Meet the First AI Perfume Brand

Hello, Fragrant Friend 👋,

On March 6th, more than 20 participants from the Scently Community joined a live kickoff where we introduced our first perfumer, Chester Gibs, and explored the theme of our debut fragrance: Reflection. Our reader Anna set up a Spotify Reflection Playlist to accompany Chester’s process. And our publishing house now has a name — it won’t be Scently Speaking, that much we can say.

For the next few weeks, Scently Speaking will land every two weeks instead of weekly, as our deep dive into building the publishing house demands more focus.

🗓️ Contents of this Issue

1. Note Worthy: Brazil’s boom, AI Brand, and Accessible Beauty
2. Strictly Independent: Mark Buxton — Freedom Collection
3. Quiz: Vulgar flower
4. Scent MythBusters: The first sniff tells you everything — or does it?

Note-Worthy 🔎🌸

#BRAZILSCENTWAVE: Brazil’s perfume scene is booming beyond tropical clichés. As the world’s second-largest market, niche brands and Middle Eastern-inspired scents are rising fast — syrupy vanilla, bright chypres and bold oud blends reshape local tastes, while Gen Z drives genderless trends.

#FIRSTAIBRAND: Osmo’s Generation is a data-driven scent revolution. Using Olfactory Intelligence, Osmo converts text and images into fragrance formulas, debuting with Glossine, Fractaline and Quasarine — led by Christophe Laudamiel and Florence Bagneris.

#ACCESSIBLEBEAUTY: Inclusivity in beauty is evolving beyond shade ranges — accessibility is the next frontier. With 70 million U.S. adults reporting a disability, brands like Tilt Beauty (adaptive packaging), Olive & June and Rare Beauty are responding. The 2025 SeeMe Inclusivity Index reveals 22% of beauty brands now consider disability, double 2023.

Strictly Independent 🎨 🌟 — Mark Buxton Freedom Collection

Mark Buxton’s Freedom Collection is a bold statement — uncompromising, boundary-breaking and deeply personal, designed by him and David Chieze. We experienced them at Esxence 2025 and were struck by their fearless originality. Scents: 6.

Mi Confesión — A Whisper in the Smoke. CO2 rum and saffron over honeyed davana, spiced tobacco and Bulgarian rose, deepened by labdanum, oud, sandalwood and amber. Perfumer: Mark Buxton.

I Want — The Desire Manifesto. A chypre reborn: blackcurrant and red berries, green apple and rhubarb, a floral heart of tuberose, jasmine and magnolia over patchouli, vetiver, cashmere woods and oud. Perfumer: Mark Buxton.

To Break — Shattered Expectations. Crisp green apple and bergamot with pineapple and clove, magnolia and iris, a storm of ambrette and ambergris grounded by sandalwood and cedar. Perfumer: Mark Buxton.

Free — The Incense Rebellion. A hymn to incense: cool bergamot and black pepper crashing into labdanum and benzoin, frankincense at its core softened by vanilla and patchouli. Perfumer: David Chieze.

Quiz 🎲

Which floral note has historically been perceived as “vulgar” due to its heady, indolic intensity?
Lilac · Narcissus · Tuberose · Jasmine Sambac

Scent MythBusters 🎭️

“The first sniff tells you everything.”
Myth of the week

TL;DR

That first intoxicating sniff might not be the full story. Top notes vanish within minutes, olfactory fatigue kicks in, and memories shape how we experience scent over time. A fragrance that once felt like a masterpiece can suddenly seem underwhelming, while a slow-burner might turn into an obsession.

Why first impressions mislead

Top notes are just the opening act — light citrus and herbs are gone within 20 minutes, leaving the heart and base. Your nose gets bored fast — olfactory adaptation filters out familiar scents. Scent = memory = emotion — the same perfume smells incredible on vacation and “meh” on a stressful Monday.

Why the myth persists

Fragrance shopping is fast-paced; retailers craft top notes to seduce you instantly. Impulse buys feel good until they don’t. We expect consistency, but scent isn’t static — heat, skin chemistry and mood all change how a fragrance wears.