Hello, Fragrant Friend 👋,

It’s happening! We’ve set the time and place for the official kick-off of our first fragrance—shaped by the community.

📅 March 6th
⏰ 8pm (CET)
📍 Online (1-hour call)

Why should you join? Because we’re revealing the perfumer behind this creation, and together, we’ll take the first steps in bringing this scent to life—live, transparent, and interactive. Plus, you’ll have the chance to share your own associations and scent ideas for the theme (revealed next week). If your suggestion is chosen, you’ll receive the final fragrance for free when it launches!

🕒 Sign-ups are open until the end of February!
📩 First invites go out at the end of this week.

Not signed up yet? No problem! Click below, your e-mail is automatically registered, and you’re in.

🗓️ Contents of this Issue

1. Note Worthy: Smart Scent, Domino’s Fragrance, and declutter 🍕🧽 

2. Strictly Independent: Notes de Bas de Paje 🇫🇷 

3. QUIZ: How many brands are at Esxence 2025?

4. Scent MythBusters: All Ageing in Perfumery is Marketing Hype 💬🚫 

Note-Worthy 🔎🌸

• #SMARTSCENTTECH: Estée Lauder partners with Exuud to revolutionise fragrance delivery with Soliqaire, a biodegradable, plant-based system that controls scent release. This next-gen technology enhances customization, consistency, and sustainability, allowing consumers to experience fragrance in new, immersive ways.

• #PEPPERONIPASSION: Domino’s spices up Valentine’s Day with Eau de Passion, a pepperoni-inspired perfume blending smoky, spicy, and woody notes. While undeniably playful, it taps into the rising trend of food-driven fragrances, following past scents inspired by coffee, chocolate, and even cheeseburgers. Limited to UK and Ireland, this novelty scent begs the question: could umami perfumes be the next olfactory frontier?

• #FRAGRANCEDECLUTTER: The fragrance boom has led to massive collections, but now, perfume lovers are downsizing. Influencers and enthusiasts are embracing "declutter hauls" and fragrance swaps, questioning overconsumption fueled by social media hype. While platforms like eBay and Mercari offer resale options, perfume fans face counterfeit risks and the sunk cost fallacy.

Strictly Independent 🎨 🌟 

Notes de Bas de Paje treats scent like the margins of a book—details that deepen the story. Founded by Pierre-Junior and Alice, the brand turns fleeting moments into olfactory footnotes, inviting wearers to fill in the blanks with their own memories.

Notes de Bas de Paje 🇫🇷 

• For Fans Of: If you appreciate Frédéric Malle’s dedication to craftsmanship, Marc-Antoine Barrois’s textured compositions, or Imaginary Authors’ narrative-driven scents, Notes de Bas de Paje offers a similarly thoughtful experience.

• Founded: Created in France by Pierre-Junior and Alice, the brand explores scent as storytelling, capturing life’s in-between moments.

• Number of Scents: 3

QUIZ 🎲 

Scent MythBusters 🎭️ 

TL;DR

Not all fragrance materials age well, but some do improve before being used in a composition. Oud, sandalwood, patchouli, vetiver, and ambergris develop smoother, richer profiles over time, while most citrus and floral materials degrade quickly. The key is knowing which ingredients benefit from ageing—and why.

Unpacking the Myth 🕵️‍♀️

The Misconception

“All ageing claims in perfumery are just a marketing gimmick—fresh is always better.”

The industry often markets “aged” ingredients as superior, implying that all raw materials, like oud or sandalwood, improve dramatically over time. Many consumers assume this applies to finished perfumes as well, believing that an older fragrance will somehow evolve like a fine wine.

The Reality Check 🛑

✔️ Some materials genuinely benefit from ageing before formulation.
✔️ Others degrade, losing their vibrancy and complexity.
✔️ Finished perfumes rarely age well after bottling.
✔️ Ageing works by softening harsh notes, enhancing complexity, and improving depth—but only for certain materials.

Examples That Prove Ageing Works:

• Oud: Oxidation softens barnyard notes, revealing rich, deep facets of leather, spice, and honey.

• Sandalwood: Ageing enhances its creaminess, amplifying the warm, milky, and slightly balsamic character prized in high-end compositions.

• Patchouli: Camphor and harsh terpenes fade, allowing smooth, earthy, and slightly cocoa-like depth to emerge.

• Vetiver: Over time, it develops a richer, smokier, and slightly nutty complexity.

• Ambergris: Naturally cures over decades, transforming from a pungent, salty mass into a radiant, musky, and slightly sweet aura-enhancer.

Examples Where Ageing Fails:

• 🍋 Citrus Oils (Bergamot, Lemon, Orange): Oxidation causes them to lose their sparkle, turning them dull, musty, or even rancid.

• 🌹 Florals (Jasmine, Rose): While some absolutes deepen slightly, prolonged ageing generally flattens their vibrancy and reduces the complexity of their top notes.

• 🧪 Many Synthetic Molecules: Generally remain stable, meaning ageing has little to no effect. Some may even break down and lose their intended scent profile.

Why This Matters

Understanding which materials improve with age—and which don’t—separates genuine craftsmanship from marketing fluff. Next time you see “aged for decades” on a perfume label, ask: Is this about the raw material before formulation, or just an empty selling point?

🔗 For a deeper dive, check out this discussion in Scently Speaking: The Aged Fragrance Secret Revealed.