If you miss the days of small fragrance fairs, then this is the one for you! Just over 40 British brands were present at the low key Barnes Fragrance Fair, now in its fourth year. The one day event, which also featured workshops and panel talks, is a democratic space for brands to get exposure and meet the public.

For a few years now Essencional has been watching how AI is seeping into our industry. We bring you the latest from Osmo who is launching their Olfactory Intelligence platform, an AI-driven system designed to support fragrance formulation, development and manufacturing. Click through to the article for the full story.

The way consumers discover, wear and interact with scent has changed drastically in just five years. Not only a means of self-expression it’s also a subject of discussion and social exchange. This article points out five trends marking fragrance today from scent-stacking to personalization to slow perfumery – a topic to be explored at Esxence next month.

Fragrance house Iberchem has created an immersive experience where visitors can literally travel across Spain by way of their nose. The installation, which includes 8 fragrances created by in-house perfumers, is a way for the public to discover the nation’s perfume culture and olfactory heritage.

Brand founder David Benedek looks forward to spending more time on creative endeavors while leaving the day to day to team members. In this article he talks about some of the priorities he’ll address in the coming years. Surprisingly, his strategy includes slowing the launch calendar and further developing existing successful scents.

Did you know that flowers were originally planted in Grasse to cover the stench coming from leather production? Now under the direction of mayor Jerome Viaud, the city has been declared a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Site, and it’s experiencing a revival and renewal while preserving centuries old perfume traditions.

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?