Rosalía's LUX smells like dates, gasoline, & brown sugar
+FRAGRANCE EVENTS!
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Hi friends, it’s Nadia! 💌 Spring is almost upon us (although it may not feel like it today). The scent world has been busy while I’ve been a little quiet. Today’s newsletter covers: a roundup of events, fragrance news, and things that caught my nose lately.
UPCOMING EVENTS—
The Witch Launch Event at Stéle, 3/13 (password: magic)
Perfume Swap in Brooklyn, 3/14
Scent & Culture Series (Online), 3/14
FRAGRANCE WEEK ON MADISON AVENUE 📍 March 21 — 27
To celebrate International Fragrance Day (March 21) The Fragrance Foundation and Madison Avenue B.I.D. are hosting their 2nd Fragrance Week Experience. Luxury boutiques—including Creed, Diptyque, Parfums de Marly, D.S. & Durga, Fueguia 1833, and Granado—will offer exclusive events, immersive scent experiences, and special promotions.We’re working on a Tea Flight + Fragrance Experience at cha& for 3/21 - follow us on IG to stay updated!
Tinctures & Absolutes for Perfumers (Online), 3/24
FUMED INDIE PERFUME EXPO📍CHICAGO March 28 — 29
FUMED is the latest indie expo to enter the fragrance world. But from the onset, you can tell they’re not trying to be Esxence or ScentXplore. Started by Kyle Mott-Kannanberg (founder and perfumer behind Blend, the umbrella brand for OSM perfume), the expo is only open to independently run fragrance houses — no brands backed by venture capital.
Their ethos reads:“Our mission is to strip away the carnival bazaar noise and return the focus to the perfume in the bottle and the hands that made it. By creating a democratic, level playing field for independent brands and perfumers, we foster an environment where a first-time nose and a seasoned veteran stand on equal ground.”
This comes at a moment when the fragrance world is rapidly shifting. Enthusiasts are increasingly moving away from designer releases and VC-backed “indie” brands, and gravitating toward truly independent, perfumer-led houses. That sentiment has been supercharged recently by debates within the fragrance community about AI imagery in perfume marketing—spoiler: most fragheads hate it —and people getting far more intentional about where their money and their nose go. Perfume has always been political; this is just the beginning.
Exhibitors include Amphora Parfum, Blackcliff, CLST Perfumes, MITTI Parfum, Jean Robert, Pearfat Parfum, Perfume Who, Syd Botanica, The Alloy Studio — and more. Many friends of Perfumeverse will be there — let us know if you’re going! 🎟 Tickets are still available!
UPCOMING APRIL EVENTS—
Solid Perfume Workshop, 4/04
Not-A-Normal Spring Market, 4/10-4/12, 4/17-4/19
Scent & Style with Jessica Murphy , 4/28
Our perfume club New York Nose was tagged in Dazed Beauty’s feature on the global rise of “perfume clubs.” READ HERE! The piece highlights scent communities forming everywhere from London to Berlin, New York to Wrocław, Helsinki to Newcastle — and we were thrilled to see New York Nose representing the NYC scene.
I can’t get this Dior J’Adore and Poison vintage shoulder bag in the current season of my life right now, but one of you can and should.
British fragrance house Perfumer H lands a $4.5M investment from Elixir 1 Investment (led by former Aesop CEO Michael O’Keeffe) and Ilyos Capital, headed by former Aesop general manager Thomas Buisson, according to Business of Fashion.
Estée Lauder Cos. Sues Jo Malone, Zara Over Jo Loves Fragrance Collab. LOL.
The Fragrance Files is a new podcast from the NYC community and friend Michelle (@michysmells), joined by another friend, Josh. It’s honestly a breath of fresh air to hear fragrance conversations from people who are deeply in the community but also speaking from the consumer perspective, and from Michy’s vantage point working at Stéle. Listen to their latest episode on the Politics of Perfume.
According to Byrdie, these are the perfumes you need if you want to smell like a “pornstar martini.” Spoiler: it’s all passionfruit-coded.
What does Rosalía smell like?
Rosalía is one of my favorite artists — I first discovered her during MOTOMAMI and immediately fell in love with the way she blends genres and textures. Her new project LUX has moments that left me speechless, and other moments where I wish I were back in a college literature class dissecting every line. I’ll be seeing her at Madison Square Garden this June—I know it will be a divine experience.
I often find myself wondering about what Rosalía smells like, daydreaming of interviewing her for Perfumeverse, and if she uses scent in her practice of creation.
In an interview with Dazed Beauty, she described the smells that remind her of creating LUX:
“Jacaranda, new notebooks, old books, dates, argan, gasoline, burnt tire, vanilla, cigarettes, palo santo, freshly beaten butter and brown sugar, sweat, tears, blood, permanent marker, thumbtacks, cacao, popcorn, the smell of corroded metal on gym weights, lip gloss and pimentón.”
Smells like a perfume brief waiting to happen.
That’s all for today, friends! Stay warm <3
Thank you for reading, sharing, sniffing, and staying nosey. :) If you enjoyed this, please share it with someone who doesn’t use enough paprika. <3
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That somehow smells good