Saddle leather, fresh-mown hay, and the scent of the stable are having their heyday in the niche perfumery world. Whether you want to be a cowboy or you have a fondness for dressage, what can perhaps be called “horse culture” is the latest inspiration for artisan perfumers.

The awards season is upon us and in the world of niche perfumery we salute the Institute for Art & Olfaction who has just announced the 2024 Golden Pear finalists. The awards, which recognize excellence amongst independent, artisan and experimental practitioners with scent, will be announced in June is Lisbon. See the full list of finalists here. Good luck to all!

Who isn’t lured by a great smelling space? Scenting commercial space goes way beyond making the air in a shop or a hotel smell good. It turns out olfactory marketing can be part of a brand’s strategy to encourage longer visits, improve the experience and increase loyalty. In this article, find out more about the power of scent marketing.

The power of fragrance is still untapped, and now it turns out that it can help us mourn. Fragrances that remind us of loved ones who have passed can bring back old memories which help us reconnect while some fragrances are developed to calm us and to accompany us as a ritual.

Perfumers, like artists, are always looking for olfactory inspiration. In this article, three master perfumers talk about their experience collaborating with jewellery brands and about finding parallels between precious stones and precious ingredients.

In the latest of brand founders calling time, Frédéric Malle has announced his departure slated for June of this year. Known for shining a light on the noses behind his creations, Malle has been a trailblazer in the niche fragrance sector since launching his brand 25 years ago.

Sephora, the world’s leading beauty retailer, has just reported double digit growth across almost all regions of the globe. How do they do it? According to the chief executive it all boils down to four strategies that brands and small retailers can also implement.

Over recent years so many artistic or niche perfumery brands have used stock bottles but now there is a definite shift that focuses on the flacon and the cap. Whether seen as a vehicle to reinforce the brand identity or crafted into an object of beauty that becomes collectible, the vessel selected to contain a perfume sends important visual messages about the juice within.