The Rise Of Fragrance Clubs

Hello, Fragrant Friend 👋,

This week I learned that retail is not universal. In Germany, niche perfumery often follows a clear separation — independent stores stay pure, major brands stay outside. I assumed this logic applied everywhere. Looking at Italy changed that. There, the mix is intentional: prestige and niche sit side by side without tension. What feels diluted in one market feels curated in another. There is no single formula for legitimacy.

🗓️ Contents of this Issue

1. Note Worthy: Perfume Clubs and Urban Loneliness, Discount Drama and Dupe Wars, Amouage’s Record Year
2. Niche Newcomers: Tonka Kumaru, 13.2 Métarosme, Koala Joey Edition
3. Quiz: How Do You Decide on a Perfume?
4. Scent MythBusters: The Myth of Fantasy Accords

Note-Worthy 🔎🌸

#PERFUMECLUBS: From loneliness to community. In Lisbon, New York and London perfume clubs are multiplying, responding to a documented rise in loneliness among younger adults. At the Lisbon Perfume Club, Miguel Matos and Olle Eriksson share stories and pass blotters, turning fragrance into a social glue. These gatherings encourage swapping rather than buying and show that perfume can be collective rather than solitary.

#DISCOUNTDRAMA: Unprecedented discounts are eroding trust in niche perfumery. Grey-market retailers slash prices by more than sixty per cent, undermining the value of creative work. Prestige fragrances grew by five per cent in 2025 while mass scents climbed fifteen per cent. Germany’s VKE responded with #IAmNotACopy to defend originality. New EU rules mandating recyclable packaging by 2030 mean heavy caps and ornate glass may soon be history.

#AMOUAGERESULTS: Amouage delivered the strongest results in its 42-year history in 2025: sales grew 66% to US$430 million. The Exceptional Extraits collection tripled its share and now represents over a quarter of sales. Expansion included 16 new boutiques and travel-retail revenue up 94%. Hand bottling in Muscat and sustainable harvesting in Wadi Dawkah underpin the growth.

Niche Newcomers 🎨 🌟

Tonka Kumaru — Transparent Warmth. A bright opening of bergamot and cardamom meets the dry bitterness of kumaru; grain and hay create texture rather than sweetness, and the base settles into roasted tonka, vanilla and soft amber. Comfort without excess. Perfumer: Céline Bourdoncle Perdriel.

13.2 Métarosme — Mineral Rose Meteor. Pierre Guillaume stages transformation rather than bloom. Obsidial® and Grisalva create a mineral, almost geological surface; the rose reads as dust suspended in stone. Less flower than matter. Perfumer: Pierre Guillaume. Notes: Obsidial®, Grisalva, rose, sequoia/redwood.

Koala Joey Edition — Eucalyptus Bliss. Eucalyptus, basil and grapefruit introduce lift; mint, mimosa and geranium soften the heart; musk and Australian sandalwood create warmth beneath the foliage. Invigorating yet gentle. Perfumer: George Tedder.

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 🎲

How do you make your perfume decisions?
• Blind buy / recommendations from trusted people
• Smelling in store with advice
• Smelling it on someone else
• Targeted research & offline purchase

Scent MythBusters 🎭️

“Fantasy accords are just marketing hype.”
Myth of the week

The term “fantasy accord” suggests fiction, leading many to assume these notes are gimmicks rather than scents.

TL;DR

Fantasy accords are deliberate constructions that allow perfumers to represent scents that cannot be extracted from nature — lily-of-the-valley, amber, poppy or petrichor. They are fundamental to modern perfumery.

The misconception

Consumers often believe every note listed corresponds to a natural ingredient. As a result, fantasy accords are dismissed as tricks or evidence of lower quality instead of being recognised as creative solutions.

Analysis & structure

A fantasy accord is an imagined olfactory idea built from a mix of natural and synthetic materials. Amber illustrates this: the warm, sweet note comes not from fossil resin but from labdanum, benzoin and vanillin. Petrichor — the smell of rain — is recreated using ozonic and earthy molecules. Fantasy accords expand the palette beyond what nature provides and let perfumers express abstract ideas like “wet stone” or “cosmic rose”.

Historical examples

Fantasy accords have been part of perfumery for more than a century. L’Origan by Coty (1905) featured an imagined carnation; Guerlain’s Mitsouko (1919) invented a non-existent fruit accord. Alberto Morillas created a poppy accord for Kenzo Flower. These show fantasy accords are not deception but vital components of the craft.

Verdict

The belief that fantasy accords are mere marketing tricks ignores the artistry behind them. Far from undermining authenticity, they demonstrate that perfumery blends material and imagination.