NEWS & FEATURES
We share all the stories from fragrance’s front line – bringing the world of perfume alive for you through interviews, events, openings and our award-winning podcast. Discover more about the passionate perfume brands and creatives behind the scents you love – and find out what you need to smell next…
This week on the podcast: golden light, autumn gardens, and what a goddess wears on her day off…
Fancy a scented tour through unexpected florals (via toasted seeds and cool green leaves), autumnal sunsets in California, walled gardens where a warrior goddess might stroll, impeccably tailored heritage, and a gloriously gilded pop fantasy?
Step right this way, because this week Suzy Nightingale & Nicola Bonn are discussing perfumes for taking a calm breath, for making an entrance, for leaning into your own glow, and the pleasure of simply choosing the perfect scent to suit the moment.
They’re also asking whether fragrance can influence mood, considering solid perfume in a new jelly-like form, and finding plenty to discuss in a line-up that moves from poised and polished to maximalist, sensual and gloriously escapist…
Take 5 Sunset Scents
Sunset is a time of transformation. The day's heat softens, shadows lengthen and the air itself seems to shimmer with possibility. The skies right now are awash with purples, reds and pinks that melt into the darkness like nature's fireworks. It's no wonder perfumers are so often inspired by this spectacular display – and why we’re reaching for these five gloriously luminous sunset fragrances…
Ta-dah! Alice du Parcq’s book, ‘The Philosophy of Perfume’, has been launched. (And in some style.)
Our colleague and occasional On The Scent contributor Alice du Parcq’s book The Philosophy of Perfume has its official launch, celebrated with a florabundant event hosted by Jo Malone London in the beautiful setting of their Marylebone town house…
A Day in the (Perfumer’s) Life: Margaux Le Paih Guerin
This Parisian perfumer, collaborator with artist and fragrance house founder Sarah Baker on A Vanilla Trilogy, has been described as being ‘born in a bottle’. Read on for Margaux’s inspirations, and the secrets of her working day…
Sumptuously Stroke-able Scents (how can a fragrance *feel*?)
From desert velvet, cake-soft warmth and (not too) sweetness to mineral stillness, crisp air and even the smooth touch of Prada’s iconic nylon, these scents offer six very different ways to experience texture and touchable, strokable sensations in fragrant form.
For this episode, Suzy & Nicola ask you to re-imagine what the way you experience your perfumes. So close your eyes as you listen to the descriptions, and imagine how they’d feel if you could reach out and touch them…
Issue #3 of ‘On The Scent’ magazine is HERE – so order your print copy (or read online)
We’re thrilled to unveil Issue #3 of On The Scent, the acclaimed fragrance magazine. In ‘The Art of Glass’ edition, explore how humble sand is transformed into exquisite bottles, read about the creative inspirations of Marc-Antoine Barrois, and learn all about iris’s renaissance. Available in PRINT and online…
On The Scent… of NEWS: fragrance becomes an art form (in more ways than one)
We’re the ‘Antiques Roadshow’ of scent this week, with a collectible art vibe running through our newshound Amanda Carr’s report, which spans Dior’s restoration of its fragrance heritage to perfumer Sarah McCartney’s suggestion that the rules of art collecting could apply to perfume. (And we also bring you some actual art involving antique Yardley packaging…)
What’s Up Down Under? A report from Australia’s Geelong Fragrance Fair
Gosh, it’s a busy time for fragrance shows. And while Italy’s a hop, skip and a jump from our London HQ, we were sadly unable to pop over to the recent Geelong Fragrance Fair, in Melbourne. Happily, Anthony Gardiner – materials producer and writer – made it to the over from New Zealand. He now shares with On The Scent his discoveries and observations of the fast-growing Antipodean fragrance market…
These are the fragrances that stopped Suzy in her tracks…
Suzy & Nicola are back for part two of the Pitti Fragranze roundup, continuing their deep-dive into the perfume launches, houses and ideas that made this year’s Florence fair feel so full of possibility…
From a Chinese-French house capturing the transient scent of sun-dried osmanthus, to Korean brands evoking fire-charred ingredients, graceful calligraphy and fine-dining balances of flavour, this episode travels widely through fragrance’s newest creative terrain.
5 Fragrances for the Cusp of Autumn
As the last days of summer give way to autumn’s earliest whispers, the perfumes we reach for can be a lovely way to embrace this in-between feeling. Before we button-up and The temperature and humidity are subtly shifting, and this can dramatically alter the way fragrance behaves on skin, lending even tried-and-true favourites a newly compelling character. But what do we feel like wearing when even the weather can’t quite make up its mind…?
Suzy Nightingale has smelled the future of fragrance at Pitti Fragranze (and there’s much to be excited by…!)
If you’ve ever wondered what goes on in a fragrance trade fair, get ready for all the news as Suzy reviews this year’s Pitti Fragranze in Florence. There are some some thrilling new launches and brands to get excited by, and she reveals some of the trends we can expect to see filtering their way through to the wider fragrance world over the coming months.
Suzy has been attending the Pitti Fragranze trade fair for thirteen years, and genuinely felt this was one of the best ever years. The overall vibe seemed to be a return to beauty - classical perfumery elements woven in new and intriguing ways, and with greater cultural diversity from brands showcasing their heritage and aromas they grew up with.
We’ll be focussing more in this aspect - as well as talking about the trends Suzy saw emerging this year - in next week’s episode. But until then, enjoy this whistle-stop rundown of some of Suzy’s scented highlights of the show this year…
On The Scent… of NEWS: poetic perfume pop-ups, Givaudan’s message in a bottle – and Giorgio Armani harnesses the ‘phwoar’ factor
There are more pop-up perfume adventures to be had in London this week, if you’re quick. And very encouragingly, there’s a distinct drive towards fragrance helping us all to become more sociably connected. Our newshound Amanda Carr – writer, trend-spotter and Barnes Fragrance Fair founder – keeps your finger on the pulse of all things fragrant…
There’s posh: Penhaligon’s Portraits take up (temporary) residence at The Royal Academy of Arts. (And we went to the preview.)
A decade after the launch of Penhaligon’s wonderfully eccentric Portraits collection, the fragrance family takes over the Royal Academy of Arts in a joyous, beautifully realised, multi-sensory exhibition. (And we also meet perfumer Daphné Bugey, creator of the latest to join the family…)
Sainte Cellier offers us a new way to shop for fragrance. It’s a breath of fresh air…
Are you ready to snuggle yet? Suzy & Nicola reveal their must-sniff roundup of cosy new launches…
Are you feeling the need for snuggly scents yet? Suzy and Nicola are leaning into the cosiness in this week’s episode and have been gathering together some of new launches and favourite fragrances they’ve been wearing as autumn approaches…
Take 5 Olive Fragrances
Gourmands have taken a twist into more savoury scents, we’ve noticed, and olive has emerged as a new note in this ever-emerging category. Utilising the fruit itself, the olive tree (wood, leaf, blossom) and even olive oil, olive naysayers will be shocked at how surprisingly wearable these scents can be, writes Suzy Nightingale.
A classic iris revived after 114 years (!) PLUS a plethora of other new launches = a definite new trend. Suzy & Nicola explore…
Presaging one of Suzy’s lead features in the the soon-to-be-published autumn edition of On The Scent magazine, this podcast episode finds Nicola and Suzy nose-deep in new iris launches. You cannot have failed to notice this note is enjoying a perfumed renaissance of late, and together they explore one of the most traditional (and costly) notes in perfumery – now made modern by perfumers exploring it in surprising ways.
From one of the all-time classic iris perfumes launching a new version after 114 years, to another historic house who’s just launched a dashingly debonair iris scent; and a brilliantly affordable iris from a high street shop that’s one of their star buys sofar this year… There’s a lot to love!
On The Scent… of NEWS: whisper it softly, but Christmas is coming
We’ve got ‘Back To School’ vibes this week, as we return from an extraordinary UK summer – but it seems that it’s never too early start thinking about the festive season, reports our newshound Amanda Carr, the writer, trend-spotter and Barnes Fragrance Fair founder
What are the ‘Glimmers’ (little moments of joy) that get you through the day? & how can you capture a scent memory forever…?
In this episode our podcast duo are partnering with Estée Lauder for the first in a new series: Fragrant Focus. This is a sponsored segment where they take their time exploring a single scent - smelling it together and sharing their thoughts. And they have an exciting GIVEAWAY for you to enter! Listen and read on to find out how to enter, hear Suzy & Nicola’s reviews of Glimmer, and the beautiful inspiration behind its launch.
But that’s not all, of course – in this week’s epsiode they have a plethora of exciting new launches to tell you about, from niche names, designer and heritage houses alike. But we begin the show this time with an emotional journey to capture the scent of something very special to Suzy… the smell of her late dad’s rose (which he planted for her when she was a little girl).
Who managed to bottle this scent memory for Suzy, and how was it done? You’ll need to listen to this episode to find out…
A Day in the (Perfumer’s) Life: Louise Farina
Louise Farina represents the ninth generation of the remarkable family behind Farina 1709, the Cologne fragrance house widely recognised as the world’s oldest. She’s the first woman to lead the brand.
Founded by Johann Maria Farina in 1709, its original Eau de Cologne became an international sensation, admired for its light, sparkling freshness. The house has remained in family hands for more than three centuries, continuing to produce its celebrated citrus-aromatic composition in Cologne, where its museum and historic premises are a portal to perfume history.