Sony has developed a device to measure an individual's sense of smell. The company hopes it will eventually be used in hospitals as olfactory measurement could help in the early diagnosis of dementia. Fujita Shuji, who leads the promotion of olfactory activities at Sony, says he wants to make smells easier to manage by mechanizing their measurement and reducing the burden on examiners. He believes that because the new equipment makes olfactory measurement easier, it could be used more extensively, including for health checks.

The designer Philipp Plein has organized a meeting in his villa in Cannes for the launch of his first women's fragrance “Plein Fatale” which will be available at the end of October. The fragrance was created by Morillas, who took inspiration from the universe of Plein: "I wanted to create a joyful, exuberant and above all ultra feminine fragrance", explained Morillas. Plein Fatale will be available in three variations: Sparkling Gloss which features notes of blackcurrant and bergamot, Plein Bloom which includes floral scents of rose petals and jasmine and, finally, Fatale Fitted Dress which contains tones of sandalwood and vanilla. It is the first feminine fragrance by Plein.

The Alpha generation is made up of people born after 2010 and although it is made up mostly of children and pre-teens, it will be the 20-year-old generation in 2030. Therefore, beauty brands should now prepare to understand their interests and habits. The Alpha Generation values authenticity, personalization, sustainability and ethics. This generation is also keenly aware of the importance of equality, diversity, fluidity and inclusion, and expects these principles to be rooted in the world around them. While Generation Z prefers the offline in-store experience over the online one, if they are equivalent, things change for the Alpha generation: to be able to convince the Alpha generation, in fact, the retail experience in the store must be better than the shopping on the website.

Kilian Paris has opened a shop at the renowned Hôtel Plaza Athénée, creating an exclusive olfactory experience. The brand celebrates 15 years in business and has 34 fragrances in its collection. Over these fifteen years, the brand has created key fragrances, from Good Girl Gone Bad, to Love Don't Be Shy to Black Phantom. “We only need five fragrances to account for 50% of our business, when many of our competitors have a perfume that makes up 50, 60, sometimes 90 percent of their business” said founder Kilian Hennessy.

Feeling like a change is needed? Here are questions to ask yourself to determine whether you need to refresh or completely rebrand.

Perfumery companies are working towards greater sustainability, to make eco-friendly fragrances a reality through biodegradable packaging, a focus on social responsibility or the increasing use of synthetic raw materials.
Says fragrance expert Karen Gilber: “There is a tendency to believe that natural is safer than synthetic, and as much as I'd like it to be true, it just isn't, for example because natural materials are highly concentrated and rich in allergens".

Leading European glass maker Bormioli Luigi forges ahead with technological developments, expanded capacity and eco-responsible solutions for the future

Students at France's top fragrance schools will now be part of the evaluation team thanks to a new partnership between app The Perfumist and the ESP, ISIPCA and GIP.