Exotic Brands from New Lands. New Brands from Exotic Lands.

I must start with a key explanation of the usage of the word ‘exotic’ and of the angle chosen for the article. Here, exotic* does not convey a colonial condescending view of selected countries but quite the opposite as the intent of the article is to put the light on ‘new’ lands and less known brand fragrances. There is no spirit of revolution either, or revenge, against the past colonial times from these brand founders who are at peace with their times and focus on revealing to the world the beauty of their country by translating it into perfumes. The founders have the renowned richness of ingredients from their lands and a vastness of inspirations in their hands, historical, cultural, geographical and original in the end. Exotic has therefore a positive connotation as it has the attraction of an unknown different world. In this instance, a fragrance makes us travel to a place somewhere in the distance where we have not been, at least not all of us. So, if you have not had the chance to visit a country belonging to the article selection, well, the scented discovery may serve as a splendid introduction to a land’s beauty and cultural unity.

A Fragrance as the Main Entrance into a ‘New’ Land.

Now that we have entered our new spaces, I need to underline which perspective I am not going to delve into. You may expect a post-Esxence article with a usual description of the olfactive trends noticed during the exploration of the fair. I could cover diverse trends like the fruity** notes, the ‘neo- gourmands,’ mineral vanillas, fresh aquatic, vivid greens and tonka bean making a strong appearance in new fragrances. I could even say that it is less evident this year to capture trends as it seems that brands focus more on their own story and coherent logic with their own positioning and story telling when chiselling a new release. This is a good ‘non-trend event’ in my opinion, and I suspect the reason is the dynamic of competition, a way to demonstrate one’s unique story, as a sheer matter of survival. So, you will not read any line on trends but instead will find captivating stories of brands, founders’ dreams full of buoyant ambitions. All look at the future with a large smile and I can only smile back at them positively; I am in awe of their adventurer spirit, of their raw passion for ‘their land’ and how their stance is captured into a fragrance.

No Perfume Trends. Only Stories of Brands.

Now is the time for travelling Westward from Milan and I invite you to discover six emblems or brand | destination tandems: Blackcliff | Barbados, Pesade | South Korea, Śasva | India, Indo Atma | Indian Subcontinent, Aura of Kazakstan, and Scent of Africa | Ghana.

‘Blackcliff’. A Scented Life from a Solid Cliff.

Here we are, we have set foot on Barbados, a small Caribbean island of stunning beauty surrounded by a crystalline sea. Instead of blue waters, the first impression of the brand at Esxence is made of a vision of a black cliff. The name of the brand, ‘Blackcliff’ represents indeed not only the geography but also the essence of the island. The fact that ‘we live on a cliff’ surrounded by the sea explains to me Tomilson Bynoe, shapes our strong character and free spirit. As the brand founder and creative director from Barbados himself, he wanted people who smell the perfumes to say ’we never smelled anything like this’ while at the same time feel unapologetically confident. ‘We are not for everyone’ carries on explaining Tomilson; our perfumes are for those who are not afraid to be leaders. I believe this level of strength is achieved when all the brand elements are coherent; black, is the colour of the cliff at night while white is the color under the sunlight and so, the color of the perfume bottle matches the chosen theme and angle. It is with an American perfumer, Kyle Mott-Kannenberg that the brand developed most of its curated collection of luxury extraits de parfums with a retail price of 325 euros. When I smelled ‘Vanilla Siren’ and ‘Sexy Eyes’ - the second dedicated to the wife of the founder- I clearly understood that I had reached a peak, the top of the cliff so to speak. With a much bigger stand for its second year at Esxence, the brand aims to further expand in Europe from its robust base in the Caribbean and the US. For Tomilson, Barbados is home and his brand foundation, when for us Blackcliff has become our cornerstone.

We have travelled a long way from Barbados and reached South Korea to explore a different philosophy, color codes and scented forms.

Pesade 45-degree Angle, a Scent Perfect Balance.

You might not know what ‘Pesade’ means as it is a specific term used to define the movement of a horse when it lifts its forelegs in the air at a 45-degree angle. The brand aims precisely to capture this unique moment as a symbol of perfect harmony between power and balance. Every year, the brand writes a new chapter in a trilogy of fragrance, carefully crafted to be combined with one another for an ultimate balance. Through perfumes, Mok Young-kyo, the brand founder, has the aspiration to allow us to find our own centre all along our life’s journey. Founded in Seoul in 2022, the brand has many boutiques in South Korea and is now expanding internationally with a flagship opened in Milan early 2026. For its second presence at Esxence, the house focus is on the Middle East, the USA and Europe at large. Mok’s presence at Esxence further contributed to highlight his graphic aesthetic background which came across beautifully, with a perfect harmony between colors, shapes and last but not least perfume story. A serene blue and a pale yellow permeated the stand with a feeling of peacefulness while the fluid space gave a sense of openness. I was taken aback by the beauty of my layering experience of Chapter III the ‘Lovers’; Lay Figure, Rose Veils, and Blue Eye Shadow, the three eaux de parfum mixed in pure harmony. All the brand development happens in South Korea with the contribution of expert perfumers from IFF, Mane and Givaudan. The collection features two perfume formats, 30ml and 100ml, with a retail price between 80 and 95 euros for the small one and between 160 and195 euros for the bigger one. Pesade is also ‘writing’ its scented story made of an unlimited harmony in complementary collections for the body and home; giving us a new space vision ‘in the air’.

Śavsa. A Contemporary Perfume Journey in Young India.

‘Śavsa’ in Sanskrit means ‘praiseworthy’ and it is the word that the brand chose to represent its identity with its corresponding logo, a drawing inspired by the thousand petals of the lotus flower, a symbol of supreme consciousness and universal mind. The aspiration of Sriman Subramanian, the young brand founder, is clear; Śavsa is an offering of treasures from India, of its cultural plurality, of its richness in fragrance ingredients, of its artistic opulence, in poetry, music, film… It is a universal celebration of life, full of beauty, sensuality and modernity. ‘Young India’ seems to sum up what the brand stands for, a young Indian team based in Chennai, with a young style and spirit. Sriman tells me that he did not want to copy a European or Arabic brand albeit composed beautifully but was adamant to craft a native perfume brand aimed at modern Indians and cosmopolitan travellers alike, travelling with style during a life journey including fragrance. Like a stunning piece of garment, Śavsa’s scents ‘wear’ a key Indian ingredient and have been developed by talented perfumers; Hamid Merati-Kashani, Jordi Fernández, Gaël Montero, Luca Maffei, to name a few. With a retail price of 175 euros, the 13 perfumes can be seen like fashion collections, the first Forbidden Words and Fruits du Paradis, then Notti di Goa and the last one Saaqi. Launched in 2022, the brand is coming for the third time at Esxence with as a main objective to meet its existing partners from its 30 countries of distribution. My unscheduled visit was blessed with the traditional Indian spirit of generosity stirred by a modern sense of flexibility; I was first offered a happy large smile with an Indian sweet delicacy before a sensuous olfactory experience. My memory cannot forget ‘Cheeni Baby’, my senses captured and indulged in its soft pink shade, its milky and creamy note. It is an utterly lovely ‘baby’, young at heart like the brand.

Indo Atma, The Soul of the Indian Subcontinent.

India belongs to a region called the ‘Indian subcontinent’, a subregion of Asia, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka geographically bounded by the Himalayas in the North and the Indian Ocean in the South. This whole region is the inspiration of the brand ‘Indo Atma’, the ‘soul’ of the subcontinent. Indo Atma is brand-new, out of the ‘creative lab’ with a ‘National Geographic’ picture on its website, and a headline ‘Spring 2026, Be the first to know when we launch’ while the perfumes were just ready for Esxence. The brand is from the US, Miami precisely, only for one reason; it is the current home location of the founder Arastu Sharma who has previously lived in many world cities, studied multiple topics, music, neurobiology, healthcare before going back to his roots with a perfume itinerary covering a vast region of exploration. His loving quest for ingredients from the region has no limits, Oud from Bangladesh, Kadamba from Northern India, Cardamom and Clove from Kashmir, Ginger and Cypriol from Central India, Davana, Tuberose and Champaca from Southern India ... beautiful raw materials mostly Givaudan Orpur® used by Jordi Fernandez, Shyamala Maisondieu, Gaël Montero, and Mylène Alran when creating the perfume collection. Esxence was like a preview, a great opportunity to test the brand appeal which by Friday when I met Arastu had been happily confirmed by the excellent feedback received from multiple markets. The 6 extraits de parfum, with a 30% concentration, sell at 295 euros and are presented in 4 collections; Heritage, Gourmand, Landscape, and Divine. "Kashmiri Chai" brewed with rich spices, milk, almond, and pistachio diffused its sensuous tempting delicacy while from the blue Divine collection, "Eternal Midnight" with notes of Night Blooming Jasmine and Jasmine Sambac shined with exceptional stunning beauty.

Aura of Kazakstan, The Mantra of the 'Great Steppe' Land

Aura of Kazakhstan was the first Kazakh perfume brand to launch in 2020 and was immediately awarded with prestigious prices, best product of Kazakstan and best niche bottle at the FIFI Russia. Julia Lukyanenko, creative director explains that the brand is a tribute to the land of ‘Kazakhstan’, or ‘Great Steppe’ in the old language, to its ancient traditions, to the free nomadic spirit of its people, children of the sky and the sun. The logo is a symbol of the Kazakh steppe, a wheel represents the nomadic lifestyle, and the legendary Tree of Life goes up to the ‘aura’ or "sun-headed beings". Each crystal hand polished bottle is adorned with a leather cord and a handcrafted pendant with the form of an ancient trading coin made of copper, brass, and bronze and finished with a pure gold coating. With its first presence at Esxence, the brand is looking to open new European markets from its solid home base. The 12 perfumes are available in different formats, cardboard box, wooden box, gift set box including a scarf, in 18ml and 95 ml sizes, with a price range between 42 and 450 euros. Sarah McCartneys travelled in the country to capture the spirit of the native land before working on the first perfume creation of the brand, ‘Heart of Alma-Ata’; a spectacular fragrance with sweet orchard fruits from the plain balanced with herbs and honey from the mountain wind. Other prestigious perfumers have contributed to the 3 collections and the new release ‘Silence of the Lakes’ presented at the fair is from Bertrand Duchaufour. The smell of gasoline of ‘Black Gold’, featuring the country’s oil production, and the delicate floral note of the ‘Land of the Tulips’ are stunning portraits of Kazakhstan’s landscapes. Aura of Kazakhstan is truly mesmerizing, it triggers vivid emotions, as if hearing poetic songs, authentic tales of a land’s beauty.

Scent of Africa. Legends of Africa Exposed From Ghana.

In 2022, Tanal Ghandour founded Scent of Africa, the first fragrance house from Ghana, as a tribute to the beauty of Africa and its people with a firm intent to exhibit African ingredients like the fresh leaves of Buchu from South Africa featured in the perfume Laïka. The brand has a concept of scents duos and from the initial two fragrances launched, now counts a total of 10 perfumes. The luxury collection “Eternal Legends” by Scent of Africa is a creation by the hands of worldwide acclaimed perfumers. With passion, the brand reveres ancient legends, unique African mythologies and gods’ stories. Scent of Africa believes in a divine balance, between a story of a goddess and a god paired in two fragrances. Anancy and Assaye, the new duo release complements each other in harmony; Anansi, the storyteller god, a symbol of cleverness and creativity is a powerful sandalwood composition by Dominique Preyssas while Assaye from ‘Asase Yaa’, the Earth and love goddess in Akan Ghanaian culture, is a delicious vanilla creation by Julien Rasquinet. I found out that one can dare to ‘challenge’ the gods, by embodying the fragrance of a man or vice versa. As Ayla from the team of Scent of Africa, I was taken aback by ‘Fik’, inspired by Abassi, the god of the Efik people of Nigeria, by its opening of spices followed by a sensual wood shining in the night. Beyond the perfumes, the brand design seems to play with all the senses, the beautiful colours of the perfumes, the shapes of the bottles, with the caps and blotters representing the African continent; to no surprise Scent of Africa has received 2 design awards. The 8 scents of the collection have 3 formats, 10ml, 50ml and 100ml, with a retail price of 24, 86 and 146 euros. For the brand, Esxence marks its international expansion from Africa towards Europe and the USA.

The 2026 Esxence ‘Exposition Universelle’ in Milan.

This year, Esxence appeared as a ‘Universal Exhibition’ with countries showing their skills and cultural specificities in stunning ‘Pavilions’: Barbados, South Korea, India, the Indian Subcontinent, Kazakstan, and Ghana was only my extraction of the whole ‘attraction’. It was an exhibition of perfume achievements from many different nations, a true display of wonders in the art of making perfumes.

Thank you Esxence for a brilliant exploration inside your ‘Exposition Universelle’. I have discovered magnificent treasures and will continue dreaming of the new lands, of my gems from New & Exotic Lands and New & Exotic Brands.

*Paul Gauguin, exotic landscape

**See my article https://www.essencional.com/en/posts/getting-the-gist-of-the-2026-new-perfume-offerings/