BORNTOSTANDOUT has no shame when it comes to shocking names and slogans, but is there substance behind the brand? Founder Jun Lim talks about his transition from investment banker and fragrance collector to brand builder where creativity and originality are the driving forces, helped along with a little bit of luck.

Scent, like sound is a intangible but ever present. With this commonality, what happens when AI is thrown into the mix? Liquid Sound is a start-up who is creating scents based on sounds. They’ve developed a highly specialized analysis tool from which an algorithm then concocts the fragrance formula. A curious and interesting concept.

AI is becoming more the norm than the exception when it comes to fragrance creation – at least in the big houses, as a slew of creative tools are now available. But if perfume is about emotion, which these tools lack, the perfumer shouldn’t be at risk of going the way of the dinosaur? The latest thing? Pairing AI with neuroscience.

BORNTOSTANDOUT, a Korean luxury perfume brand, has completed a Series A funding round led by the U.S.-based consumer-focused venture capital firm Touch Capital and BOLD, L’Oréal’s corporate venture capital fund.

Bois de Jasmin’s Victoria Frolova recently recorded a one on one interview with master perfumer and fragrance advocate Christophe Laudamiel. She also shares Laudamiel’s newly created classification system and his descriptors which should be mandatory vocabulary for fragrance lovers. Please note there is a fee to listen to the recorded interview.

L’oreal has confirmed its position as a long term minority investor in Omani fragrance brand Amouage. The deal is a clear indication of the group’s interest in the Middle Eastern market. Amouage has become one of the most coveted artistic fragrance brand with current valuation estimated at $3 billion.

The world’s sweet tooth shows no signs of abating, at least where fragrance is concerned. In this article, brand founders and retailers weigh in on the trend and speculate if the world’s appetite for gourmands will continue to go unsated.

French cosmetics exports grew nearly 7% in 2024, led by fragrance which carried 35% of the total, topping $8 billion and registering an increase over last year of almost 14%. Interesting fun fact: one in 5 perfumes produced in France is exported to the US. Other regions, notably the Middle East show gains while China posted a decrease. Nevertheless, there is growing global competition.

Circana, the global leader in consumer insight, has reported that fragrance sales in the US in 2O24 logged double digit increases both in units and dollar sales, making it the fastest growing category in beauty. Circana will be at Esxence later this week taking a deep dive into niche fragrance data for Western Europe and the US.