Frankincense, bakhoor, attars: perfume is deeply rooted in Omani culture, starting with the Latin roots of the word, per fumum, meaning through smoke. The love of fragrances can be found throughout the Middle East, inextricably linked to how people see themselves and others, to their personal values, to the social rituals that unfold in daily life or at special occasions.
Renaud Salmon, Chief Creative Officer at Amouage and Dominique Roques, perfumery ingredients sourcer, discuss the precious tree’s renaissance in Oman.
The partnership between Amouage and Oman, which aims to relaunch the local incense industry, takes place in the historical and geopolitical context of the sultanate. The brand’s intention is to contribute to the social and economic development of the country, while promoting Omani culture.
In 2022, Amouage signed a partnership with Oman’s Ministry of Heritage and Tourism to relaunch the frankincense industry in the sultanate. This initiative follows on from the inscription of the Land of Frankincense on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000. Renaud Salmon, Chief Creative Officer of the Omani fragrance house, takes up the story.
After 30 years of experience in sourcing natural products, Dominique Roques has been given a three-year mission by Amouage. He is tasked with plotting the renaissance of the frankincense industry in the Wadi Dawkah natural park in the Sultanate of Oman, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Walnuts, hazelnuts, puffed rice and toasted granola are some of the all-new gourmand notes making their way into our bottles. Let’s take a look at their botany and history, as well as the latest releases featuring them, with Mane perfumer Mathilde Bijaoui and independent perfumer Anatole Lebreton.
In many ways, leather and perfumery have a similar history, always closely linked. Leather gloves have been perfumed since ancient times, although the profession of master glover-perfumer was not given formal status until much later. At the heart of the great perfumery classics, the leather accord is now making a strong comeback. Christine Nagel, in-house perfumer at Hermès, and Céline Perdriel, perfumer at Cosmo, take a closer look.
Feminine by definition but androgynous in essence, scent has been playing a game of smoke and mirrors with sexual identity ever since the birth of Jicky. On the occasion of International Women’s Day, we invite you to rediscover an article by Denyse Beaulieu originally published in Nez, the Olfactory Magazine – #03 – The Sex of Scent.
On the occasion of the Anosmia Awareness Day this Monday, February 27, we propose you to rediscover an article by Eléonore de Bonneval and Hirac Gurden on this little known disorder and on the tried and tested rehabilitation protocols which prove that smelling sometimes equates to healing.
Who is really the author of a fragrance? While perfumers are increasingly in the limelight, the other contributors continue to remain anonymous. Why is this?
“Abandon all hope of hearing the truth, ye who enter here”: words we might well be tempted to say to the novice taking an interest in perfumery. There is no denying that inventions, secrets and lies are legion in the fragrance universe.
From open secrets to copycat lies, lies of omission to workshop secrets, here is a brief overview of the deceptive discourse employed. Because, on the one hand, we have to laugh. And, on the other hand, the cult of mystery occasionally has its reasons, and it can be interesting to explore them.
You smell them everywhere without knowing it, these mystery compounds. When, how and why did woody ambers invade perfumery? Here is our attempt at an answer for you: some facts, some history, and a healthy dose of subjectivity!
How do the different players contribute to the creation, publication and evolution of the press kit, a tool of the trade that conditions the discourse of journalists and, in turn, the image of perfumery?
To complete our series « Reinventing perfumery discourse », we offer you an article originally published in Nez, the Olfactory Magazine #12.
The independent perfumer who worked with Procter & Gamble and IFF and now creates fragrances for The Zoo, Strangelove NYC, Richmess and BéLAir Lab Tokyo is calling for a revolution in a bid to build tomorrow’s perfumery, a more ethical and more creative perfumery where the perfumer’s role as author is recognised. We talked to him.
Endless fields of Grasse roses, eco-responsible patchouli and a few drops of the loveliest organic lavender: it appears that mainstream brands fill their bottles exclusively with extracts that are ever more sustainable, ethical and mindful. What if perfumery tried a different approach to talking about its creations?
Myths, legends, misleading revelations, distorted reality: the perfumery industry has always tended to shroud itself in mystery, fostering a cult of secrecy and sometimes even disseminating lies. Has the time finally come to shift the dial?
Often used to conjure up an ocean feel, salty notes are primarily rooted in the sense of taste. An overview of how salt is interpreted in perfumery, as seen through the eyes of Aliénor Massenet (Symrise) and Cécile Matton (Mane).
Although this tropical plant has long been a classic in perfumery, it recently seems to be attracting renewed interest. An overview of its botanical roots and olfactory developments, as seen through the eyes of perfumers Marc-Antoine Corticchiato (Parfum d’empire) and Quentin Bisch (Givaudan).
As evocative as they are divisive, anise notes encompass a variety of ingredients. An overview of their olfactory interpretations, as seen through the eyes of Caroline Dumur (IFF) and Ilias Ermenidis (Firmenich).
The last few years have seen an increasing number of creations inspired by marijuana.
An overview of the olfactory interpretations of the plant, as seen through the eyes of perfumers Olivier Cresp (Firmenich) and Nicolas Beaulieu (IFF).
