Esxence 2022 The Art of Perfumery Event Report + Best of Show Giveaway Part 3

June 27, 2022August 28, 2022

Emmanuelle’s Esxence 2022 The Art of Perfumery Event Press pass …©Emmanuelle Varron

Esxence 2022 The Art of Perfumery Event was my first real fragrance trade show. I usually organize with a few friends “olfactory marathons” where we spend almost the whole day in different districts of Paris to discover the latest launches, both in boutiques and in department stores. But Esxence is sooo much bigger. Imagine a huge exhibition center with more than 270 brands announced, add at least thirty others that came as visitors or those who took suites in a hotel. It was impossible to smell everything in only four days; not to mention that due to the absence of the fair since 2019 many of us developed relationships via email or social networks and often meeting for the first time in real life And finally, I let you imagine strolling through the aisles with my dear colleagues Ermano, Ida and Karl (impossible to walk two meters without stopping to greet, kiss and talk about perfumes).

Esxence 2022 The Art of Perfumery Event entrance… Through the Mirror the best place to take a picture! ©Emmanuelle Varron with my CaFleureBon colleagues who attended

Even though I was discovering Esxence, I understood how important the show is to perfume lovers, brands and distributors. After 3 years of waiting and absence: I could feel all the happiness that everyone had in finding each other. Few days before in Paris, I was talking with some brands that had planned to be present, and I felt that there were a lot of expectations, in terms of business of course, but also to speak to each other “in vivo”. And once there, I understood: Esxence is a huge confectionery shop where you want to taste everything, but don’t know where to start. And the gluttony does not weaken, from the first to the last day!

At Esxence, there were brands that I had never heard of, others that I knew by name but whose fragrances I had never tried and finally those with whom I already had the chance to build great relationships. The most difficult thing was to select among the first ones which might interest me. For the second, I had checked off a lot of stands to visit. And for the latter, it was an opportunity to greet each other and sometimes, thanks to privileged relationships, to discover future releases unveiled in dribs and drabs.

CaFleureBon Best of Show

Esxence 2022 The Art of Perfumery Event trends: I did not feel there was a particular Esxence 2022 The Art of Perfumery Event trend, but rather a multitude, legacies of the last two years when many brands have redesigned their offer to be more in line with our modern times:

This is not really a new trend, but I felt that honoring nature both in fragrances and packaging, is no longer considered obscure, but on the contrary breathes modernity and beauty in perfumes. Parfumeurs du Monde, Hiram Green or Floratropia booths attracted many people.

The “classic” perfumery raw materials regain the spotlight, magnified and twisted in a modern interpretation: Histoires de Parfums Encens Roi (incense), The Different Company Dance of Dawn (patchouli), L’Orchestre Parfum Vetiver Overdrive, or Mark Buxton Why not a fougère.

The multiplication of collections within the same brand: different packaging and varied inspirations which make it possible to vary the suggestions, to open up new territories; brands no longer hesitate to generalize the creation of short collections with strong themes such as Pierre Guillaume, Carner Barcelona, Les Bains Guerbois, Nomenclature, UERMI…

From left to right: 100% natural French brand Floratropia, Histoires de Parfums Encens Roi, L’Orchestre Parfum founder Pierre Guguen presenting Vetiver Overdrive, The Different Company Dance of Dawn, the new Summer Journey Carner Barcelona collection, the new UERMI Solaro collection – ©Emmanuelle Varron

Favorite Esxence 2022 The Art of Perfumery Event brands: Nōse Perfumes, a nine perfumes (including three collaborations) Russian brand with a very poetic visual universe, inspired by the Russian olfactory heritage with strong character produced in limited series of 33 ml bottles. Timur Solodov, its founder and also perfumer, moved me with the sophistication of his olfactory and visual universe. Very shy, he nevertheless delivers in his perfumes a raw and intense creative energy. I retained one of his creations in my favorites, but I could have put many others, so much I was seduced by the uniqueness of his collection.

Headspace: Nicolas Chabot, who already brought back to life historic French brand Le Galion and created Æther, unveiled Headspace, his new brand with refined bottles (created by Pierre and Jules Dinand) in tribute to this technology which makes it possible to extract unattainable molecules that cannot be extracted nor distillated by reconstituting its natural environment. Seven fragrances with a nod to raw materials associated with the pleasures of our daily lives.

Olibanum, Histoires de Parfums founder Gérald Ghislain new brand. I had already discovered it a few weeks ago in Paris, but Esxence was its international debut. They are eighteen perfumes with a common note of olibanum. Each is a standalone but is meant for layering, at very affordable prices and format and eco-responsible right down to the packaging.

From left to right: Timur Solodov (Nōse Perfumes founder and perfumer), Nicolas Chabot (founder of Headspace) and some Olibanum brand bottles – ©Emmanuelle Varron

My 10 favorite Esxence 2022 The Art of Perfumery Event perfumes: A few tuberoses, of course: Nōse Perfumes Day Off (chypre and resinous), Headspace Tubéreuse (with a hint of tobacco, galbanum and vanilla), Cristian Cavagna’s Murice Imperiale (with marine facets).

The spiritual Elementals Tong Ren (created by CaFleureBon Contributor Alexandre Isaïe Helwani), the very green Nomenclature Palmetto, the surprising Jacques Fath Vetiver Gris and the no less original Houbigant Figuier Noir, the voluptuous aromatic-woody-spicy Hiram Green Arcadia, and two balmy delights: Le Galion Ferveur and Son Venin Posthume.

I’m adding as a “bonus” a few releases planned for the last quarter of 2022 and spring 2023 that I was asked not to reveal but which won me over: a beautiful floral from Voyages Imaginaires, three blasting fragrances from J.U.S, a labdanum in all its facets by Anatole Lebreton and a comforting one from Bastille.

From left to right: Nōse Day Off, Jacques Fath Vetiver Gris, Nomenclature Palmetto, Elementals Tong Ren, Christian Cavagna Murice Imperiale, Headspace Tubéreuse, Houbigant Figuier Noir, Hiram Green Arcadia, Le Galion Ferveur and Son Venin Posthume – ©Emmanuelle Varron.

The coolest Esxence 2022 The Art of Perfumery Events “off” site: Naomi Goodsir (and Artistic Director partner Renaud Coutaudier), who redecorated a hotel suite to make it look like their own work studio (even taking down from the wall the existing paintings). I already knew all of the brand’s perfumes and I was lucky enough to know the couple who had invited Bertrand Duchaufour. It’s always a pleasure to immerse yourself in their universe, both design and sophisticated, for a special moment. And they are part of the sweetest persons you can find in the industry.

The famous Argentinian perfumer Julian Bedel Fueguia 1833 boutique, which pays homage through its perfumes to South American nature, rich in aromatic and medicinal raw materials. A magical place where the bottles and vials are arranged by olfactory family and which is full of wonders, like a return to the essentials. In addition to the very cozy interior environment, this visit allowed me to see the Duomo located a few meters away.

On the top: Naomi Goodsir suite. On the bottom: Fueguia 1833 boutique – ©Emmanuelle Varron

Most moving reunions with those I had not seen for a long time: Brand founder Neela Vermeire, who was there with a brand new collection entitled Fragments by NVC, inspired by the months of isolation resulting from the pandemic; perfumer Sultan Pasha, who always carries with him small vial bags of his latest creations – I was able to discover his Zoologist Sacred Scarab, but also a unique fragrance he composed for Visiteur… whose founder Janne Rainer Vuorenmaa was also around; Parfumeurs du Monde founders Thierry Bernard and his partner Gwenaelle Chauvin, whom I visited every day, just for the pleasure of kissing them, Pierre Guillaume with whom I had a few interesting talks about the perfume industry. And then those I meet more or less regularly in Paris, depending on the events: perfumers Isabelle Doyen, Nathalie Feisthauer, Olfactive Studio founder Céline Verleure, Essential Parfums founder Géraldine Archambault, perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour, Jovoy Paris founder and owner François Hénin founder Etienne de Swardt and the new Etat Libre d’Orange Frustration created by Mathilde Bijaoui which will be released worldwide in September or even Les Bains Guerbois founder Jean-Pierre Marois (who unveiled Raku, a perfume inspired by Japanese earthenware, scheduled for this fall 2022).

With Essential Parfums founder Géraldine Archambault (©Isabelle Larignon), Etat Libre d’Orange Etienne de Swardt (©Etienne de Swardt) and Les Bains Guerbois founder Jean-Pierre Marois (©Emmanuelle Varron).

The most original Esxence 2022 The Art of Perfumery Event experience: Italian brand Cale invited the CaFleureBon team to discover its two new fragrances through a 3D universe immersion mixing image, music and perfume. An original way to understand the creative process and discover the olfactory universe using not only our sense of smell, but also our sight and hearing. I would like to add as a bonus the presence of Versailles based L’Osmothèque (Ida’s report coming soon) who was offering visitors the opportunity to smell more than a hundred historical perfumes from its own archives. My favorite was 1944 Piguet Bandit!

The coolest bottle: Italian brand Step Aboard, that look like (and spray like) spray paint all created by Bertrand Duchaufour, pay homage to the metro stations of Milan and London.

The most amazing story about an Esxence 2022 The Art of Perfumery Event perfume creation: Jacques Fath Artistic director Rania Naïm told me how Jean-Christophe Hérault kept in touch with her through her Instagram account passionately willing to work for the brand during the last Parisian confinement. Accustomed to collaborating with independent perfumers, Rania Naïm initially refused. The IFF perfumer didn’t waiver and told Madame Naïm he had specifically worked on a vetiver in the spirit of Jacques Fath Iris Gris: she finally agreed to meet him and was offered a few samples to bring with her for family holidays. Her husband and son tried it and loved it so much that it convinced Rania Naïm that there was room for Vétiver Gris in the Jacques Fath collection. Jean-Christophe Hérault recognizes that he made a real hold-up… Bravo for his perseverance!

From lest to right: dinner with the whole Le Jardin Retrouvé and CaFleureBon teams (©DR), perfumer Anatole Lebreton (©Emmanuelle Varron), Eris Parfums founder Barbara Herman (©Emmanuelle Varron) and Olya Bar and myself (©Olya Bar).

My most beautiful Esxence 2022 The Art of Perfumery Event encounters: I fell in love with Eris Parfums a few years ago, even before the New-York brand was available in France. And magic of social networks, I had the chance to discuss with Barbara Herman, its founder. Esxence 2022 The Art of Perfumery Event was the opportunity to finally see each other and also to meet perfumer Antoine Lie, with whom she forms a magical duo. How not to mention Deana Wyland Fries, founder of Elementals, a brand inspired by feng-shui, nature and well-being? Or the Grossmith family, heiress to one of the biggest names in English perfumery, with whom we had a long chat between two visits. Anatole Lebreton, whose workshop is based about fifteen kilometers from my mother’s house, in the south of France. There was also this dinner organized by Le Jardin Retrouvé Clara and Michel Gutsatz with the entire brand team and my colleagues Ermano, Ida and Karl who are also part of my beautiful Esxence 2022 The Art of Perfumery Event encounters , since we were together for the first time. Editor colleague Olya Bar and former contributor Cristian Marianciu, and his inimitable and beautiful cranes that I only knew through Instagram… and our reviews for CaFleureBon.

Last minute Esxence 2022 The Art of Perfumery Event discoveries: Saturday morning (18^th June) was the last hours of Essence 2022 and therefore the last chance to make some final discoveries. First there was Maison Tahité (which is not – yet distributed – in Paris) and its Carnal Cacao. Nishane with its new Time Capsule Collection: four perfumes with names inspired by Esperanto. I also learned that the brand was planning to open a boutique in Paris in 2023. Finally, Genyum, a Barcelona brand that promotes artistic professions by creating a well-identified olfactory universe for each of them.

My wishes for the 2023 edition: First that our leader and Editor-in Chief Michelyn Camen will be there as she was missed by so many and that the energy and good vibes of the Esxence 2022 The Art of Perfumery Event edition will be still present and with the same intensity!

Emmanuelle Varron, Senior Editor and Paris Brand Ambassador

Thanks to the generosity of brands that Emmanuelle met at Esxence 2022 The Art of Perfumery Event, we have a mystery bag with many samples selected for one registered reader in the EU, USA, UK. You must register or your entry will not count. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what surprised you in Emmanuelle’s Esxence 2022 The Art of Perfumery Event review and where you live. Draw closes 7/1/22.

Read more about Esxence 2022 from Karl Topham and Ermano Picco.

Please read Lauryn Beer’s review of Hiram Green Arcadia where there is a bottle draw