Latest news with #scent
Vogue
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Vogue
A Fragrance That Smells as Rich and Complex as a Max Richter Composition Sounds
Yulia Mahr: Sitting outside this process as Max was working on this perfume, I found it very beautiful that he included so many elements that were a really important part of, not only of his day-to-day life like the pencil smells, but also his whole profession and his childhood. What I love about the scent is that you can smell all that when you come to it. You can really pick up the notes of all these bits of his life coming together. Max, were you kind of sensorially aware of them even before the fragrance came along—like when you would open up a piano? MR: I think, yes, they're all sort of important parts of my world in a way. You open up a piano and you get that kind of cedar. You're in a room with an orchestra, you can smell the rosin [for treating bows]. It's a very sort of 360-degree experience. And I guess the other thing that goes into it is our location. Our studio is in the woods, so there are a lot of earthy things like vetiver in there. It's an attempt to try and make a composite object, which kind of expresses where I am at now and where we are together in our studio. And why do this now? MR: I think the stars aligned. It's an idea that I've been carrying around for a long time. I know Adrian and they'd used some of my music previously on another of their projects, and there was a feeling that it would be good to connect. We had lunch together and we talked about everything but the fragrance, and we got on really well. It really was a beautiful series of moments. Of all the possible fragrance collaborators, you ended up with Comme des Garçons, which is known as being more conceptual. MR: Both Yulia and I have loved their stuff forever. I wear Black Pepper, Amazing Green, and Comme des Garçons 2. It was a no brainer, really. They're such a sort of creative, visionary outfit. They have this sort of independent spirited, very artistically ambitious output. And then working with Christian and Guillaume, what was the dialogue back and forth? MR: It was very simple. I just gave him a load of suggestions to start from, and he made a range of options. And then we just sort of focused in and took away things which weren't quite there, which kept the iterative processes pretty quick. It was three or four iterations, I think.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
How to elevate your home like an A-lister for a fraction of the price and get a free diffuser
Daily Mail journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission - learn more It's the little things that bring a little sparkle to life. Turning the ordinary into the extraordinary is a job for Aroma360, the brand whose elevated scent solutions breathe new life into living and working spaces. Diffusers are a popular way of changing the scent of a space with Khloe Kardashian and Hillary Duff both fans of using them to spread fragrance and set a tone in their own homes. Known for its vast range of decadent oils, Aroma360 produces truly meaningful fragrances that are designed to resonate on a deeper level. They could spark a special memory or simply deliver the crisp, airy feel you want your space to evoke. Aroma360 Summer Sale Give your home or workplace (or both!) the ultimate fragrance upgrade! Aroma360 has you covered with its gorgeous diffusers and scent oils, perfect for elevating any space. Shop the massive sale now with impressive savings of up to 60 percent sitewide while getting a diffuser for free! Save up to 60% Shop Now is the perfect time to pick up a few staples for your home and workplace, as the brand's big Fourth of July sale sees reductions of up to 60 percent sitewide — and even the opportunity to get a diffuser of your choice for free. You need to experience it for yourself to understand the difference Aroma360 can make to your life. Everything is responsibly formulated without harmful formaldehyde and other additives, and all products boast a premium feel emblematic of luxury. And if that's how you want your home or office to feel — upscale and inviting — you could not have dreamed up a better product. There are several ways to integrate the products into your spaces. Cold-air diffusion is a practical option, as you can simply purchase one (or more!) of the brand's beautiful diffusers to release your favorite fragrance oils into the air via a dry mist. Or you could purchase a sleek, standalone diffuser that's designed to disperse fragrance into larger spaces. The impressive DaVinci360, for example, has built-in cold diffusion technology to scent areas as large as 1,200 square feet. Don't miss your chance to place an order for a reduced price while scoring a sweet free gift, like a Smart Car Diffuser with an oil subscription or even a DaVinci360 when you purchase an oil delivery package. Not sure where to start? These highlights from the Aroma360 sale are well worth snapping up now during the brand's limited-time Summer savings event!
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
There's A Surprising Scientific Explanation For Why Some People Have A Negative Reaction To Perfume
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Have you ever walked past someone wearing a strong perfume and instantly got the ick? Or maybe the fragrance your coworker adores gives you a pounding headache? Few things divide people like scent—the same fragrance that evokes warm, comforting memories in one person can trigger a wave of nausea in another. But why? Is it biology? Your past experience? A personal preference? Or something deeper? Spoiler alert: It's all the above. When a particular scent makes you recoil, you're not being dramatic. You're just The olfactory system, made up of the nose, olfactory bulb, and brain regions that process smell, is responsible for detecting odor molecules, and while 'humans likely share a core set of common olfactory receptors, there is genetic variation in which of those receptors get expressed,' says Pamela Dalton, PhD, a cognitive psychologist and researcher at the Monell Chemical Senses Center. 'Some people may simply not be smelling the entire bouquet; their noses could be missing the balancing notes and only picking up the unpleasant ones.' Meet the experts: Pamela Dalton, PhD is a cognitive psychologist and researcher at the Monell Chemical Senses Center. Daryl Do is a senior perfumer at Delbia Do Fragrances. Zara Patel, MD, is a professor of otolaryngology and director of the Stanford Initiative to Cure Smell and Taste Loss at Stanford University. Anna Rosa Parker is the founder of botanical fragrance brand Herb & Root. In other words, when you and your best friend sniff the same perfume, you may be experiencing two completely different things. 'Some people, for example, can't smell musk at all—they're anosmic to it,' says Daryl Do, senior perfumer at Delbia Do Fragrances. 'Meanwhile, others might find it overwhelming or cloying. It's so individualized.' But aside from biology, experts say our reactions to scent are also shaped by genetics, culture, the nervous system, and our emotional memory. So, we asked a cognitive psychologist, a physician, and perfumers to help decode why scent is so powerful—and so personal. When scent strikes a nerve Sometimes it's not just about disliking an aroma. In certain cases, a particular waft can make a person physically ill. If that's you, it's not your imagination—and your olfactory system may not be to blame. The trigeminal nerve, part of the broader nervous system, detects pressure, temperature, and pain in the nasal cavity and face. When a fragrance contains ingredients that stimulate this nerve (think menthol, bleach, or very strong synthetic aromas), it can cause that telltale stinging, tingling, headache-inducing response. 'I'm one of those people,' says Zara Patel, MD, is a professor of otolaryngology and director of the Stanford Initiative to Cure Smell and Taste Loss at Stanford University. 'If I get into an Uber with an air freshener or walk past someone wearing a strong cologne, I'm going to get a migraine.' Did you know: Some fragrance notes are notoriously polarizing. According to our experts, the most common are patchouli, musk, oud, vintage florals like rose and jasmine, frankincense and myrrh, and linalool, an essential oil. Why are some people more sensitive? Allergies, dryness, or inflammation in the nasal passages might be to blame. 'It's possible that a person's particular anatomy allows airflow to hit the nerve in a more direct way than others,' Dr. Patel explains. The amount or concentration of a fragrance matters, too. 'Almost every material that is a volatile chemical compound, meaning something that evaporates and is detectable by the human nose, can become a trigeminal stimulant at certain concentrations,' says Dr. Dalton. Your brain remembers While your nose and nerves explain the physical part of scent, your brain helps explain the emotional response—like why you hate musk or can't smell patchouli without cringing. Scent is processed in the same part of the brain that governs memory and emotion, which is often why scent is so strongly tied to feelings of nostalgia—a well-studied phenomenon, says Dr. Dalton. 'We have more evidence for prior memory associations influencing our fragrance likes and dislikes than we do for the biological reasons,' she says. In other words, your brain decides whether a smell is 'good' or 'bad' based on what it reminds you of, not what it objectively smells like. For instance, Anna Rosa Parker, founder of botanical fragrance brand Herb & Root, says her brand's Frankincense & Myrrh blend tends to split people into two camps: meditative calm or instant aversion. 'I've always suspected it ties back to early experiences with religious rituals where frankincense was used,' she says. 'For some, that feels comforting. For others, it triggers tension. ' Patchouli is another loaded note. 'It's among the most complex botanicals we work with,' she says. 'People who lived through the 1970s often have an immediate, visceral response—whether that's nostalgia, disgust, or something in between.' Culture shapes scent preference, too Beyond biology and memory, scent preference is also shaped by where—and when—you grew up. 'There are definitely patterns in fragrance preferences by demographic,' says Parker. 'For example, Baby Boomers and Gen X women often gravitate toward soft floral scents like lily of the valley, which were iconic in the '50s and '60s. Millennials tend to favor gourmand notes like vanilla and tonka, which they associate with the body sprays and mists of their teen years.' We see you, Bath & Body Works Body Mists. Geography plays a major role as well. 'In the Middle East and South Asia, resinous notes like oud, sandalwood, and rose are deeply rooted in cultural tradition,' Parker continues. 'In parts of South America, people often prefer fruity, juicy notes; they're tied to sensory memories of home and family.' Still, some scent preferences do transcend cultural lines. A 2022 study published in Current Biology looked at 10 different populations across the globe—including hunter-gatherer groups and urban dwellers—and found that people largely agreed on which scents were pleasant (like vanilla and fruity ethyl butyrate) and which were unpleasant (think sweaty or sulfuric compounds). The takeaway? Biology may create a universal baseline, even if individual preferences are colored by experience. Make your nose happier Even if fragrance is challenging for you, you may not turn your nose up at these crowd pleasers. 'Certain odors that only activate the olfactory system—and not the trigeminal nerve—are almost universally thought of as winners,' says Dr. Patel. The most beloved? Vanilla. 'Across all cultures, vanilla is seen as a safe and comforting scent.' Other generally safe bets include light florals like lily of the valley, citrus fruits, amber, and clean, soapy notes. 'These all feel light, familiar, and safe,' adds Eau De Parfum Unabashedly gourmand (that's fragrance-speak for something so delish, you feel like you could almost eat it), this spritz blends vanilla bourbon and amber to mouth-watering perfection. $175.00 at Ibiza Eau de Toilette For an amber scent, this one is fresh and effervescent—you'll be instantly transported on a summer vacation. Grey amber is complemented with frangiapani flower, coconut water, and mountain lily. $155.00 at Puff Eau de Parfum If both citrus and vanilla are universally appealing, you've hit the jackpot with this new addition to the scent-o-sphere. It combines both notes with bergamot, almond, and meringue. $125.00 at Fleur Eau de Parfum If a delicate bouquet is what you're after (no heady jasmine or powdery rose here), this blend of osmanthus and ylang ylang has you covered from head to whenever you decide to spritz next. $78.00 at You know the refreshed vibe you get when you step out of the shower? This is it, bottled. A clean mix of orange blossom, neroli, and sea spray that will leave you feeling clean, clean, clean. $46.00 at And if you'd classify yourself as a scent-sensitive individual, there are ways to navigate the world without constant sensory assault (aside from avoiding elevators and department stores)? Talk to your doctor. 'Sometimes treating underlying inflammation or dryness can help,' says Dr. Patel. And if a friend or coworker wears a scent that bothers you, be honest—but kind. 'Make it about your sensitivity, not their choices.' When shopping for fragrance, try—for a while—before you buy. 'Spray it on your skin—not just a paper tester—and give it time,' says Do. 'Your body chemistry, skincare products, and even your detergent can affect how a scent wears.' Wear it in the places you'd normally wear it, such as work, school, a night out, etc., and wait three days before you decide, he says. In the end, scent is deeply personal—and if something's not for you, it's not for you. Blame biology, your memories, or your trigeminal nerve. But if you'd like to get more scent-friendly, there's no shortage of options. 'There's a huge palette to choose from,' says Dr. Dalton. 'You don't have to love every fragrance—just the ones that make you feel good.' You Might Also Like Jennifer Garner Swears By This Retinol Eye Cream These New Kicks Will Help You Smash Your Cross-Training Goals
Forbes
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Jo Malone Launches Jo Vodka, Turning Memory Into Taste
Jo Malone launches Jo Vodka today Jo Vodka There are few people in British business with as recognisable a nose as Jo Malone . Scent has always been her signature medium but, with her latest launch, it's flavour that takes the lead. 'I've always wondered if I could take my sense of smell and push it further into the world of taste,' she says. 'Because to me, the two are deeply intertwined.' Today, Malone launches Jo Vodka with a trio of character-led expressions: 101 - The Purist, 102 - The Bohemian and 103 - The Artist. Each blend is infused with natural botanicals and oils, crafted in partnership with master distiller Joanne Moore — and, as Malone describes it, designed to 'awaken the senses.' Jo Vodka Jo Vodka It started, as these things often do, over breakfast with loved ones. 'Two close friends of mine asked me if I'd ever thought about venturing into the world of spirits,' she recalls. 'We discussed the similarities between making fragrances and spirits and how vodka would make the perfect canvas due to its purity and versatility.' From that day, Malone and long-time friend Fran Langlands Pearse, who initially came up with the idea at said breakfast, began to work together, co-develop the brand's creative direction, and quickly enlisted Moore to help shape the liquid itself. Only—unlike many competitors in the market—it didn't start with flavor, but feeling. 'Everything I create is rooted in emotion and personal expression,' Malone says. 'That, to me, is the essence of creativity.' Jo Malone with all three Jo Vodka expressions Jo Vodka And Jo Vodka doesn't just carry her name — it carries her memories. 103 - The Artist, for instance, is an homage to her father and her teenage years on the King's Road. 'Each day, walking to the florist where I worked in Sloane Square, I was exposed to an eclectic mix of people, experiences, and senses,' she says. 'That daily rhythm left a lasting impression.' Much like her fragrances, each vodka is built from story. 'I started by visualising memories, emotions, and aspects of my personality before carefully selecting natural botanicals to bring each narrative to life.' That narrative was also coloured by Malone's synaesthesia — a condition that allows her to 'see' scent and taste as texture. 'When I smell, I see color,' she says, but tastes The 101 as soft leather or suede, The 102 as silk, and The 103 as a tweed-like material. Jo Vodka 101 - The Purist Jo Vodka Of course, vodka isn't usually known for personality. It's a neutral spirit by design, and Malone knew she'd need to convince even seasoned drinkers. 'The Purist is the key to unlocking the whole collection,' she explains. 'We worked so hard on perfecting the 101 recipe to pay homage to vodka's classic purity. The balance of the 101 is just right – delicate sweetness, sharp with clarity. This one is the jewel. Confident, neutral and uncomplicated. Clean, like footsteps crunching over snow.' Thankfully, a pre-launch deal has already set Jo Vodka up for success. The brand launches across 100 World Duty-Free stores globally this summer , in partnership with retailer Avolta. 'They have been looking to partner with brands to inspire change,' Malone says. 'So when they approached me, it felt like a natural fit for Jo Vodka to be at the forefront of this new experience for travellers.' Undoubtedly, it also aligns perfectly with vodka's spike in travel retail and gifting channels. According to Imarc, the global vodka market hit at least $50 billion in 2024 and is forecast to grow at a ~5–6% CAGR through the end of the decade, with projected value of $81 billion by 2033. That growth is already being driven by demand for premium, artisanal and flavored vodkas, with consumers—especially younger drinkers—seeking unique, high-end flavor experiences. Malone's emphasis on packaging, design and narrative matches the premium travel-retail consumer mindset to a tee. Still, as with all her ventures, Malone is less interested in trend than instinct. 'Every business I have ever launched has always been based on trusting and believing in my own instincts,' she says. 'I am a risk taker by nature, inspired by different forms of creativity and art.' So: Jo Wine? Jo Whisky? A future of flavor? Maybe. 'I am a storyteller and want to carry on this journey,' she says. 'My focus is to continue exploring my 5 senses, what they are, and what I can do to change the world.'
The Guardian
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘Smellmaxxing' and ‘frag heads': how the gen Z perfume boom came up roses for indie brands
'Will the girl who I just met at the perfume store please comment the perfume you recommended,' wrote Chappell Roan on Instagram last month. 'You said it smelled like lipstick.' The post went viral and the scent – Girl of the Year by the Los Angeles perfume house Thin Wild Mercury – instantly sold out. It's hard to think of a more appropriate perfume for the performer. The house describes it as having 'top notes of lipstick and incense; middle notes of 'smoker's leather jacket' and a base of sandalwood, orris root and vintage fur'. The brand – whose name is culled from a Bob Dylan quote – is one of a growing set of perfumers reinventing scent for new fragrance fans. Like bedroom DJs or T-shirt screen-printers before them, they're changing the culture of an established industry. The global fragrance market is the biggest it has ever been and still growing; it is set to generate revenue of about £45bn in 2025, according to Statista. The UK market alone reached £1.74bn in 2024 and, if growth continues apace, will top £2bn by 2029 according to a 2024 Mintel report. This growth is driven by gen Z and millennials, who have formed a unique relationship with fragrance due to social media and Covid isolation – PerfumeTok drove 45% of social media scent sales in the US by 2023. Instead of a dab behind the ear, they prefer scent layering – wearing two or more perfumes at the same time – and scent wardrobing (matching fragrances to different occasions). Eighty-three per cent of gen Z wear fragrance as often as three times a week, according to a recent report by Circana. Perfume took off, somewhat unexpectedly, during lockdown, says Suzy Nightingale of the podcast On the Scent. 'It was expected the fragrance market would fall, but it boomed,' says Nightingale, an award-winning perfume blogger. 'People discovered they could punctuate their day with moments of difference – travel with their noses, revel in nostalgia or excite their senses with novelty. I think that was when people realised it's not about 'attracting a partner' or having a signature scent – if it ever was. It's donning an invisible cloak of protection, empowering yourself.' Successful perfume influencers play a key role in the storytelling side of these products. Theatrical and charismatic TikTokkers such as @professorperfume and @jeremyfragrance explain new scents so vividly that their followers sometimes buy without smelling the perfume first. They spin tales of the weird girls and confident boys who wear these scents; PerfumeTok influences 66% of gen Z purchases. Teenage boys have become surprising cognoscenti when it comes to luxury aftershave. The TikTok term for scent layering in this age group is 'smellmaxxing', a buzzword that became so prevalent that the New York Times defined it last year as a 'term for enhancing one's musk'. According to a 2025 US trend report by Piper Sandler, teenagers are spending more money across beauty categories in general, but fragrance has grown the most – up 22% year on year. On a recent visit to Bloom Perfumery, a boutique selling independent and niche fragrances in the UK, I watched a boy who couldn't have been older than 16 chat about cologne with an assistant twice his age with a genuinely inspiring level of passion and sophistication, beaming through his braces as he discussed smoky notes. 'There's been a lot of pearl-clutching commentary worrying about how much [teenagers] spend,' says Nightingale. 'But if you actually bother to talk to the younger generations thronging the halls of perfumeries from Boots to the Black Hall of Harrods, you discover they're saving their pocket money – sometimes for years – and taking on part-time jobs to explore scent.' While previous generations were satisfied with scent juggernauts such as CK One, Le Male, Poison or Opium, an emerging group of 'frag heads' wants more. The idea of personalising your scent – smellmaxxing or scent layering – is key for them. Still, what 16-year-old can afford to layer a £90 Loewe scent with something marginally cheaper from Armani – and to that end, how did such expensive scents become the norm? As luxury scents boomed post-pandemic, so too did dupes – replicas of designer products. Offering luxury style at low prices, dupes feel more Robin Hood than guilty secret. Some new brands got their start providing vegan or cruelty-free alternatives to blockbuster fragrances, notably Eden Perfumes, a family-run business in Brighton now lauded for its own scents as much as its knockoffs. Meanwhile, the high street stepped up to do what it does best: producing designer style at affordable prices. The Zara perfume counter is currently the place to go if you want to smell like a million dollars for less than £20. While logos and bottle designs are easy to trademark, you cannot trademark a scent nor patent a perfume recipe under UK law. Some dupes can be poorer quality than luxury brands, but they're safe as long as you use common sense. A trusted retailer will follow safety standards; an unknown one may not be as stringent. Sign up to Fashion Statement Style, with substance: what's really trending this week, a roundup of the best fashion journalism and your wardrobe dilemmas solved after newsletter promotion As well as dupes, 'niche perfumes' gained traction. While cosmetics giants such as Coty, Guerlain and Estée Lauder have dominated since the early 20th century, independent pioneers appeared who followed their instincts and taste rather than market research. Brands such as Le Labo, Sol de Janeiro and Byredo changed the game – Le Labo's Santal 33 was the fashion circle's signature scent and a Santal 26 candle appeared in Beyoncé's Lemonade film in 2016. Victoria Beckham and Sienna Miller namechecked Byredo as their favourite perfumer. It is no wonder these brands have now been snapped up by LVMH and other conglomerates. More indie scents launched after lockdown, including complicated and counterintuitive fragrances. The idea of perfume as confrontational, confusing art grew. The Canadian brand Zoologist found fame for its award-winning Bee scent (notes of ginger syrup, royal jelly and broom) in 2020, as did Inexcusable Evil by the Romanian perfumer Toskovat, with its bouquet of bandages, blood and burnt flowers. This year brings Silver Haze from Alloy Studio, which evokes 'a backseat smoke session' and has notes of cannabis, chocolate powder and strawberries. Food-inspired fragrances are the latest perfume craze with scents like pretzels and cherries finding favour. Some fans went deep, obsessing over process, rarity or a unique note in a scent, discussing them like oenophiles on Reddit and dedicated scent chatrooms. Some turned to DIY, using Sam Macer's YouTube channel and forums such as Basenotes to swap tips on sourcing ingredients and aroma combinations. For a few, the hobby became a side hustle and finally a career. Indie companies looked to creators who had taught themselves to blend new scents. As the industry traditionally requires a chemistry degree, a spell at a (preferably French) perfume school – such as ISIPCA in Versailles – then an apprenticeship at a fragrance house, this influx of new blood has been a huge shakeup. You can buy perfume ingredients such as fixatives, solvents and scent compounds online, so, like microbrewers and bakers before them, self-taught perfumers simply got stuck in. 'There's a definite sense of punk-rock impresarios to some indie brands,' says Nightingale. 'Not tied up in shareholders' opinions and having to panel-test everything so that it's acceptable rather than exciting.' At a time when beauty conglomerates are turning to AI and science for new scents, it's refreshing to find gatecrashers at the party. The Spanish company Puig used 45m brain readings from men aged 18-35 to finesse the ingredients of the cologne Phantom by Paco Rabanne before its 2021launch – the result was a commercial bestseller. Independent perfumers can bring a bit more imagination to the process. The British scent company Earl of East recently collaborated with the musician Bon Iver, who they asked to do a blind smell test, then used his answers to create a custom scent inspired by his latest album. The resulting range of mood mists and candles instantly sold out. The creation process for the two products couldn't be more different, but the world smells better because both of them exist. Paul Firmin, a co-founder of Earl of East, thinks the lack of formal education behind the brand is a strength. It started as a hobby and a market stall but is now stocked globally. It holds workshops for customers who want to make their own perfumes. 'We've worked hard to demystify scent, encouraging people to engage with it in a way that feels personal rather than intimidating,' says Firmin. 'Removing outdated boundaries – like the idea that scent should be tied to gender – has also opened up the space. That distinction was a ridiculous concept in the first place.' Another autodidact is Maya Njie, a Swedish-born, UK-based perfumer, who started her fragrance house in 2016. While studying surface design at the University of Arts London, Njie got sidetracked. 'I was exploring storytelling through photography, print and pattern and I began incorporating scent.' She was inspired by family photo albums; holiday snaps of Gambian beaches led to her perfume Tropica, which combines sea salt, pineapple and coconut. 'Being self-taught has given me the freedom to approach perfumery from an artistic and instinctive place,' she says. 'I can do this as the brand owner as I'm only working to my own brief.' Nightingale wishes the new indies of perfume received more support from the industry. 'I see so many tiny brands fall by the wayside. I'd love to see retailers celebrate them more – giving them shelf room among the big corporate-owned names.' Cathleen Cardinali, co-founder of Thin Wild Mercury, found that nothing beats word of mouth. As she posted on social media after Roan's viral message: '[Our] customers went crazy tagging us in an international pop superstar's Instagram because they were so excited by the notion that she might like their favourite little indie perfume brand.' If you're looking for the smell of lipstick, sun cream from a day at the beach, smoking in a car, or have some other olfactory fantasy, this new generation of self-taught perfumers are waiting to play it out for you.
