Perfume Room

Fragrance and fashion legend Narciso Rodriguez joins me in the Perfume Room this week!!!! (REQUIRED LISTENING.)

Two-time recipient of the CFDA Womenswear Designer of the Year as well as the Lifetime Achievement Award AND recipient of 2003 TFA Best New Fragrance Award (for For Her) (among many others), Narciso has received the highest honors for his contributions in both industries. He is able to capture important moments in time in ways that transcend it. Some of his most seminal creations include Carolyn Bessette Kennedy's wedding gown, Michelle Obama's 2008 Election Night dress, and in fragrance, For Her, which is largely credited with modernizing musk for the 21st century.

Today we chat about everything from how he cultivated his own signature (and what that signature is), to how his fashion and fragrance sensibilities are one in the same, his special friendship with CBK and what the media has gotten right and wrong,some never-before-told behind-the-scenes stories surrounding the creation of Narciso Rodriguez fragrances, and of course, what lies ahead.

Ed. Note: I'M STILL NOT OVER THIS EPISODE!!

FOLLOW: @narciso_rodriguez

FRAGS MENTIONED:

Capucci Pour Homme, Lagerfeld For Men, Narciso Rodriguez For Her, JPG Le Male, Narciso Rodriguez Poudree, Egyptian musk oil, Jovan Musk, Narciso Rodriguez: Pure Musc, Essence, Musc Noir 

SOTD: Voyage D'Hermes

Husband-and-wife duo Isaac Lekach and Lillian Shalom have spent the past few years developing fragrances for other brands. With El Morocco Perfumery, it's finally their turn.

In an attempt to recreate the magic of cafe society (and the legendary club for which the brand is named), the pair approached this project like archivists, collecting every handkerchief, matchbook, and photo they could get their hands on. What began as a mission to be historically accurate became a reimagining of what fragrance bottle and packaging design could be.

FRAGS MENTIONED:

El Morocco Perfumery: Gala, Highball for Lucius B; Escentric Molecules Molecule 01, Animale Animale, Mugler Angel for Men, Stork Club, El Morocco Perfumery: 154, Gala, Highball for Lucius B, Lulu’s Back in Town, Two Cigarettes in the Dark

SOTD: Future Society Rain Tea

Decorated MANE Senior Perfume Mathilde Bijaoui, and veteran evaluation exec Lauren Shyman are in the Perfume Room this week!

How do perfumers and evaluators work together behind the scenes to create the juice we smell in our most cherished perfume bottles?

Enjoy this an intimate (and fun!) look at the professional and personal relationship between a high-level perfumer and evaluator.

FOLLOW: @mane_1871_ @mathilde.bijaoui.perfumer @thelaurshy

Sebastian Jara is not new to this [fragrance content]; he's true this. Since 2012, he's been creating videos, and today his YT channel boasts over 335K subscribers. Now he's onto the next venture. After years of attending perfume trade shows all over the world, Sebastian has created his own and it's called ScentFEST. And the inaugural show is happening in just 3 weeks in SF! (June 26-28, 2026)

We chat all about what can you expect at the show, highlights from his 6000-bottle personal collection, the evolution of fragrance content over the last decade, and all the roads that led him here!

Stop. what. you're. doing. DOMINIQUE ROPION IS IN THE PERFUME ROOM TODAY.

FRAGS MENTIONED:

Frederic Malle: Carnal Flower, Portrait of a Lady, Geranium Pour Monsieur; Mugler Alien, Lancome La Vie Est Belle, Givenchy L’Interdit, Frederic Malle Portrait of a Lady, Givenchy Ysatis, Aphorismes Innocent Tuberose, Frederic Malle Carnal Flower, Aphorismes A Rose is a Rose, Frederic Malle Portrait of a Lady

World-renowned expert on the psychological science of smell, neuroscientist Dr. Rachel Herz is in the Perfume Room this week!

Bookmark this episode; you'll want to come back to it!

Why are you attracted to the way certain people smell and what role does scent really play in attraction? Is your partner's perfume hiding potential red flags?! What can you to improve your sense of smell (especially after smell loss), and how can you use smell to make healthier food choices? Plus, is climate change messing up our noses? AND SO MUCH MORE!!!!

What do Tom Ford Ombre Leather, Narciso Rodriguez Pure Musc, Valentino Donna, Jimmy Choo I Want Choo, and Jean Paul Gaultier La Belle all have in common? All were created by multi-award-winning Givaudan Senior Perfumer Sonia Constant.

In addition to her illustrious client repertoire, Sonia is the creator of her own brand, Ella K—a brand that inspired by bold women that chronicles Sonia's personal adventures and travels.

FRAGS MENTIONED:

Ella K Myrrhe K, Tom Ford Ombre Leather, Narciso Rodriguez: Musc Noir, Pure Musc; Ella K Musc K, Narciso Rodriguez Pure Musc Blanc, Liquides Imaginaires Dom Rosa, Ella K: Ambre K, Orchid K; Marc Jacobs Daisy Wild, Guerlain Agua Allegoria Tiare Mimosa, Ella K: Ghibli, Reflet Sur L'Okavagno;  Daisy Wild, Jimmy Choo I want Choo, Ella K Memoire de Daisen In, Allons Voir, Van Cleef First Premier Bouquet, Valentino Donna, Dom Rosa, Mugler Angel Nova, Ella K: Ghibli, Camelia K; Ombre Leather, Pure Musc, Dom Rosa, Myrrhe K

PERFUME ROOM CANON ALERT!

Givaudan Master Perfumer Calice Becker is shaping the future of perfumery at every level.

Not only have her iconic creations like Tommy Girl, J'Adore Dior, Love Don't Be Shy, and Velvet Orchid (to name just a few) come to define entire decades of perfume, but she also serves as the Director of the Givaudan Perfumery School, handpicking the next generation of perfumers and training them through an entirely new method—one she developed herself.

As President of the ISPC, Calice also spearheaded the creation of a formal charter and accreditation system to standardize what it takes to call oneself a Perfumer-Creator™.

FRAGS MENTIONED:

Serge Lutens La Myrrhe, Marc Jacobs Lola, Tommy Hilfiger Tommy Girl, J’Adore Dior, Estée Lauder Pleasures, Mugler Angel, Tommy Girl, Essential Parfums The Musc, Kilian Love Don't Be Shy, Lola, Arquiste Almond Suede, Balmain: Monsieur Balmain, Vent Vert; Robert Piguet Bandit, Fracas; MFK Baccarat Rouge 540, Chanel No. 19, Tom Ford Black Orchid, Narciso Rodriguez Essence, Love Don't Be Shy

SOTD: Les Cocottes de Paris Melle Cleo

In just one year since launch, Param Sara, a new niche Indian perfume brand on the scene, has already won numerous prestigious accolades. And it all began when Founder Ankita Gill noticed a common theme in perfumery: non-Indian and non-Asian brands were telling Indian and Asian stories.

Determined to reclaim and retell these stories through her own memories and experiences, Ankita pivoted careers, signed up for perfumery school, and just a few years later leads an award-winning perfume brand with fragrances created by some of the world's best (and she calls it, 'culturally-fluid') perfumers.

FOLLOW: @paramsaraofficial

FRAGS MENTIONED:

Param Sara The Mandala, Davidoff Coolwater, JK Helene Curtis Park Avenue, Param Sara: The Kama, The Nirvana, The Bodhi, The Naga, The Nagi

A Part-Time Assistant Professor at The New School, FIT, and Marymount Manhattan whose work centers on French food and identity, perfume, and (French) language instruction, as well as an instructor at the Fragrance Alliance, Daisy Bow interrogates fragrance from a critical, cultural, and academic lens.

Today we discuss the colonial roots behind gourmands, the case for the 'basic bitch' perfume, why reformulations are your friends, defining 'sexy' scents, and the notion of cultural appropriation in the age of globalization and transculturation.

FRAGS MENTIONED:

Celine: Dans Paris, Saint Germain des Pres;  Matiere Premiere Parisian Musc, ELOREA Bae Frais, Caron, Gap Dream, CK be, Dior Dune, Chanel No. 5, Debbie Gibson Electric Youth, Mugler: Angel, Alien; EM Molecule 01, Marc Jacobs EDP, Michael Kors, Frederic Malle Outrageous, d’Annam Pho Breakfast, ELOREA, J Scent, Arquiste, Ella K, BBW Warm Vanilla Sugar, Demeter: Jelly Donut, Baby Powder; Pure Instinct, Frederic Malle Saint des Saints

FOLLOW DAISY: @je_suis_daisyb

All perfumes go to heaven.

Heaven = the Fragrance Vault in Lake Tahoe.

Perfumes sold in Ace Hardware AND LuckyScent?? Get you a perfumer who can do both.

That's George Tedder: an IFF perfumer who specializes in home care. If you've ever wondered who's really scenting your toilet bowl cleaner (and how!), this one's for you.

Comedian, writer, and Accidental PerfumeTok King™ Brian Park is in the Perfume Room today! You likely know him from his viral TikTok series where he satirizes 'taste bros' who use consumerism in lieu of developing a personality.

Vids of his like 'POV: you're on a date with a guy who has Aesop soap in his bathroom' have garnered millions of views and have platformed him to an entirely unexpected corner of the Internet - PerfumeTok.

Today we chat about the persona, who inspired it, what he's actually wearing off screen, and the woes and joys that come with the territory of being deeply entrenched in an Internet niche.

FOLLOW BRIAN: @itsbrianpark @middlebrowpod

[PERFUME ROOM - RE-SPRITZ - original air date 5/14/24] Today’s episode is a masterclass! Fragrance legend, author, historian, taxonomist and Perfume Room fan-favorite Michael Edwards is back (!!), this time to chat about his newest book, “American Legends: The Evolution of American Fragrances.”

What makes a perfume *American* in style and who are the quintessential American perfumes? What makes them legendary? What did they inspire? What does the future of perfumery look like? All that & more in this week's ep!

SOTD: Quartana Beaut'Air

FRAGS MENTIONED:

Dior: Diorella, Eau Sauvage; Halston, Jovan Musk, CK One, Antonia’s Flowers, Elizabeth Taylor Passion, Revlon: Charlie, That Man; Estee Lauder Estee, Beautiful; Hermes Caleche, Rochas Madame Rochas, Dior Dioressence, Rochas Femme, Dior Diorella, Ralph Lauren Lauren, Guy Laroche Fidji, Norell, CK Obsession, Estee Lauder Youth Dew, Dior Poison, YSL Opium, Tuvache Jungle Gardenia, Coty Vanilla Fields, Jovan Musk, Youth Dew, Norell, Estee, Annick Goutal, L’Artisan Parfumeur, Beautiful, Diorella, Evyan White Shoulders, Robert Piguet Fracas, 4711, Roger & Gallet Jean Marie Farina Eau de Cologne, Guerlain Eau de Cologne Imperiale, Dior Eau Sauvage, Jo Malone Lime Basil & Mandarin, Elizabeth Arden Blue Grass, Old Spice, White Shoulders, Youth Dew, Carven (mistifier), Brut, Rochas Moustache, Caron Pour un Homme,  Aramis, Estee, Norell, Jovan Musk, Charlie, Halston, Giorgio, Beautiful, Passion, Ck One, Chanel No. 5, Le Labo Santal 33, Baccarat Rouge 540, CK Eternity

LISTEN TO MICHAEL’S FIRST EPISODE (ep. 76)

ORDER AMERICAN LEGENDS: https://www.fragrancesoftheworld.com/AmericanLegends

*****

Thank you to our sponsor: Commodity!

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Audrey Robinovitz is a fragrance writer, critic, Diptyque shop girl, and honestly, a perfume obsessive who matches my freak.

Today we chat about everything from the difference between Olivier Pescheux's Diptyque and Olivia Giacobetti's, to the role scent plays in various religions, to our collective breaking point with fantasy accords (and so much more)! ENJOY.

FOLLOW AUDREY: @foldyrhands

SUBSTACK: eatyourlipstick.substack.com

FRAGS MENTIONED:

Maison Margiela Lipstick On, Guerlain Insolence, L’Artisan Passage D’Enfer, Rundholz Feb 14 1912, Parfum Prissana Ma Nishtana, Dior Poison, Le Labo Santal 33, Glossier You, Diptyque Fleur de Peau, Essential Faith, Nemat Amber, Guerlain L’Heure Bleue, Mugler Angel, Diptyque: Orpheon EDP, Benjoin Boheme, Fleur de Peau, Vetyverio, Tempo, Philosykos; Frederic Malle En Passant, L’Artisan: Tea for Two, Premier Figuier; Dior Diorissimo, PHLUR Father Figure, Clue Perfumery Dandelion Butter, D.S. & Durga Debaser, Diptyque: Orpheon EDT, Kyoto, Philosykos EDT, Volutes, Chergui, L’Eau Trois; Clue Perfumery With a Candlestick, Comme des Garcons 2011, Penhaligon’s Endymion, Le Labo Santal 33, Jorum Studio: Firewater, Pony Boy, Gorseland; IUNX Talc

******

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Launched in 2024, BRUME ORPIN is a niche fragrance brand putting sustainability at the forefront of EVERYTHING they create. Every aspect of the perfume, from the outermost packaging down the juice has been painstakingly designed to be biodegradable—to the point that the BRUME ORPIN has restricted its palette to just 50 materials. Yes, only 50.

It's a perfect example of of creativity born from boundary. Today, Founder Tiphaine Cogez-Cousseau shares that story.

FRAGS MENTIONED:

BRUME ORPIN: Odenui Extrait, Odenui, Oratoa, Dara, Theor, Leau; Balmain Ambre Gris, Guerlain Jardins de Bagatelle; BRUME ORPIN Odosman, Villa Odosman, Oratoa 

******

Thank you to our sponsor: Commodity!

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HAPPY 200 TO US! Almost one whole year later, enjoy this truncated live recording of the magic that is: SMELLS LIKE LOVE ~ the only dating show where the nose does the picking!

With special presentation by dsm-firmenich's Justin Welch.

MY TOP 20 FAVE LAUNCHES/DISCOVERIES OF 2025!!!

with highly requested/repeat award show co-host: my mom, Karen!

(Most of these shouldn't surprise you because I have been talking about them all year.)

In 2018, Sy Truong began studying (and teaching himself) perfumery. Six years later, he's the recipient of an Art & Olfaction Award, the founder and perfumer behind the internationally-celebrated brand Sylhouette Parfums, the perfumer of record for TOOUCH perfumes, and is shaping the emerging landscape of Vietnamese niche perfumery.

Today, we chat about the perfume book that changed his entire life, his quest to embody his art, his self-image and how it shapes his style and aesthetic, and Sy shares the driving force behind all he does (in my words, not his) that we could all do a bit more of in 2026: ~LET UR HATERS BE UR MOTIVATORS!~

MARLOU perfumes smell like LIFE—aromas of existence shared across human, fauna, and flora. They’re Dirty. They’re Clean. They’re tender. They’re coarse. And it’s this very proximity to reality that draws its critics and fans alike. 

Founder Briac Frocrain welcomes all reactions and through his perfumes, invites and challenges us to reflect—what do we [humans] smell like? Is that dirty? Is ‘dirty’ bad? What is the function of perfume? What do we consider beautiful? And WHY. WHY. WHY.

SOTD: El Morocco Highball for Lucius B.

FRAGS MENTIONED:

Marlou: Carnicure, Ambilux, Heliodose, Doliphor, Poudrextase

A look back on 2025 and a look ahead at 2026.

Which of my 2025 predictions came true ;) ;) ;) and what's coming in the new year? My thoughts with RECEIPTS, PROOF, TIMELINE, SCREENSHOTS [notes, accords, categories, concepts.]

FRAGS MENTIONED:

Param Sara The Mandala, Biche, Artemis, lil luv dog, Beastie, Welltayl, Odette Parfums Pas de Chat, Redoux Silver Lining, Nostos Calico, Demeter Kitten Fur, Papillon Bengale Rouge, D'Annam Mooncake, The Maker Dream, DedCool Mochi Milk, Clue Dandelion Butter, The Nue Co. First Milk, Melanie Martinez Portals Womb, Villa Erbatium Bambini Soap, Shalimar L’Essence, Coty Ambre Antique, Spoturno 1921, Chanel: No. 5, No 5 L'Eau, No. 5 Eau Premiere; Jouissance Le Bague D’O, Arquiste, Jorum Studios, Strangers Parfumerie

Spoturno is an haute perfume house bridging and blurring the lines between legacy and modernity. And it makes sense. Founder Véronique Spoturno is the great-granddaughter of François Spoturno (dit Coty), who's widely credited as ‘the father of modern perfumery.’ Véronique drops by the Perfume Room to talk family legacy, the vision behind the brand, and the debut collection created with Christopher Sheldrake (who is the sole perfumer for the entire brand).

RSVP TO HOT TAKES LIVE: (pw: hotmic)

Christopher Sheldrake is the nose behind numerous fragrances other perfumers only wish they had created: Feminité du Bois, Ambre Sultan, Chergui, etc. His style is at once deeply technical, classical, and avant-garde.

Today, we chat about his prolific career, the creations he considers part of his personal canon, his unfiltered thoughts on the current state of niche, and Christopher shares the never-before-heard stories behind some of his greatest works.

RSVP TO HOT TAKES LIVE: (pw: hotmic)

Cammy (of @cammyreviews) is a PerfumeTok darling with impeccable taste and niche recommendations to scratch your every fragrant itch.  But her curation doesn't stop there. She’s as devoted to perfume as she is to gummy candy — equally discerning in both. So today, naturally, we smell perfume and eat candy!!

Manuel Mathieu is a Haitian multidisciplinary artist known worldwide for his emotionally-charged, indefinite-form paintings, drawings, ceramics, and installations. His work is held in major collections, and just last year, he was named a Companion of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres du Québec.

Three years ago, during a residency in Paris, Mathieu turned to a new medium: scent. What began as curiosity has grown into an eponymous fragrance line (Manuel Mathieu Parfums), which Manuel created alongside IFF VP perfumer Juliette Karagueuzoglou. Like his art, Manuel's perfumes evoke the intricate, layered depths of human existence.

Wait wait, Gap Dream was inspired by what? The initial concept for the collection began as... soaps? All this, and so many more amazing insider stories on the making of THE ICONIC 90s GAP SCENTS (Dream, Heaven, Om & Grass), with the visionary behind it all: Creative Exec and Entrepreneur, Gary McNatton!

FRAGS MENTIONED:

Diptyque Lazulio (SOTD), Jorum Studio Pony Boy, Diptyque Corail Oscuro, Chris Collins African Rooibos, Heath London, Creed Aventus, CdG 2 Man, Gap Dream, The Body Shop Rain, Van Cleef First, Molton Brown, Antonia’s Flowers, Giorgio, Dior Poison, YSL Opium, Gap: Om, Dream; Antonia’s Flowers, Hudson Grace Original

Olivier Cresp, DSM-Firmenich Master Perfumer, Founder of Akro by Oliver Cresp, and literal inventor of the gourmand (!) is BACK in the Perfume Room! (AN HONOR!)

Today, he reflects on his oeuvre including his signature, palette, and unique approach to perfumery. We discuss how new advances in technology will impact past and future creations, AI and its role in perfumery, how his creative approach differs for his own brand versus client work, and of course we discuss the newest Akro launch: Crush!

PSA: You Don’t Have to Go to France to Study Fragrance!!In fact, there’s an educational, state-of-the-art fragrance lab right in NYC—at FIT, home to the country’s only collegiate Cosmetics & Fragrance Marketing program. Today’s guest, Virginia Bonofiglio, is the Associate Chairperson (and professor) leading it all.

Having held roles in just about every position in this industry over the span of her forty-plus year-long fragrance career (with many accolades and awards along the way), Virginia brings a rare real-world perspective to her classroom.

Today we chat about her own serendipitous path to perfumery, she shares what students learn in the program, the wide range of careers in fragrance, and how you, yes you, can find your perfect path in this industry.

FRAGS MENTIONED:

Ex Nihilo Santal Calling, Escentric Molecules Molecule 04, Hermes Terre d'Hermes, DS & Durga IDK What, The Maker Lover, Elorea Gentle Shower, Bulgari Eau Thé Vert, Paco Rabanne Calandre, Coco Madamoiselle, Cabochard, Miss Dior, Joy Jean Patou, Giorgio, Boucheron, Bijan Bijan, Baccarat Rouge

Award-winning independent perfumer, multidisciplinary artist, teacher, and Perfume Papa Michael Nordstrand is in the Perfume Room this week.

Today, we discuss the 3 perfumes he thinks everyone should smell, his favorite perfumer, finding peace and harmony with malodorous materials, fragrance concentration and other lies we tell ourselves, learning and then teaching the craft of perfumery, his burgeoning brand [Mythologist] and GOING METHOD.

Givaudan VP Perfumer Rodrigo Flores-Roux generously returns to the Perfume Room to offer a definitive roadmap to the past, present, and future of perfume. Bookmark this ep. You'll come back to it.

Rodrigo is a fragrance genealogist of sorts, tracing your favorite perfumes’ parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. He offers a rare perfumer's POV on the current landscape: What’s trending? Why? What even qualifies as a trend? Should we care? And what's happening in the world today that will shape how fragrance smells tomorrow?

Cécile Zarokian is one of the greatest independent perfumers of all time, but she wasn’t always independent, and she hadn’t always planned on becoming a perfumer, either.

Today, she’s in the Perfume Room sharing how she’s redefined the rules of the game, turned her greatest challenges into strengths, and found the CZP edge—her proverbial captive if you will—that helps her compete with (and win against) the industry’s biggest players.

FRAGS MENTIONED:

Yves Rocher, Lancome Magie Noir, Acqua di Parma, Chloe, Amouage Epic Woman, Granado Bossa, Electimuss Vanilla Edesia, Amouage Attar collection, Nishani Ani

SOTD: St. Rose Juliet in White

IMAGINE THIS: You're a partner at one of the world's top law firms. It's what you've worked towards your entire career. Would you walk away from it all for the chance to chase your true creative calling? Craig Andrade, founder of Aussie niche fragrance brand, The Raconteur, did. This is his story.

The Alloy Studio is an experimental, Black, queer-owned fragrance brand blending glamour with grit. Created by romantic and business partners Bryson Ammons (the perfumer) and Eddie Hodges (the creative director), their fragrances dare and delight with notes like pineapple popsicle, sativa, and 'trashy perfume.'

This week, we get the inside scoop on the brand's silver/gold aesthetic, Bryson’s independent but community-rooted path to perfumery, and some ACTUAL piping-hot takes.

A lot can happen in a year. Since opening its Williamsburg doors last summer, Stéle has added a second location, dropped 100(!) fragrances in a single day, and moonlights as Nolita's hottest millennial nightclub (stay tuned for pt. 2: the Pacha-to-Stéle Fri night pipeline).

Despite the (well-deserved) buzz, founders Jake Levy and Matt Belanger remain steadfast in their commitment to artisanal, small-batch, offbeat scents.

So how did they do it? What makes a Stéle scent? What were the roses and thorns on the way to the top? And most importantly, what's next? All ahead in this week's ep!

PLUS: A CAN’T-MISS, JUICY ANNOUNCEMENT THAT HAS BEEN A REALLY HARD SECRET TO KEEP!!! (more details coming later this week!!!)

My perfume hot takes, a catch-up with Principal Perfumer Sabine de Tscharner about her newest creation for Laundry Sauce, Mojave Peach, and your hotline Qs answered, ALL IN ONE EP!

Two perfumeheads walk into a bar and...

Liz Renstrom—Perfume Room regular, photographer of our generation, and the genius behind @basenote_bitch (the ultimate fragrance nostalgia account)—dropped by my apartment last week with some shiny new gems in her collection and then naturally, raided my (newly organized!) perfume wardrobe. Be a fly on the wall for our chaotic good nez-à-nez.

FOLLOW: @basenote_bitch @elizabethrenstrom

FRAGS MENTIONED:

Oriza L. Legrand: Relique D’Amour, Reve D’Ossian; Serge Lutens Santal Majascule, Xinu Copala, Diptyque Benjoin Boheme, Aedes Copal Azur, Xinu: FlordeMusgo (hand cream), Monstera; Costa Brazil Kaya Jungle Firming Oil, SOMA Ayurvedic Jasmine Oil, Olo Dark Wave, Atelier des Ors Lune Feline, Commodity Orris, Thom Browne Vetyver & Brut, Society de la Rossi (wine), L'Entropiste Jodhpur 6AM, Officine Universelle Buly Patate Douce des Caraïbes et Carotte d’Afghanistan, Granado Violeta, The Perfumer's Story Sequoia Wood, Le Pere, Lancome LVEB L’Elixir, St. Rose Juliet in White, Le Pere, Jovoy Psychedelique, Profumum Patchouly, Oriza L. Legrand Horizon, Mad et Len: Graphite, Humus; Perfumer H: Ink, Moss; Tsu Lange Yor Sala, L'Entropiste Jodhpur 6AM, Jovoy Remember Me, Guerlain Angelique Noire, Officine Universelle Buly Patate Douce des Caraïbes et Carotte d’Afghanistan, Granado Violeta, Firmamento Sileno Cheloni, Diptyque: Orpheon, L’Ombre Dans L'Eau, Baies; Ex Nihilo Spiky Muse, Astier des Villages Mantes La Jolie, Cire Trudon Abd El Kader, Fischersund 101, Glossier You, Glossier Doux, L’Artisan: Musc Amarante, Vetiver Ecarlate, L’Abysssae, Tea for Two

In December 2022, Christina Basias-Androulakis (a PhD in digital education) filmed and posted a Tiktok of her wife Alexis Androulakis (a beauty product developer) in Sephora, evaluating the new Make Up By Mario Skin Foundation.

That video went viral, and @thelipsticklesbians were off.

1.7M followers later, today the duo continues to challenge and shape the way consumers, influencers, marketers, and chemists alike think, talk, and know about beauty.

That's the @thelipsticklesbians origin tale...Did you know that Christina and Alexis's begins with fragrance??!

Today's ep is full of personal stories, beauty insights and advice, the full scoop on their new beauty evaluation course, LLAB, and some important life lessons along the way!

A 150-year-old beauty brand with over 1,000 SKUs, Granado might be new to US market, but in Brazil, it's a household name. This week, I chat with CMO Sissi Freeman about the brand’s uniquely Brazilian identity, its recent global fragrance boom, what it’s like running this legacy brand in lock step with her father (CEO Christopher Freeman), and the smells most special to Brazilians.

SOTD: The Body Shop Full Iris

FRAGS MENTIONED:

Granado: Iris, Esplendor, Nostalgia, Oasis, Oud, Carioca, Epoque Tropical, Bossa, Citrus Brasilis; CKOne, Carolina Herrera 212, Issey Miyake, LeLi Scents, Granado: Gardenia, Magnolia, Suzette, Folha Imperial, Folha de Laranjeira, Limão Taiti & Neroli; Robert Piguet Fracas, Dior Poison

Did you know that almost all Mysore sandalwood used in perfumery today is actually grown in Australia? Or that Australia has its own native sandalwood species—one that smells completely different from its creamy Indian counterpart? Goldfield & Banks Founder Dimitri Weber did. This is why he built a luxury fragrance brand entirely dedicated to showcasing Australia's rich native botanicals. Today I chat with the French-Belgian founder all about his love affair with Australian botanicals, his role in shaping the identity of modern Australian perfumery, and of course, the flora, fruits, and fragrances that pulled him...down undaaaa.

Meet the duo behind the narrative-driven candle and fragrance brand, Nomad Noé! As life and business partners, Corentin Hamon and Arash Yomtobian open up about how their cross-continental paths (and a Tinder Super Like ;)) brought them together, how they craft smells inspired by people and places across time, finding their niche within 'niche', and how they preserve scent memories and traditions of "home" both on the move and in diaspora.

FRAGS MENTIONED:

Nomad Noé Moonwake Tuberose, Robert Piguet Fracas, Frederic Malle Carnal Flower, Michael Kors EDP, Nomad Noé: Untamed Neroli, Elysian Rose, Penhaligon’s Sartorial, Nomad Noé Prophetic Saffron, Penhaligon’s Halfeti, Nomad Noé DREAMER in London, L’Artisan Seville A L’Aube, Nomad Noé: VISIONARY in Esfahan, POET in Hangzhou, L’eau Kenzo

*RE-AIR (recorded almost 3 years ago to the date!)*

World-renowned, award-winning Master Perfumer Alberto Morillas is in the Perfume Room! Alberto is the visionary (and nose) behind blockbuster fragrances you know and love like Estee Lauder Pleasures, Gucci Bloom, CK One, Versace Bright Crystal, Kenzo Flower, Lancome Miracle, Thierry Mugler Cologne, Marc Jacobs Daisy and Armani Acqua Di Gio… and there are hundreds more where that came from!

In this episode, we talk mostly about his own personal pride and joy-- his candle and fine fragrance parfum d’excellence: Mizensir. We discuss how and where he sources inspiration, his creative process, what it’s like being in business with his family, his muses, the art and science of perfumery, and of course, Mizensir's newest launches: Vert Empire and Ambre Magique.

FRAGS MENTIONED:

Mizensir: Luxury, Vert Empire, Très Chère, Little Bianca, Ambre Magique; Kismet Olfactive: Tuberose Tantra, Nymphea, Wedding in Oaxaca, Nostalgia, Studio Scent; Mizensir Verveine Menthe, Mizensir White Rose, Cartier Must II Cartier, Rochas Byzance, Courrèges FH 77, Mizensir Ambre Magique, Estee Lauder pleasures, CK One, Marc Jacobs Daisy

FOLLOW ALBERTO: @morillas.alberto

FOLLOW MIZENSIR: @mizensirparfums

10% OFF MIZENSIR WITH CODE ’PERFUMEROOM10’ : https://twistedlily.com/collections/mizensir

A *FASHIONABLY* late best-of 2024 ep. A SMELL-ALONG OF 25 PERFUMES I LOVED MOST IN 2024 INCLUDING:

• my fav affordable discoveries
• my fav (not new) discoveries
• my fav 2024 launches

Plus, enjoy...my motha!!

Perfume & Pain author Anna Dorn is in the Perfume Room this week (and 2nd*** author - oops)! How did Anna weave perfume into both plot and character development of the story? What perfumes is she wearing IRL? Why does each character smell like they do? All this and more ahead in today's ep :)

HAPPY FRAGRANCE WEEK! Enjoy a catch-up with past guest, Vicken Arslanian. As CEO of three flourishing fragrance companies—Europerfumes (the leading US niche perfume distributor), Twisted Lily, and Commodity—Vicken is, bar none, one of the most interesting, successful, and busiest(!) leaders in the industry.

Today, he's back with brand-new pipin' hot takes, personal family stories, and of course, the news we've been waiting on for three years to hear: COMMODITY ORRIS IS BACK (for now).

NOW-APR 8, buy Commodity Orris: