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.

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.

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.

We continue to ponder the question, what is truly niche? In this article the author exposes some collaborations between brands and fragrance houses while singling out other brands that are truly independent. Essencional is neutral on the topic and simply wishes to keep our readers informed of the discussions circulating on the internet.

Start-up company Exuud has a game changing plan for home fragrance. The controlled scent-release technology intrigued Estee Lauder who is now an investor. Together they are exploring new ways to elevate the efficacy of home scent while liberating the perfumer to have a wider palette of ingredients.

The tradeshow dedicated to innovation and design in packaging just closed its’ doors with record-breaking attendance. The addition of the Pentawards Festival, the world’s leading packaging design competition, was a key attraction. The fair also included numerous workshops where sustainability, innovation, AI and regulatory topics were discussed.