Olfactory Art, An Ode to Jasmine 🤍
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Hello friends! This is Nadia 🙂 Today’s newsletter will cover: the power of smell in art, perfume popups, & my favorite jasmine body oil.
SOTD: Madurai Jasmine Body Oil, Soma Ayurvedic, paired with the Saffron Hair Elixir, Joon Haircare
I’m a white floral hoe, and I’m proud of it. Jasmine has been woven into my culture and soul for as long as I can remember. In India, it’s used to mark both celebrations and the solemn moments of life. Women wear beautiful braids of jasmine, called mogra, in their hair, especially on their wedding day. My grandma even used to make her own earrings from fresh jasmine flowers. Then there's night-blooming jasmine, known as Raat ki Rani ("queen of the night"), which is so cherished that some people dream of having it planted by their graveside, letting its scent linger in their memory forever.
Jasmine sometimes gets labeled as “too grandma,” or worse—fecal and cat piss. That funky smell? It's indole—milky, a little rotten, found in white florals like tuberose and gardenia. Fracas by Robert Piguet is super indolic, while Carnal Flower is more subtle, yet both use jasmine and tuberose. One of my absolute faves is Madurai jasmine, or Jasmine Sambac. It’s lush, exotic, and known as the "queen of jasmine" for its rich, intoxicating scent. Used in everything from perfumes to wellness rituals, it’s floral but never overpowering—just the perfect balance.
When I first discovered this Jasmine body oil from Soma Ayurvedic, I thought, "$128 for 3.3 oz?!" But then I caught a sale and got my hands on it. It's pure, intoxicating Indian jasmine—luxurious and warm. Perfect for after a shower, wearing to bed, or layering under your favorite solar fragrance. It absorbs and hydrates instantly. Soma says it best: “this romantic bloom possesses an intoxicating fragrance; a natural aphrodisiac to leave your skin feeling soft and smelling divine.” Pair it with Joon Haircare’s Saffron Hair Elixir to feel like true royalty.
‘FUME NEWS | EVENTS | READS:
NYFW kicks off, and here’s a fun read about how fragrance is used at runway shows.
Apparently, they tried to mask the Gowanus Canal's smell with Christmas perfume—interesting approach.
Diptyque’s new collection, Essences by Diptyque, celebrates their 60-year heritage with scents like coral, pearl, and desert rose.
Hellmann’s has teamed up with football player Will Levis to create a fragrance inspired by mayonnaise. It features tart lemon, coffee, musk, vanilla, and a “mayonnaise accord”—a creamy, tangy note that adds an unexpected twist. I ONLY wish I could have seen the pitch for this.
I finally caught that Jazmin Yucatan by D.S. & Durga ad while watching “The Boondocks” on Hulu.
EVENTS THIS WEEK >
Scent Bar is hosting Olivier Cresp, Master Perfumer and Founder of Akro, *TODAY* Thursday, Sept 5th, 5-7pm.
Gabar is having an evening of scent exploration at Stéle on Friday, Sept 6th.
Catch SNIF with poppi at poppi world🥤🍒 this weekend (Sept 7-8) at 105 Wooster St, where their cherry cola scent will be diffused throughout the space, and you can grab samples of Soda Snob and Tart Deco. Can you guess poppi’s new scent?
Prada is having a popup for their new refillable fragrance, Paradoxe Virtual Flower, on Friday, Sept 6th.
Lancôme invites you to experience La vie est belle L’Elixir this weekend (Sept 6-8) with a blind olfactive and tasting experience
THE WHIFF OF ART
Scent is becoming a key player in art exhibitions, blending sensory experiences beyond just visual and auditory. The recent “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion” exhibition at the MET included scent, in addition to video and sound, showing how scent enhances art with immersive experiences. This trend isn't new—since at least 2015, museums have been incorporating scent to deepen the visitor experience. A standout in this realm is Sissel Tolaas, an artist dedicated to exploring and expressing the world of smell. Her work, featured in various articles, reveals how scent can evoke powerful emotional responses and create unique artistic experiences.
In other news, a new exhibition in France explores Leonardo da Vinci's lesser-known passion for perfume. Set at the Château du Clos Lucé, where Leonardo spent his final days, this exhibit combines Leonardo’s life stories with a sensory journey through Renaissance scents, including a modern take on his designs and the capturing the aroma of the black amber necklace from his painting Lady with an Ermine.
More locally, Olfactory Art Keller in NYC is a gallery entirely devoted to scent art, showcasing the growing appreciation for this olfactory dimension in the art world. It’s a must-visit for anyone intrigued by the sensory world of fragrance.
UPCOMING EVENTS >
Perfumeverse NYC is planning a trip to The Maker Hotel in Hudson, NY, in early December. Interested? Let me know by replying to this email
DEEP👃🏽DIVES >
A thought-provoking letter on the power of scent in mixed media
An autumn master list of movies, food, shows, and, of course, perfumes
That’s all, friends!
x
Nadia
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Love grandma's earrings and the sound of that oil!!