Perfume ban threatens the EU?

Hello, Fragrant Friend 👋,

Did you know? When a fireplace isn’t within reach this holiday season, you can still smell like the campfires next door with Smoke Gets in Your Eyes.

🗓️ Contents of this Issue

1. Note Worthy: Perfume Ban, Hotel Smells and Scent Education
2. Strictly Independent: Maya Njie
3. Scent MythBusters: Fragrance notes and olfactory families
4. Quiz: Celebrity Tom Ford
5. Material Spotlight: Heliotrope

Note-Worthy 🔎🌸

#PERFUMEBAN: The EU’s push to classify natural ingredients like essential oils as “intentional chemical mixtures” threatens the future of perfumery. IFRA and advocates like Aurélie Perrichet have defended iconic materials like rose, bergamot and thyme — but misconceptions equating “hazard” with “risk” could still lead to bans on key ingredients like carvone.

#HOTELSMELL: Luxury hotels are embracing bespoke scents as identity — though in Arabic culture, signature fragrances have long been a hallmark of hospitality. Perfumers like Azzi Glasser create unique aromas for hotels, increasingly sold as candles or sprays.

#SCENTUCATION: Tony Moore is revolutionising fragrance education with FlavScents.com (a free collaborative database) and the YouTube series What’s That Smell?, decoding the chemistry behind everyday aromas.

Strictly Independent 🎨 🌟 — Maya Njie

A self-taught perfumer whose creations are inspired by her Swedish and Gambian heritage. From her East London studio, Maya blends visual storytelling and olfaction. Founded 2016. Scents: 9.

Nordic Cedar. Crisp cardamom into earthy patchouli and cedarwood, softened by musk and ambergris — the serenity of northern forests.

Tobak. Smoky tobacco leaf with cinnamon warmth, vetiver depth, and a musk-and-leather base — vintage tobacco shops.

Vanilj. Cardamom with creamy vanilla, smoky cedarwood and patchouli, and bourbon vanilla — Nordic pastries.

Scent MythBusters 🎭️

“Fragrance notes can always be assigned to a single olfactory family.”
Myth of the week

TL;DR

Fragrance notes are versatile and often transcend traditional olfactory families. Vanilla and bergamot can feature in multiple categories, while others like rose remain predominantly within a single family.

Versatile notes that cross boundaries

Vanilla: gourmand, woody (smoky/resinous) and oriental. Bergamot: citrus, aromatic and chypre. Lavender: aromatic (fougère), floral and even gourmand. By contrast, rose stays floral and sandalwood stays woody.

Material Spotlight: Heliotrope 🟣

Heliotrope gets its name from the Greek helios (sun) and tropos (turn). Sweet and powdery, reminiscent of vanilla, almond and a hint of cherry pie. Personality: romantic, nostalgic, comforting. Rich in piperonal (heliotropin), studied for its mood-enhancing effects. Notable: Guerlain Cuir Beluga, Frédéric Malle L’Eau d’Hiver, Tom Ford Vert d’Encens, Chanel Comète.