumery.

Ambrette: The Natural Musk of Perfumery 🎩

Ambrette offers a warm, musky scent with subtle hints of sweetness and fruitiness. Its unique aroma adds depth and a natural warmth to fragrances, making it a valuable ingredient for creating rich and long-lasting scents without relying on synthetic musks.

Fragrance DNA 🧬

• Personality: Warm, Sensual, Natural

• Aroma Strength: 8/10

• Best Paired With: Florals (rose, jasmine), citrus notes (bergamot, mandarin), woody undertones (sandalwood, cedarwood)

• Secret Weapon: Enhances fragrance longevity and adds a natural muskiness that enriches the overall scent profile

Ambrette’s Journey 🗺️

1. Origin: Native to India and Southeast Asia

2. Cultivation: Derived from the seeds of the Abelmoschus moschatus plant, a tropical shrub related to hibiscus

3. Aroma Profile: Contains ambrettolide, imparting a musky scent with nuances of pear, wine, and nuts

4. Perfumery: Introduced prominently in perfumery around 1998 as a natural musk alternative due to increasing restrictions on animal musks

5. Legacy: Has seen a significant rise in popularity over the last decade, becoming a trending natural material while still being a hidden gem among fragrance enthusiasts

A Fascinating Fact 📖

Ambrette's resurgence in perfumery is partly due to its unique molecular structure. Ambrettolide, the key compound in ambrette seeds, is a macrocyclic lactone that not only provides a distinctive musk aroma but is also highly skin-compatible. This makes fragrances containing ambrette particularly personal, as the scent can subtly vary depending on the wearer's skin chemistry.

Most Notable Ambrette Fragrances 💫

• Guerlain Eau de Lingerie (2013): A powdery and delicate fragrance blending ambrette, iris, and white musk. Its composition evokes the softness of fine fabrics, making it an intimate scent designed for skin or lingerie.

• Aedes de Venustas Iris Nazarena (2013): A unique interplay of ambrette, iris, and smoky incense. The fragrance contrasts the earthy, rooty quality of iris with the resinous warmth of incense, creating an ethereal yet grounded scent.

• Papillon Artisan Perfumes Hera (2022): A rich and complex fragrance that layers ambrette with jasmine, orris butter, and sandalwood. The result is a velvety, floral-woody composition with a sensual, creamy finish.

• Ázman Killer Vavoom (2022): Features ambrette alongside notes of chocolate, plum, and osmanthus, creating a decadent and harmonious fusion of gourmand and floral elements.