The Institute for Art and Olfaction has announced the list of finalists for the Golden Pears this year. Every year the jury goes through a meticulous, blind evaluation selection process to identify excellence among the independent, artisan and experimental perfumer and community. The awards ceremony will be held in Athens on June 11th. See the article for the full list of finalists.

The Chinese fragrance market boasts double digit increases with two platforms seeing similar sales volume. However, unit sales vary drastically: Tmall sells more higher priced international, niche brands where volume comes from lower priced SKUs but revenue comes from more expensive references. Douyin champions domestic brands at low price points.

The spotlight is on Nigeria where an affluent clientele has a thirst for luxury goods like fragrance, and an appreciation for artisan perfumes. As niche brands such as Maison Crivelli and Clive Christian enter the market in selective distribution prioritizing shops who align with their brand identities, the domestic client will be able to buy at home, rather than when travelling.

In this article, the author writes: “Sometimes I wonder how much of online fragrance culture is actual discovery and how much is algorithm disguised as discovery.” I’ve often wondered the same question: with the thousands of scents on the market, why do we keep seeing the same ones? Do any journalists have faith in their own choices or are they blindly following the others like sheep to the trough?

We recently brought you an article about myrrh so let’s follow it up with frankincense, another ingredient dating back to Biblical times. This precious gum was long traded at the same price as gold. Learn about the historic harvesting techniques that don’t endanger the trees, many of which are over one thousand years old.

The US branch of the Fragrance Foundation honored Michael Edwards, founder of Fragrances of The World, at their annual awards luncheon. Here he talks about his 40+ year career where he and his team have classified and matched over 60,000 fragrances. NOTE: Michael will be interviewed at Esxence on Thursday, June 4th. Mark your calendar now!

The Japanese approach to perfumery may be characterized by gentle restraint, a straightforward use of ingredients and a subtle projection. At J-Scent, authorship is a team effort where trend-driven development has no place, and where fragrance is designed for proximity.