Perfume Room

Husband-and-wife duo Isaac Lekach and Lillian Shalom have spent the past few years developing fragrances for other brands. With El Morocco Perfumery , it's finally their turn. In an attempt to recreate the magic of cafe society (and the legendary club for which the brand is named), the pair approached this project like archivists, collecting every handkerchief, matchbook, and photo they could...

Decorated MANE Senior Perfume Mathilde Bijaoui, and veteran evaluation exec Lauren Shyman are in the Perfume Room this week! How do perfumers and evaluators work together behind the scenes to create the juice we smell in our most cherished perfume bottles? Enjoy this an intimate (and fun!) look at the professional and personal relationship between a high-level perfumer and evaluator. FOLLOW: @mane...

Sebastian Jara is not new to this [fragrance content]; he's true this. Since 2012, he's been creating videos, and today his YT channel boasts over 335K subscribers. Now he's onto the next venture. After years of attending perfume trade shows all over the world, Sebastian has created his own and it's called ScentFEST. And the inaugural show is happening in just 3 weeks in SF! (June...

Stop. what. you're. doing. DOMINIQUE ROPION IS IN THE PERFUME ROOM TODAY. FRAGS MENTIONED: Frederic Malle: Carnal Flower, Portrait of a Lady, Geranium Pour Monsieur; Mugler Alien, Lancome La Vie Est Belle, Givenchy L’Interdit, Frederic Malle Portrait of a Lady, Givenchy Ysatis, Aphorismes Innocent Tuberose, Frederic Malle Carnal Flower, Aphorismes A Rose is a Rose, Frederic Malle Portrait of a...

World-renowned expert on the psychological science of smell, neuroscientist Dr. Rachel Herz is in the Perfume Room this week! Bookmark this episode; you'll want to come back to it! Why are you attracted to the way certain people smell and what role does scent really play in attraction? Is your partner's perfume hiding potential red flags?! What can you to improve your sense of smell (espec...

What do Tom Ford Ombre Leather, Narciso Rodriguez Pure Musc, Valentino Donna, Jimmy Choo I Want Choo, and Jean Paul Gaultier La Belle all have in common? All were created by multi-award-winning Givaudan Senior Perfumer Sonia Constant. In addition to her illustrious client repertoire, Sonia is the creator of her own brand, Ella K—a brand that inspired by bold women that chronicles Sonia's perso...

PERFUME ROOM CANON ALERT! Givaudan Master Perfumer Calice Becker is shaping the future of perfumery at every level. Not only have her iconic creations like Tommy Girl, J'Adore Dior, Love Don't Be Shy, and Velvet Orchid (to name just a few) come to define entire decades of perfume, but she also serves as the Director of the Givaudan Perfumery School, handpicking the next generation of perfu...

In just one year since launch, Param Sara , a new niche Indian perfume brand on the scene, has already won numerous prestigious accolades. And it all began when Founder Ankita Gill noticed a common theme in perfumery: non-Indian and non-Asian brands were telling Indian and Asian stories. Determined to reclaim and retell these stories through her own memories and experiences, Ankita pivoted careers...

A Part-Time Assistant Professor at The New School, FIT, and Marymount Manhattan whose work centers on French food and identity, perfume, and (French) language instruction, as well as an instructor at the Fragrance Alliance, Daisy Bow interrogates fragrance from a critical, cultural, and academic lens. Today we discuss the colonial roots behind gourmands, the case for the 'basic bitch' perf...

All perfumes go to heaven . Heaven = the Fragrance Vault in Lake Tahoe . Jana Menard is the owner of Fragrance Vault , a one-of-a-kind perfume store in Lake Tahoe that carries niche, commercial, and incredibly hard-to-find, rare vintage perfumes (so like... everything ). Today we chat about her store, how she sources and authenticates vintage, the most precious and rare gems in her collection, and...

Perfumes sold in Ace Hardware AND LuckyScent?? Get you a perfumer who can do both. That's George Tedder: an IFF perfumer who specializes in home care. If you've ever wondered who's really scenting your toilet bowl cleaner (and how!), this one's for you. MY SOTD: ERIS Parfums Mother's Milk (code: PERFUMEROOM for 10% off) FRAGS MENTIONED: Hermès Terre d’Hermès, Downy Calm, Downy...

Comedian, writer, and Accidental PerfumeTok King™ Brian Park is in the Perfume Room today! You likely know him from his viral TikTok series where he satirizes 'taste bros' who use consumerism in lieu of developing a personality. Vids of his like 'POV: you're on a date with a guy who has Aesop soap in his bathroom' have garnered millions of views and have platformed him to an en...

[PERFUME ROOM - RE-SPRITZ - original air date 5/14/24] Today’s episode is a masterclass! Fragrance legend, author, historian, taxonomist and Perfume Room fan-favorite Michael Edwards is back (!!), this time to chat about his newest book, “American Legends: The Evolution of American Fragrances.” What makes a perfume *American* in style and who are the quintessential American perfumes? What makes th...

Audrey Robinovitz is a fragrance writer, critic, Diptyque shop girl, and honestly, a perfume obsessive who matches my freak . Today we chat about everything from the difference between Olivier Pescheux's Diptyque and Olivia Giacobetti's, to the role scent plays in various religions, to our collective breaking point with fantasy accords (and so much more)! ENJOY. FOLLOW AUDREY: @foldyrhands...

Launched in 2024, BRUME ORPIN is a niche fragrance brand putting sustainability at the forefront of EVERYTHING they create. Every aspect of the perfume, from the outermost packaging down the juice has been painstakingly designed to be biodegradable—to the point that the BRUME ORPIN has restricted its palette to just 50 materials . Yes, only 50. It's a perfect example of of creativity born from...

HAPPY 200 TO US! Almost one whole year later, enjoy this truncated live recording of the magic that is: SMELLS LIKE LOVE ~ the only dating show where the nose does the picking! With special presentation by dsm-firmenich's Justin Welch. APPLY TO BE A DATER &/OR GET SMELLS LIKE LOVE TIX HERE: linktr.ee/emmavern & use code 'perfume' for $20 tickets!!! V-DAY 9:30P @ CAVEAT - SEE U...

MY TOP 20 FAVE LAUNCHES/DISCOVERIES OF 2025!!! with highly requested/repeat award show co-host: my mom, Karen! (Most of these shouldn't surprise you because I have been talking about them all year.) FOR TIX TO SMELLS LIKE LOVE/TO APPLY TO BE A DATER: linktr.ee/emmavern FRAGS MENTIONED: Courreges Hyper Musc, EM Molecule 01 + Iris, Nobile 1942 Il Colore del Vento, Roja Isola Blu, Ex Nihilo Spiky...

In 2018, Sy Truong began studying (and teaching himself) perfumery. Six years later, he's the recipient of an Art & Olfaction Award, the founder and perfumer behind the internationally-celebrated brand Sylhouette Parfums, the perfumer of record for TOOUCH perfumes, and is shaping the emerging landscape of Vietnamese niche perfumery. Today, we chat about the perfume book that changed his en...

MARLOU perfumes smell like LIFE —aromas of existence shared across human, fauna, and flora. They’re Dirty. They’re Clean. They’re tender. They’re coarse. And it’s this very proximity to reality that draws its critics and fans alike.  Founder Briac Frocrain welcomes all reactions and through his perfumes, invites and challenges us to reflect—what do we [humans] smell like? Is that dirty? Is ‘dirty’...

36 PIPIN' HOT TAKES FROM 36 PEOPLE. RECORDED @ STÉLE in NOLITA . Featuring: • CHRISTINA LOFF • ISABEL FINSTON • LOLA GUSMAN • JUSTINA SPARLING • KATE KHARASOZHENKO • MICHAEL NORDSTRAND • ARABELLE SICARDI • EMILY JENSEN • BILLIE MCGHEE • MICHELLE DELORENZO • ALISON RINI • LAURA HOPKINS • LIZ DYER • LIZ GERSHMAN • AMY SEIDEL • NOAH VIRGILE • EMILY BRUNSTEN • J.K. ROBBINS • JOEY ROSIN • BENJAMIN...

A look back on 2025 and a look ahead at 2026. Which of my 2025 predictions came true ;) ;) ;) and what's coming in the new year? My thoughts with RECEIPTS, PROOF, TIMELINE, SCREENSHOTS [notes, accords, categories, concepts.] FRAGS MENTIONED: Param Sara The Mandala, Biche, Artemis, lil luv dog, Beastie, Welltayl, Odette Parfums Pas de Chat, Redoux Silver Lining, Nostos Calico, Demeter Kitten Fu...

Spoturno is an haute perfume house bridging and blurring the lines between legacy and modernity. And it makes sense. Founder Véronique Spoturno is the great-granddaughter of François Spoturno (dit Coty), who's widely credited as ‘the father of modern perfumery.’ Véronique drops by the Perfume Room to talk family legacy, the vision behind the brand, and the debut collection created with Christo...

Christopher Sheldrake is the nose behind numerous fragrances other perfumers only wish they had created: Feminité du Bois, Ambre Sultan, Chergui, etc. His style is at once deeply technical, classical, and avant-garde. Today, we chat about his prolific career, the creations he considers part of his personal canon, his unfiltered thoughts on the current state of niche, and Christopher shares the nev...

Cammy (of @cammyreviews) is a PerfumeTok darling with impeccable taste and niche recommendations to scratch your every fragrant itch.  But her curation doesn't stop there. She’s as devoted to perfume as she is to gummy candy — equally discerning in both. So today, naturally, we smell perfume and eat candy!! WATCH FULL VID EP THIS FRIDAY ON SUBSTACK ! FRAGS MENTIONED: Astier de Villattes Ambre...

Amélie Huynh does it all: she’s a jewelry designer, art collector, historian, mother, and the visionary who revived the 200-year-old fragrance brand, D’ORSAY. Guided by a mission to honor its romantic and scandal-tinged legacy through a modern lens, Amélie’s era of D’ORSAY balances its storied past with modern perfumery. Today, we discuss why she chose to revive the brand, its evolution, her jewel...