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Bergamot Country: Olfiction visit to Capua 1880 at Reggio Calabria

12 December 2020 by wpolfiction

Real bergamot
This is a bergamot. Rarely spotted online (with pictures of lime and other citrus often mistakenly used instead).

It’s December 2020, and only now, in retrospect, do I feel able to properly reflect on the beauty and learnings from the trip to Calabria that happened exactly one year ago. Bergamot harvest in Italy falls between November and February. Last year, Christophe Laudamiel invited a small group of friends and colleagues to visit the world’s leading bergamot producer based in Reggio Calabria, at the southernmost tip of Italy.

As soon as we flew home, the first rumours of a deadly pandemic reached us back in the UK. Our year since then exists inside a Mad magazine back page fold; the picture that it reveals, a grotesque monster.

You’ll understand why on return, instead of reflecting on the goosebump-inducing sensory pleasure of eating bergamot sorbet at night while watching Christmas lights twinkle on the sea between us and the island of Sicily, I followed in horror as news reports started pouring in.

Now, with a vaccine in sight, there is once again hope. And I can’t think of a better ingredient to focus on than bergamot when the whole needs a sedative [1].

Capua in Calabria

Bergamots are almost exclusively grown in southern Italy, especially in Calabria, over approximately 1,400 hectares of dedicated land. Italian migrants took bergamot trees with them to America, and there has also been some bergamot activity on the Ivory Coast, but it’s safe to say most of the world’s bergamot comes from the Calabria region.

The leading supplier there is a five-generation family business, named Capua 1880 from the family name and its founding year.

Capua

Laudamiel assembled a small group of people with eclectic but relevant backgrounds: a team from a Japanese pharmaceutical and cosmetics company; two young perfumers; a frankincense distiller from Oman; owner of an Amsterdam perfume store – and us (Pia and Nick from Olfiction).

Our host Laurent Bert (international sales director) came to meet us on the morning of the first day, with a full printed schedule for our three days: tour of all the citrus processing facilities including the factory floor, storage areas, R&D lab and high-tech unit where fractions, decolourisation and other technical processing happens; a tour of one of the citrus fields; half a day spent at head office smelling and learning about all the different oil qualities. Plus, of course, dinners, during one of which we diverged quite a bit into smelling some vintage and current perfume samples Christophe had brought with him.

And I may be banal, but I am still wistful about starting each day with a proper Italian coffee.

Bergamot processing

Bergamot is a hybrid fruit that originated from a base rootstock of a bitter orange tree grafted with a branch from a lemon tree. After all these years of using bergamot oil in my work, I must admit that bergamot being a hybrid tree was news to me. Of course, nowadays bergamot branches can be used themselves when there’s an established field – as there are plenty of mature trees.

Bergamot is a hybrid

The tree produces fruit after 3 years, which are collected by hand. The fruit softens for a few days in the factory, in big piles of crates. There are two initial processing methods.

The pelatrice process involves fruits loaded into a “pelatrice” which moves the fruit into a rotating drum. Water is sprayed inside the drum while the drum itself grates the skin of the fruit, and the fruit is kept watered throughout. This forms an emulsion of essential oil, water, and rind residue. The emulsion is cleared of residue through vibration, and the leftover skin collects separately from the essential oil and water emulsion. The emulsion goes through a centrifuge which removes 85% of the water, before passing through a finisher which strips the remaining water and leaves only the essential oil.

The sfumatrice process involves two horizontal ribbed rollers through which the citrus peels are pressed to release their oil. The oil is washed away with fine water spray, and then goes through a separator before being purified by a centrifuge.

Two types of bergamot oil

These two methods result in a different end product, which can then be further “cleaned”, fractionated or decolourised. Indeed, Capua has an entire site dedicated to additional technologies like molecular stripping. We were able to follow all of the processes first hand, and smell the output in situ to compare and contrast.

The sensory delight of bergamot

In fact, one of the things we were able to try fresh from the process, was bergamot juice, freshly squeezed. I expected it to be very bitter (and it was), but I had not expected the peppery effect – so peppery that it was almost dancing around like popping candy on my tongue. This is one of those annoying things to consider: yes, it’s a privilege to go on buying trips, and alas, they do really add a whole new dimension to the appreciation of a raw material. I have immediately put the new dimensions of bergamot that I discovered on this trip to use at work.

Freshly dipped

Bergamot essential oil is used in the vast majority of fine fragrances; it is so ubiquitous that calling it your favourite perfumery ingredient is like saying that pasta is your favourite ingredient in Italian cooking. Nevertheless, bergamot is probably my favourite ingredient (especially after this trip).

Bergamot was famously overdosed in Shalimar (to help balance the extreme sweetness). It is a fundamental ingredient in eau de colognes, and can bring lift and freshness to almost any type of fragrance. The secret to its wonderful abilities to act as a top note and a harmoniser is its chemical composition – touching both floral and citrus facets.  

Smelling different oils at Capua

During the day that we smelled through lots of bergamot and other citrus varieties at Capua HQ, we explored different qualities and fractions, while discussing their potential uses in perfumery; problems they might solve and so on. Talk turned to the possibility of novel citrus ingredients – one of Laudamiel’s driving forces is to try new things and to bring rarer materials onto his palette. The realities of that approach sometimes make it unviable for businesses due to the simple fact of operational sense: why diversify to a niche material when those same business resources could be used to produce something that already has an established and guaranteed market. Nevertheless, who knows – the answer may not even necessarily be a new plant variety, but instead, new processing and post-processing methods; there is potential for creativity and novelty in a marriage of nature and science, as perfumery has shown us from the very beginning.

  • Nick holding a bergamot
  • Bergamot ready to be processed at Capua
  • Factory floor
  • Bergamot processing at Capua
  • Bergamot processing at Capua
  • Bergamot processing at Capua
  • Bergamot processing at Capua
  • Bergamot processing at Capua
  • Bergamot processing at Capua
  • Bergamot processing at Capua
  • Before and after
  • Bergamot oil being processed
  • At the citrus fields
  • At the citrus fields
  • Storage
  • Bergamot processing at Capua
  • Decolourised bergamot oil
  • Bergamot processing at Capua
  • Bergamot processing at Capua
  • Bergamot processing at Capua
  • Pia smelling an orange flower
    Olfiction perfumer Pia Long smelling an orange flower in Calabria
  • View from hotel
    View from out hotel

[1] anecdotally, bergamot oil seems to have a sedative and cheering effect on people, and has been used in aromatherapy for uplifting and anti-anxiety blends for this reason. Some modern studies now back this folklore, such as the pilot study published in May 2017 issue of Phytotherapy research that examined the effect of bergamot oil inhalation on participants of mental health clinical trials – and found a 17% improvement in positive feelings versus the control group:  https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ptr.5806

Filed Under: Fragrance Knowledge, Trade shows and events Tagged With: buying trips, Italy, perfumery

Scenting Christmas at the (Snow) Globe

12 December 2019 by wpolfiction

This Christmas, world renowned performing arts venue, cultural attraction and education centre Shakespeare’s Globe will show Christmas at the (Snow) Globe. As part of their dedication to making performance accessible, the production will have an audio described performance with a set touch tour for visually impaired visitors. To enhance this aspect of the production, Shakespeare’s Globe commissioned Olfiction to create fragrances which evoke all of the sensations and scents of Christmas.

The team at Olfiction created accords of Snow, Christmas Tree, and Pomanders as well as a finished fragrance which combines all of these elements.

Talking about the experience, Olfiction Perfumer, Pia Long, said:

“A Finnish person being asked to make the smell of a Nordic Christmas? Absolutely!
The challenge of doing things that are very well known by people is harder than it seems, because if you don’t get it right, it is as though you have ruined something that is personally important to them. It’s a fun challenge to make something that if you give the scent to someone, they will smell it and say ‘that’s Christmas!’.
I particularly enjoyed making snow because it is so abstract, more like a sensation than a smell – and it’s not until you think about it that you realise there is a smell. I’ve always felt that some aldehydes smelled like snow. That was the most fun to do as a perfumer – it’s something that you know and you don’t, because it isn’t as though there is a snow essential oil!”

Snow Globe

A sensation of cold crisp air and frozen earth.
“As though you are walking into a snowy landscape and take a big lungful of snowy air, it’s got the snow but also the frozen ground under the snow. I wanted you to sense that there are trees in the background. It’s very much a Nordic landscape on a crisp winter morning when it’s well below zero.”
Notes: Aldehydes, Juniper, Cyclamen, Black Pepper, Cold Effects

Yule Tree

A picture-perfect Christmas tree.
“I wanted to do a spruce as it’s growing, ready to be your Christmas tree – so here are the fresh young shoots as well as the smell of the Christmas tree when you bring it into your house for Christmas. So, it’s Nordic spruce, not a typical pine – the smell is more delicate and leafy, there’s almost a fruitiness to it and it’s absolutely the smell of Christmas for me. It’s not Christmas until you have the real live tree in the house. The tradition was that you would go and physically fetch your tree on Christmas Eve, and you’d go to cut it down from the forest as a family.”
Notes: Fir Balsam abs, Cypress, Elemi, Labdanum, Amber, Oakmoss, Pine

Pomander

A traditional orange pomander dotted in spices.
“For this accord, I wanted to capture an orange pomander with cloves, but I’ve also thought of the Christmas stockings stuffed with clementines and gingerbread – the whole idea is combining citrus and spices. There’s a bit of floralcy in this as well – I added carnations and orange blossom – to make it a bit more sophisticated.”
Notes: Cinnamon, Clove, Nutmeg, Orange, Orange Flower, Clementine, Mandarin, Carnation, Patchouli, Amber

Danish Christmas

This fragrance captures all of the sensations of the individual accords, in a wearable perfume that can be used by the actors and ushers as well as to scent the decorations and space.

“I wanted to take slices of each of the accords. Up top you’ve got the aldehydes from Snow Globe, and the spice and citrus from Pomander. From the Yule Tree, I’ve taken the resins and balsams and the ambery side, with some of the woodiness, so the complete fragrance is this warming and cosy Christmas hug. I’ve added a slight gingerbread note in there as well, to evoke the feeling of baking Christmas treats and festive cosiness.”
Notes: Aldehydes, Orange, Clementine, Mandarin, Jasmine Absolute, Cedarwood Atlas, Carnation, Cinnamon, Orange Flower Absolute, Clove, Nutmeg, Benzoin, Incense, Sandalwood, Patchouli, Fir Balsam, Labdanum, Oakmoss

About the Show

The Globe Theatre stands empty, the stage bare, the Christmas tree undecorated and we need your help.

Someone has stolen the magic of Christmas from Snowdrop, the fairy who stands watch over our wooden ‘O’ during the winter months. Comedian Sandi Toksvig and her merry gang need your help to find it and bring it back to the Globe.

Sing along to classic Christmas songs with the tremendous Fourth Choir, prepare to make paper chains to decorate the theatre and get ready to harness your belief in the spirit of the season to help restore some festive cheer.

This is a show for the entire family so tell everyone you know to put on their favourite Christmas jumpers and join us for the most heart-warming of gatherings.

Help us spread the cheer further. In the spirit of storytelling and gift giving, we’re inviting audiences to bring along a brand-new children’s book as a present to put under the Christmas at the (Snow) Globe tree, which we’ll donate to local charities that support children and young people.

Created and directed by Sandi Toksvig and Jenifer Toksvig, Christmas at the (Snow) Globe will have integrated BSL for every performance. There will be captioned performances on Sunday 22 December at 2.00PM and 6.00PM, and the audio described performance will be on Saturday 21 December at 2.00PM, with a touch and scent tour on the stage at 12 noon.

Filed Under: Perfumery, Trade shows and events

Designer Parfums launches F1 Fragrances Haute Parfumerie Collection

12 December 2019 by wpolfiction

Last weekend, Olfiction travelled to Abu Dhabi for the F1 Fragrances Haute Parfumerie collection launch with the team from Designer Parfums. Nick was on the ground at the Paddock Club, explaining the concept behind the fragrances to visitors, journalists and influencers. Taking place at the last Grand Prix of the decade at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit – where Lewis Hamilton took his 5th win at the track, setting his record 11th win of the season and having already secured his 6th championship win – the perfect location to launch a celebratory collection of fragrances.

F1 Haute Parfumerie collection
The F1 Fragrances Haute Parfumerie Collection & Art Pieces

F1 Fragrances Haute Parfumerie collection is comprised of 5 fragrances, inspired by the heritage, passion and of course scents of Formula 1. Alongside the fragrances are a collection of three beautiful 3D printed art pieces created by design legend Ross Lovegrove – Agile Embrace, Compact Suspension and Fluid Symmetry, each form inspired by elements of the F1 supercars. Olfiction have worked alongside the Designer Parfums team to define storytelling and messaging around the collection.

Nick Gilbert with the The F1 Fragrances Haute Parfumerie Collection
Nick talking a visitor through the F1 Fragrances Haute Parfumerie Collection

I – Bracing bergamot and lemon crystallise with freshness against a verdant back drop of nashi leaves with the silvery, metallic quality of pink pepper and elemi. A breezy wave of mineral ambroxan races through the composition, creating a weightless body emboldened by the innovative, daring character of akigalawood. A modern take on classic woods, given a metallic twist.

II – A seamless cohesion of refreshing citrus and the vibrancy of pink pepper represents the symbiotic relationship between the car and the track, racing towards a contradictory salty accord and deep, black patchouli and leather, a novel twist on leather, with inimitable accords of burning rubber and rain on salty asphalt.

The F1 Fragrances Haute Parfumerie Collection
The F1 Fragrances Haute Parfumerie Collection

III – An aerodynamic composition that races with a fiery blend of Madagascan cinnamon and Calabrian bergamot – two intense materials working in tandem to power a warm and energetic contrast of metal pepper and tonka bean. A unique salty accord brings an innovative, dynamic element that makes a classic style entirely new. An elegant modernisation of amber, made intense through spices and dark woods.

IV – A cavalier and confident fragrance that boasts a daring cocktail of spice, where the heat of black pepper melds with the coolness of juniper, creating a courageous sense of contrast. In the heart, the intoxicating depth of narcissus is tempered by the soft, mineral quality of orris, seamlessly transitioning to a rich, masculine base featuring a fusion of sleek leather and golden Tonkalactone. An audacious re-interpretation of the fougère.

V – A thrilling aromatic built around a champagne accord that represents the prismatic spray of bubbles gleaming from the top spot on the podium. The sparkling, effervescent opening of citrus notes are energised by the electric zing of timut pepper, leading to luminous and fresh geranium, lightened by the elegance of violet leaf and contrasted by the rich, woody facets of sandalwood and ambrocenide. The thrill of celebration captured within a vibrant and energetic aromatic.

The F1 Fragrances Haute Parfumerie Collection
The F1 Fragrances Art Pieces, photo by Alen Palender

Designer Parfums has a strong portfolio of prestige and mass fragrances and beauty products in the fashion, lifestyle and celebrity segments. The F1 license marks their first steps into the world of Haute Parfumerie and niche fragrance. The Haute Parfumerie collection will reach retailers from April 2020, whilst the three beautiful limited edition 3D printed art pieces created by Ross Lovegrove – Agile Embrace, Compact Suspension and Fluid Symmetry – are available now directly through Designer Parfums.

Filed Under: Public Speaking, Retail Training, Trade shows and events Tagged With: designer parfums, f1, formula 1, formula 1 fragrances, formula one

Highlights from Pitti Fragranze 2019

17 September 2019 by wpolfiction

Last week, Olfiction travelled to Florence for the Pitti Fragranze trade fair. Our main purpose for the trip was to celebrate the debut of Terror & Magnificence, the fragrance Olfiction perfumer Pia Long has created for BeauFort London. But this wasn’t our sole purpose and Pitti provided us with a great opportunity to network with people from all aspects of the industry in addition to scoping out all of the new and exciting launches there were (and to eat lots of pizza too, of course).

With an expansive range of exhibitors, Pitti was packed to the rafters with lots of fragrance and some beauty, too. There was a real trend for simplicity and despite a few exceptions, the focus seemed to be on unpretentious packaging and fragrances that held personal significance with those that created them. With new and exciting things in mind, we want to share with you some of our highlights from Pitti – the greatest hits of what we saw and smelled, if you will. There really was a wealth to choose from and a huge variety of brands, each offering their own unique spin on the art of olfaction. Those below are the ones that most resonated with us.

Parfums Dusita

Parfums Dusita at Pitti 2019
Parfums Dusita at Pitti Fragranze 2019. Photo credit Olfiction.

Poetry and scent merge beautifully with Parfums Dusita – a brand created by Pissara Umavijani, a Thai perfumer who is now based in Paris. Pissara’s father, Montri Umavijani, was a poet and his words accompany each of the fragrances in the collection, serving as a personal tribute to his life’s work through the artistic endeavours of his daughter. Splendiris, one of Dusita’s latest creations, caught our attention with its soft, violet-centric take on iris – Splendiris is ethereal and calm but not without presence and serves as a delicate take on the interplay of violet and iris, presented with beautiful lines of poetry: “I write by the candlelight, in a night wrapped by many layers of dreams”. Parfums Dusita is an exciting brand and we are looking forward to see where they go next.

Pekji

Pekji perfumes at Pitti Fragranze 2019
Pekji perfumes at Pitti Fragranze 2019. Photo credit Olfiction.

Pekji is a Turkish brand created by Omer Ipekci, who composed each of the brand’s five fragrances. With a distinct, graphic aesthetic (thanks to Ipekci’s background as an illustrator and graphic designer), Pekji boasts a bold identity with unique, punchy fragrances to match, each of which take inspiration from the perfumer’s childhood. We were struck by the intense beauty of Ruh, a vivid rose shrouded in rich spices and woods, and the bracing, mineral quality of Eaumer, which presents an image of the ocean without the use of traditional aquatic notes. Pekji is a brand not for the faint-hearted and therein lies its strength – this is a perfume house with fascinating, unique fragrances that satisfy those who enjoy a bold and daring olfactory vision.

Miller Harris

Miller Harris at Pitti Fragranze 2019
Brighton Rock and Blousy. Photo credit Olfiction.

Our client Miller Harris definitely had the most vibrant and colourful stand at the show. Boasting neon tubes, and vinyl hanging flowers scented with their latest launches – and a fluorescent cage overflowing with flora – not to mention the colour blocks of spray-dyed perfume bottles – there really was nowhere more exciting to be than the Miller Harris stand. New launches such as Blousy (a juicy and flirtatious blend of strawberries and rose), upcoming offerings such as Secret Gardenia (a beautiful, buxom blend of white florals) and recent beauties such as DANCE Amongst the Lace (a minty fresh fougere that we’re still obsessed with) all came together to make Miller Harris the most fun and innovative stand at Pitti this year. We are biased on that, of course.

Colourful displays on the Miller Harris stand at Pitti Fragranze 2019
Colourful display at the Miller Harris stand. Photo credit Olfiction.

Maison Rebatchi

Maison Rebatchi, Rose Rebatchi at Pitti Fragranze 2019.
Rose Rebatchi from Maison Rebatchi. Photo credit Olfiction.

Everything about Maison Rebatchi stood out. The bottles, with their beautiful patterned glass, were an example of luxurious simplicty, whilst the fragrances inside were incredibly complex compositions that subverted expectations. Working with legendary perfumers such as Bertrand Duchaufour, Maurice Roucel and Randa Hammami, Maison Rebatchi has turned familiar materials like jasmine, osmanthus and patchouli on their heads, creating surprising perfumes that feel entirely new. Feu Patchouli is a patchouli on fire, exuding silver streams of mineral smoke. Rose Rebatchi is a wonderfully crisp and jammy rose that makes one feel as if they are standing in a field of roses first thing in the morning. Maison Rebatchi is one of those rare collections where every single fragrance is exceptional and we hope to see them in the UK sometime soon!

Jean-Claude Ellena

One of the key features of this year’s show was the Jean-Claude Ellena retrospective. Curated by journalist Chandler Burr, the retrospective celebrated the life’s work of one of the industry’s most legendary perfumers, ranging from his very first fragrance (First for Van Cleef & Arpels) to his work as in-house perfumer at Hermes, and beyond to his latest creation, Rose & Cuir for Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle. Both Burr and Ellena were in attendance to stage an “in conversation” presentation where the perfumer provided rare insight into his career and process. Believe us when we say that we were on the edge of our seats! You can watch the entire talk here – either in the original French or via the English simultaneous interpreter.

BeauFort London

Finally, we cannot talk about Pitti Fragranze without mentioning Terror & Magnificence by BeauFort London. Read all about how we worked with BeauFort’s Leo Crabtree to compose this brand new addition to their Revenants collection here.

Filed Under: Perfume Trends, Trade shows and events Tagged With: BeauFort, BeauFort London, Miller Harris, Pitti Fragranze

IFF-LMR Speed Smelling with the BSP

4 February 2019 by wpolfiction

A week or so ago, we were lucky enough to attend the IFF-LMR Speed Smelling Event hosted by the
British Society of Perfumers (BSP) at the Royal Society of Chemistry in London. Representatives
from IFF-LMR were in attendance to showcase some of their flagship materials from a number of
categories, all of which were available to smell, at speed, during the evening.

LMR, or Laboratoire Monique Remy to use its full name, was founded by Monique Remy in
Grasse, in 1983 and acquired by IFF (International Flavours and Fragrances) in 2000. The
company specialises in sourcing natural materials from all over the globe, focusing on
sustainability and fairness at the very core of its business. So, when it comes to natural materials,
IFF-LMR materials are considered to be some of the very best available within the perfume
industry, and with this in mind, we couldn’t wait to start speed smelling and get some of those
beautiful materials under our noses.

But what is Speed Smelling? Well, Speed Smelling is a lot like speed dating, but much more
exciting. Essentially, we were given ten minutes to spend with two IFF-LMR natural materials that
were presented to us on each table, of which there were eight in total. At each table we were
invited to play a game to help us reveal what the materials were, and these games varied from
puzzle pieces slotted together to form a picture of the material, to riddles, and blindfolded ‘guess
the material’ games. After the materials were presented in isolation, we were invited to experience
a perfume composition with and without one of the materials, to highlight how the material can be
used within a typical fragrance.

Whilst the Speed Smelling was certainly quick, the experience was illuminating and we had the
opportunity to really get to grips with these fantastic materials, both in and out of perfume
compositions, to see what they add to a perfume and how they change when placed in the context
of a composition.

Each of the tables had a different theme, whether that be vegan materials, materials that are
certified as fair, and new materials. The selection was diverse and traversed, not only the wide-
ranging olfactory families, but also the far reaches of the globe, bringing together 16 fantastic IFF-
LMR materials.

In the spirit of Speed Smelling, you can find a quick outline of the themes and materials below:

For Life/Fair Wild

On this table we smelled materials that were certified as “For Life” (a certification that recognises
an organisation’s adherence to specific sustainability criteria, including transparency,
environmental responsibility, fair working conditions and positive relations with producers and local
communities) and “Fair Wild” (standards used to ensure the continued use and long-term survival
of wild species and populations). We smelled:

Peru Balsam
(Warm, resinous, sweet, and green)

Patchouli Oil Indonesia For Life
(A remarkable clean patchouli that is clear in appearance due to low levels of iron)

Vegan

On the vegan table we smelled IFF-LMR vegan materials. These materials undergo a full audit to
ensure there is no contact with animals throughout the supply chain:

Geranium Egypt Oil For Life
(Fresh and rosy with a hint of mint)

Violet Leaf Absolute Egypt
(A violet leaf note with a strong leather backbone)

Blockchain

The theme of the blockchain table was traceability and IFF-LMR showcased how they can use
blockchain technology to allow consumers to trace every step taken for each material in the supply
chain. We smelled:

Blackcurrant Bud Absolute Burgundy
(A punchy, animalic note with hints of juicy blackcurrants)

Vetiver Heart
(Spicy, earthy vetiver with a pronounced grapefruit facet)

LMR Heart

Healingwood Blo
(A pure and woody patchouli with a hint of camphor)

Patchouli Heart Nº3
(A clean patchouli within facets of fresh apple and camphor)

New Platform

The new platform table showcased materials IFF-LMR have sourced from new places in the world.
We smelled:

Sandalwood Oil New Caledonia
(Woody, skin-like, salty, slightly sweaty)

Jasmine Absolute India
(Hot bubblegum flowers with a warming hint of indole)

Mystical

The mystical materials were those with ancient beginnings: We smelled:

Myrrh Oil
(An unusually dry and woody myrrh)

Olibanum Oil
(A perfume in itself – silvery frankincense with a beautifully golden citrus facet)

ECO Cert

At the ECO Cert table we smelled materials that are certified as organic:

Ginger Oil Fresh Madagascar Organic
(The zingiest, freshest ginger – evocative of slices of fresh ginger in a sushi bento box)

Immortelle Oil
(A soft, suede-like immortelle with a pronounced whisky facet and only a hit of spice)

New Ingredient

At the final table we were introduced to two new materials. We smelled:

Pepper Sichuan Absolute CO2 Extract
(A bright, floral pepper with a strong citrus facet)

Cocoa Extract 12% PG
(A deliciously creamy and sweet cocoa with no animalic facets)

During our table-to-table exploration of IFF-LMR materials we found several olfactory connections
and whilst we didn’t go home with any of the materials we speed sniffed (it would have been
difficult to pick just one), we still can’t quite get the Olibanum, Ginger, Cocoa, Jasmine…. well, all
of them, off our minds. We’d say that was a successful Speed Smelling event, wouldn’t you?

You can find out more about the BSP and their events at the BSP website. Info on IFF-LMR can
be found at the following link.

Filed Under: Trade shows and events Tagged With: Art, beauty, British Society of Perfumers, BSP, Cologne, Event, Grooming, IFF, International Flavours and Fragrances, Laboratoire Monique Remy, LMR, Naturals, Parfum, Perfume, Raw Materials, Scent

Olfiction announces Scented Words: Exploring Fragrances in Literature at The British Library

25 January 2018 by wpolfiction

Olfiction have collaborated with The British Library to organise an event, where literary translator and fragrance enthusiast Marta Dziurosz will explain the symbiotic relationship between the worlds of literature and fragrance, and how our least scientifically explored sense – smell – is in fact woven throughout literary history as an emotional touchstone to inspire writers and inform the readers imagination. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Public Speaking, Trade shows and events Tagged With: british library

Pia and Nick will be at Esxence 2017

10 March 2017 by wpolfiction

Pia and Nick from Olfiction Ltd (and of Love to Smell YouTube channel) will be at Esxence 2017. It’s a well-known fact that Nick is obsessed with flamingos but we understand that the organisers of this important trade show in the annual fragrance calendar have not featured one in their graphics just for him.

The flamingo might have something to do with this year’s theme: The Garden of Eden.

This enchanted universe finds a perfect representation in its new theme: the Garden of Eden. Joyful place par excellence, it’s the pure dimension of creativity and the expression of fantasy, able to awake our senses: only here they can perceive the most harmonious and refined fragrances.

Art Perfumery is the key to access to this perfect world and Esxence is the appointment that every year allows professionals and enthusiasts to get in. International brands, both historical and emerging, strictly selected to be part of the exhibition area, will offer to the public an excellent and interesting parterre for new businesses and perfumed discoveries, confirming Esxence, and Milan, as the capital city of Art Perfumery.

Want to meet up? Get in touch.

Filed Under: Trade shows and events Tagged With: Esxence, news, niche perfumery, perfumery

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