London's Best-Kept Secret in Fragrance

Hello, Fragrant Friend 👋,

Did you know? NEZ magazine has a dedicated edition for niche perfumery called “NICHE” — you can order a free copy and only pay shipping.

🗓️ Contents of this Issue

1. Story: Building cultural bridges with Wasim Nouh (Damascent)
2. Industry Insights: The Small Quantities Dilemma
3. Fragrance picks: Jasmine and Exaltenone

Story: Wasim Nouh 🇸🇾 / 🇬🇧

An interview with Wasim Nouh, the creative nose behind Damascent, a London label bridging the “Jasmine City” (Damascus) and the British countryside. His childhood memories of Damascus mix sweet bakery scents, the spice market’s cinnamon, and jasmine — “the heartbeat of Damascus.”

It took six years to bring Barada to life. After tinkering, he took a perfumery course with John Stephen of Cotswold Perfumery. Barada (orange and peppermint; basil, patchouli, Jasmine de Demas; warm wood and sensual musk) captures London’s greenery and the Barada riverside in Damascus. A memorable turning point: five women in a Heathrow elevator asked about the fragrance he was wearing — and lit up when they learned it was his own.

Industry Insights: The Small Quantities Dilemma 🤏

Independent perfumers face significant cost challenges. Many fixed costs (ingredients, bottle, pump, packaging, certification) stay constant whether producing 100 or 1,000 units. Buying 5g of refined myrrh may cost €1,600/kg, but 50g drops to €682/kg — the steepest price drop occurs at small quantities, disproportionately impacting those producing only a few hundred bottles.

Fragrance Picks 🤌

Jasmine — natural, floral family, sweet and heady; high-priced; pairs with rose, ylang-ylang, sandalwood and amber (ref. Barada). Exaltenone (Firmenich) — synthetic, musk family, clean and creamy; pairs with violet, iris and woods.