Funky Scents: From Bacon To Matcha

Hello, Fragrant Friend 👋,

Did you know? Wright Brand Bacon celebrated its 100th anniversary with a bacon-scented perfume — bergamot, patchouli, maple and applewood.

🗓️ Contents of this Issue

1. Note Worthy: Edible scents, Fragrance Innovation, Storytelling
2. Strictly Independent: Perfumer H
3. Scent MythBusters: Most used species = best smell?
4. Quiz: Unusual notes
5. Material Spotlight: Guaiac Wood

Note-Worthy 🔎🌸

#EDIBLESCENT: Edible-inspired fragrances are making waves — matcha searches grew 127% and watermelon 120% year-on-year (Vogue Business). Discovery sets gained traction, and Jean Paul Gaultier emerged as the top-searched brand.

#FRAGRANCEFUTURES: The Fragrance Innovation Summit 2024 in Paris explored market innovations in emerging regions like China and Africa, plus the role of AI and neuroscience in crafting next-generation olfactory experiences.

#SCENTSURPRISE: Cirque du Soleil and Esquire enter the perfume market. Esquire’s collaboration with Michael Malul channels editorial legacy with scents like Editor in Chief; Cirque du Soleil’s debut features buttered popcorn and freesia.

Strictly Independent 🎨 ✨ — Perfumer H

Founded by British perfumer Lyn Harris in 2015, offering fragrances designed to complement the individual without overwhelming. Each scent is housed in hand-blown glass by Michael Ruh. Based in London. Scents: 48.

Moss. A forest at dawn: bitter grapefruit and mandarin, pine needle and lavender, over patchouli, tree moss and vetiver.

Orange Leaf. Valencia orange zest with petitgrain and eau de brouts, basil and angelica seed, grounded by elemi and Virginia cedarwood.

Rain Wood. Damp wood after rainfall — galbanum and elemi, pepper and myrrh, a wet woody base of juniper, cedarwood and patchouli.

White Smoke. Roman chamomile, orris, geranium and cinnamon leaf over agarwood, patchouli, Turkish tobacco, sandalwood, benzoin, musk and vanilla.

Scent MythBusters 🎭️

“Perfumery uses only the best-smelling fragrant species from the natural world.”
Myth of the week

TL;DR

Perfumery doesn’t exclusively use the “best-smelling” species. It relies on a select few — Jasminum grandiflorum and sambac, Rosa damascena and centifolia — due to yield, economic viability and chemical composition. Many other species are overlooked due to practical limits in cultivation and extraction.

Case studies

Over 200 jasmine species exist, but perfumery uses mainly grandiflorum, sambac and auriculatum — for their indole/linalool/benzyl-acetate profile, high yield and easy cultivation. Of 150+ rose species, damascena and centifolia dominate for their citronellol and geraniol richness and reliable yield in Bulgaria and Grasse. Oud comes mainly from the now critically endangered Aquilaria malaccensis and crassna.

Material Spotlight: Guaiac Wood 🪵

Often called the “Tree of Life,” guaiac wood is so dense it doesn’t float. Earthy, warm and complex — woody with subtle smoke, tar and sweetness. Secret weapon: a natural fixative that adds a creamy, balsamic undertone and blends disparate notes. Native to Paraguay and Argentina (from Bulnesia sarmientoi), it is solid at room temperature due to its sesquiterpenes. Notable: Pierre Guillaume 20.1 Sorong, Lalique Encre Noire, Le Labo Gaiac 10, Comme des Garçons Wonderwood.