Power, Perception & the Future of Niche

Hello, Fragrant Friend 👋,

This week I found myself thinking about gatekeepers. I was approached by a growing number of perfume content creators. Alongside retailers, they have become some of the most powerful gatekeepers in our industry. What struck me is the range. Some think in terms of long-term value and cultural contribution. Others frame it as a simple exchange: send a bottle, receive a review. I am beginning to understand that reach alone is not value. If the net effect is not positive for perfumery as a field, it is not an exchange I am willing to make.

🗓️ Contents of this Issue

1. Note Worthy: Ingredient Insights, Niche Anniversary, Smell Test Revolution
2. Niche Newcomers: Molecule 01 Champaca, Egocentrique, Eau d’Éclat
3. Quiz: What does black mean in perfumery?
4. Scent MythBusters: Does educating customers about perfumery matter?

Note-Worthy 🔎🌸

#INGREDIENTINSIGHTS: A recent e-book chapter by master perfumer Christophe Laudamiel reminds us that perfumery has always been a conversation between chemistry, art and ethics. Labels such as natural, clean or free from are frequently used without context, creating myths and mistrust. Laudamiel argues that transparency and education are essential: consumers deserve to understand why certain molecules are used and why others are restricted.

#NICHEANNIVERSARY: On LinkedIn, industry veteran Nathalie Pichard marked fifty shades of niche by reflecting on five decades of independent perfumery. She notes that many young brands have matured, but only those that stay true to their creators’ DNA endure. Commercial success inevitably brings the risk of dilution; the challenge is to grow without losing conviction.

#SMELLTESTREVOLUTION: Blueme’s Smell Test is a simple kit with serious intent. The project highlights research showing how smell loss can foreshadow neurodegenerative diseases. By inviting people to assess their own olfactory acuity and contribute data, it reframes scent from a luxury into a vital sense linked to memory and wellbeing.

Niche Newcomers 🎨 🌟

Molecule 01 Champaca — One note, many faces. The latest Molecule entry marries Iso E Super to a natural extract of champaca, a magnolia relative with a tea-like sweetness. On skin it reads as an illusion: a sheer, woody aura unfurls, with hints of green tea and ripe fruit. Perfumer: Geza Schoen. Notes: Iso E Super, champaca absolute, green tea nuances, soft woods.

Egocentrique — Inner dialogue in scent. Coreterno’s Egocentrique opens with bright citrus — bergamot, green mandarin and yuzu — followed by a woody floral heart with Akigalawood; labdanum and vanilla create warmth without sweetness. Notes: citrus, bergamot, green mandarin, yuzu, Akigalawood, amyris, heliotrope, labdanum, vanilla, musk.

Eau d’Éclat — New light from an old house. Gravel has been crafting perfumes since 1957. Eau d’Éclat continues the Transcendence Collection by Mark Buxton with a juicy top of davana, freesia, pomegranate and blackcurrant blossom, a floral heart and a base of amber, patchouli, sandalwood, vanilla and incense. Perfumer: Mark Buxton.

A brief disclosure

Scently Speaking runs without ads and without paid placements. It exists because New Niche exists. New Niche is the fragrance publishing house we’re building in parallel. Obtaining one of its perfumes is not merchandise. It’s how this work stays independent.

Quiz 🎲

What does “black” mean in perfumery?
• The fragrance contains ingredients literally black in colour
• The raw materials were extracted using a “black” method such as pyrolysis
• The perfumer intends to evoke darkness, depth or mystery
• The fragrance includes blackcurrant or other “black” fruits

Scent MythBusters 🎭️

“Educating customers about perfumery does not make sense.”
Myth of the week

A recent LinkedIn post from an ex-IFF professional suggested that educating consumers about perfumery is pointless because the sector is dominated by a handful of conglomerates. Once a niche brand is acquired, formulas are optimised and marketing takes over. If this is so, why bother teaching anyone about accords, raw materials or the history of scent?

TL;DR

Education may not stop acquisitions, but it changes the conversation. It enables consumers to ask better questions, challenges superficial marketing and creates space for independent voices. Perfumery is more than a product category; it is culture shaped by knowledge.

Misconception

The argument assumes perfume is a uniform commodity controlled by a few corporations, and that consumers are passive. It confuses marketing education — the simplified diagram on a shop counter — with critical education that examines materials, regulation, sourcing and authorship. The two are not the same.

Contextual reality

Understanding how raw materials are produced, how formulas are structured and how regulatory limits function alters perception. It does not eliminate scale or prevent acquisition. But it shifts the balance of power slightly back towards the informed consumer. Mystery remains part of perfumery; obfuscation does not need to be.

Final judgment

Knowledge rarely overturns systems overnight, but it changes expectations gradually. When consumers understand composition, sourcing and regulation, marketing shorthand loses force. Education matters — but only when it moves beyond the simplified chart on the sales floor and into structural understanding.