Hello, Fragrant Friend 👋,

only 24h after the release of the last newsletter the tendency was clear, you want to actively participate in a commercial fragrance. We are as thrilled as you are 😍. In the background, preparations for something big are in full swing. Today we would like to know:

➡️ Apologies for the confusion in our last newsletter—additional feedback wasn’t possible as stated. If you’d like to share more about today’s question, simply reply to this email. We’re excited to hear how you’d like to get involved! 🙏 

🗓️ Contents of this Issue

1. Note Worthy: Frag. growth, Inside Amouage, and Feminist Fragrances 🇴🇲♀️ 

2. Strictly Independent: Tobba 🇭🇰 

3. Scent MythBusters: The only way to compose is top, heart, base note blending 👩‍🔬 

4. QUIZ: Most Prolific Perfumer for Frédéric Malle 📈 

5. Rare ingredients: All You Need to Know about Costus 🇮🇳 🪷 

Note-Worthy 🔎🌸

• #SCENTAVIATION: Elevating the skies, Air France launches its first signature home fragrance, AF001, crafted by none other than Francis Kurkdjian. Introduced across Paris-Charles de Gaulle lounges, the scent intertwines mimosa, jasmine, and rose, offering a musky, sunlit warmth that evokes serene travel moments. Inspired by the Concorde era, AF001 represents a sensory journey—a fragrant ode to French sophistication. With this addition, Air France now caters to all five senses, further enhancing its position as a symbol of excellence in the art of living and travel.

• #FRAGRANCEGROWTH: Fragrance sales surged to $8.8 billion in 2024, marking a 22% year-over-year growth. The increase was fueled by strong performance in both local retailers (+22.6%) and online (+21.6%) sales, with online units rising an impressive 18.8%. Categories like miniature and travel-size fragrances gained traction, while Gen Alpha drove a 40% spike in online searches for “clean,” “hypoallergenic,” and “for children” fragrances, highlighting evolving consumer priorities.

• #INSIDEAMOUAGE: Renaud Salmon (Creative Director) unveiled the operational, educational, and regulatory challenges behind Amouage’s 40%+ pure perfume oil fragrances. Issues include spray nozzle clogs, bottle incompatibility, and educating consumers on fabric staining prevention. He highlighted risks like dilution in grey markets, where altered extraits can still pass as genuine. These insights reveal the complexities of producing ultra-concentrated, high-quality fragrances.

Strictly Independent 🎨 🌟 

Enter the world of TOBBA, a Hong Kong-based fragrance house founded by painter-turned-perfumer Jasper Li and Adrian Yu. Born from Jasper’s journey to translate his visual art into scent, TOBBA creates fragrances that blur the lines between olfaction and emotion. Each creation is an extension of Jasper’s artistic vision, offering a sensory experience that’s deeply personal yet open to interpretation. Guided by values of craftsmanship and aesthetics, TOBBA transforms the finest ingredients into perfumes that feel like wearable art.

TOBBA 🇭🇰 (one of our all-time favourites 😍)

• For Fans Of: Perfect for those who appreciate the modern, artful storytelling and minimalist elegance of brands like Byredo, where each fragrance feels like a piece of contemporary art designed to evoke personal interpretation.

• Founded: Established in 2021 by visual artist-turned-perfumer Jasper Li and creative director Adrian Yu.

• Headquarters: Hong Kong

• Number of Scents: Six artistic creations, including Force, Serendipity, and Indolence, each blending premium ingredients with evocative narratives to bridge the gap between scent and art.

Scent MythBusters 🎭️ 

TL;DR

While many perfumers do start with classic top-heart-base “layers,” it’s not the only method. Some craft a “backbone” first, then dress it up with nuances. Others assemble discrete “accords” like puzzle pieces. Perfumery is an art—there’s no single, one-size-fits-all formula.

Unpacking the Myth 🕵️‍♀️

The Misconception

It’s widely assumed that perfumers must:

1. Choose top notes (citrus, aromatics).

2. Pick middle notes (florals, spices).

3. Secure base notes (woods, musks).

4. Blend them all until everything “behaves.”

The Reality Check 🛑

In truth, perfume creation can follow multiple pathways:

• Some perfumers build a central “skeleton” or backbone and then refine around it.

• Others compose modular accords (mini scent “clusters”) and snap them together.

• There’s huge room for improvisation and experimentation, especially when factoring in raw material variation and the perfumer’s artistic vision.

Three Approaches to Fragrance Composition

1. The Traditional Layering

• What It Is
  The classic, textbook approach: develop a top accord, a heart accord, and a base accord, then unify them into a coherent composition.

• How It Works

  1. Start with fleeting notes (citrus, herbs) to grab attention.

  2. Add a floral or spice middle.

  3. Anchor everything with woods, musks, or resins.

• Why It Endures

  • Provides a clear framework for beginners.

  • Perfume schools and major houses (like Givaudan, IFF) use layering to teach fundamental theory and ingredient interaction.

2. The Backbone-First (“Structural”) Technique

• What It Is
  Construct the fragrance’s core identity (base + heart) before introducing lighter, more volatile elements.

• How It Works

  1. Combine key base materials (e.g., patchouli, sandalwood, musk) with crucial heart notes (jasmine, vetiver).

  2. Tweak for harmony and depth.

  3. Only then add top notes (citrus, aldehydes) to give brightness or lift.

• Why It’s Used

  • Ensures the perfume’s long-lasting “soul” is solid.

  • Especially favoured in niche perfumery, where the dry-down or “backbone” is paramount.

3. The Modular Accord Assembly

• What It Is
  Independently create mini-accords—self-contained blends (e.g., a rose-amber chord, a citrus-wood booster), then weave them together.

• How It Works

  1. Develop each accord to stand on its own.

  2. Adjust proportions when combining to ensure overall balance.

  3. Often used by large fragrance labs with access to proprietary “captive” molecules.

• Why It Works

  • Perfect for complex, multifaceted perfumes needing distinct yet complementary themes.

  • Allows quick swaps or reworks of individual sections without unraveling the entire formula.

So, What’s the Verdict?

There is no single, definitive path to building a great perfume. Traditional layering provides clarity, backbone-first delivers a robust core, and modular assembly makes complex compositions feasible. Skilled perfumers often blend techniques—quite literally—turning perfumery into an art of endless possibility.

QUIZ 🎲 

All You Need to Know About Costus (Rare Edition 💎)

Did You Know? 🌟

Did you know that costus—derived from the roots of the Saussurea costus plant—was once so treasured in ancient trade routes that it rivaled precious spices? Renowned for its musky, slightly animalic character, costus has intrigued perfumers (and healers!) for centuries. While not as commonly used today due to regulatory restrictions, this enigmatic note endures as a hidden gem in niche and vintage fragrance circles.

Costus: The Understated Gem of Perfumery 💎

Think of costus as the bohemian outsider in the perfume world—earthy, exotic, and undeniably charismatic. Its aroma hints at damp soil, wet fur, and warm human skin. Though unconventional, costus imparts a haunting allure that can deepen compositions, adding a subtle thread of mystery that draws you closer.

Fragrance DNA 🧬

• Personality: Rustic, Animalic, Earthy

• Aroma Strength: 7/10

• Best Paired With: Incense, Patchouli, Rose, Orris, and Musks

• Secret Weapon: The warm, intimate “human touch” that transforms blends into something sensually intriguing and evocative.

Costus’s Journey 🗺️

Origin
Harvested in the high-altitude Himalayas, costus root has been a key element in Ayurvedic medicine and aromatherapy, cherished for its distinctive and therapeutic qualities.

Cultivation
Costus thrives in specific climates, with roots carefully processed for their aromatic oils. Environmental restrictions and sustainability concerns have made it a rare and precious ingredient.

Aroma Profile
Costus ranges from musky and earthy to slightly sweet and animalic. Its ability to evoke warm, skin-like familiarity with an exotic edge makes it unique.

Perfumery
Often replaced by synthetics due to regulations, natural costus still adds a one-of-a-kind depth when used sparingly, making it a treasure in niche creations.

Legacy
Once highly valued in ancient Greece, Rome, and Eastern medicine, costus remains a secret weapon for perfumers seeking bold, intimate, and daring compositions.

Notable Costus Fragrances 🌿

Senyokô La Tsarine: A bold blend of Costus, honey, tuberose, and cumin, creating an intimate, animalic-spicy scent fit for royalty.

House of Matriarch Two of Cups: Costus meets musk, jasmine, and sandalwood for a sensual, smoky fragrance with floral-animalic depth.

Meo Fusciuni Last Season: Earthy Costus paired with vetiver, patchouli, and incense evokes autumnal woods and smoky campfires.