The ChatGPT of perfumery!?

Hello, Fragrant Friend 👋,

Did you know? The scents you smell while sleeping can influence the emotional content of your dreams — pleasant smells like roses lead to more positive dreams.

🗓️ Contents of this Issue

1. Note Worthy: Fragrance 2.0, Pitti & Prada
2. Ask Me Anything: Staff perfumer dreams
3. Scent MythBusters: Complex formulas
4. Quiz: Location of the largest F&F house
5. Molecule Spotlight: Labdanum

Note-Worthy 🔎🌸

Osmo, backed by $60M from Google Ventures, launched Fragrance 2.0 — blending perfumery, chemistry and AI to create a sense of smell for computers, positioning them as the OpenAI of digital scent. Pitti Fragranze’s theme “The Sound of Fragrance” showcased Bronth’s pistachio scent and Laboratorio Olfattivo’s Oud in White. And Prada Beauty’s Paradoxe Virtual Flower Lab at NYFW offered an AI-generated floral world.

Ask Me Anything 🗣️ 👃

Which brand would you say yes to immediately? Chester Gibs: houses that name perfumers on bottles — Maison Rebatchi, Frédéric Malle, Essential Parfums, Annindriya. Marie-Pierre: non-perfume brands for art and human connection. Sy Truong: brands that match his DNA and respect perfumers.

What are you most envious of at big houses? Chester: “A big lab and tons of materials.” Postmodern Perfumer: lab assistants and access to captive molecules. Marie-Pierre: volume and supplier access. Claudia: exclusive raw materials and qualities. Sy: raw-material libraries and lab assistants.

Scent MythBusters 🎭️

“Long formulas mean complex scents.”
Myth of the week

TL;DR

The number of ingredients doesn’t inherently determine complexity or quality. True olfactory complexity comes from skilful blending, the quality of materials and the perfumer’s expertise. Both minimalist and complex formulas can achieve depth.

Quality over quantity

A classic fougère accord uses just three components — lavender, oakmoss and coumarin — to create multifaceted complexity. Adding more ingredients can muddle a composition. Molecule 01 (single Iso E Super) proves simplicity can be just as effective. Premium materials possess inherent complexity, and marketing often perpetuates the “longer is better” myth.

Molecule Spotlight: Labdanum

Labdanum is a rich, sticky resin from the Cistus ladanifer (rockrose), native to the Mediterranean. Warm, sweet and resinous with ambery, leathery, slightly smoky nuances. Historically collected from the fur of grazing goats; primary producers are Spain, Morocco, Portugal and Greece. It’s essential to amber accords and chypres. Iconic: Guerlain Mitsouko and Shalimar, Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan, Tauer L’Air du Desert Marocain, Tom Ford Noir de Noir.