Today, I wanted to begin a new series exploring specific notes found in nature and how we recreate them in perfumery. While this series will occasionally venture into fantasy accords, the goal is to deepen our understanding of perfumery as a whole and remind ourselves that creativity should never have limitations. The first note we'll explore is one of my personal favorites: rose. Rose holds a very special place in my heart. I grew up surrounded by rose bushes, cutting fresh blooms as a child to bring to my grandmother, who always seemed to smell of roses herself. To this day, that aroma immediately brings back those memories. Most people think of rose as a single, linear scent. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth. Nature is far more complex than that. Before we talk about roses specifically, it's important to understand why flowers are fragrant in the first place. Floral aromas evolved primarily to attract pollinators. Different flowers produce different combinations of aromatic molecules that appeal to particular insects, birds, or other pollinating animals. This incredible diversity is why flowers can smell so vastly different from one another. Some are fresh, dewy, and unmistakably floral, while others can smell surprisingly spicy, fruity, citrusy, green, or even reminiscent of licorice or melon. Over the years, I've spent countless hours visiting nurseries, botanical gardens, and dedicated rose gardens, studying hundreds of different cultivars. My goal wasn't simply to admire them—it was to understand how roses actually smell in nature rather than relying on the simplified idea of "rose" that perfumery often presents. One observation I've made is that the color of a rose often gives clues about its overall aromatic character. This certainly isn't a strict rule, and there are countless exceptions depending on the variety, but it's an interesting trend I've noticed. - Yellow Roses - Often the brightest-smelling of the group. Many have citrusy, lemony, or even melon-like nuances that can feel cheerful, sparkling, and surprisingly tropical.

A fougère can wear many faces. It can be powdery, richly coumarinic, animalic and leathery, warm and ambery, or even intensely floral. That’s part of what makes the style so fascinating—there is virtually no limit to where you can take it. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, we saw a resurgence of classically styled fougères alongside the bold return of animalic perfumery. Fragrances like YSL Kouros, Chanel Antaeus, Givenchy Gentleman, Joop! Femme, Jacques Bogart Furyo, Rochas Mystère, Paco Rabanne La Nuit, and Aramis 900 were unapologetic and unwavering in their animalic character. If you’ve smelled them, you know exactly what I’m talking about. During this era, chypres and fougères were defined by an animalic renaissance, and people embraced them. Over the years, I’ve come to appreciate animalic materials just as much—not simply for their intensity, but for the life, warmth, sensuality, and unmistakable humanity they bring to perfume. While these fragrances generally didn’t rely on natural animalics, instead leaning heavily on specialty bases and key aroma chemicals, they still created something truly unforgettable. That is where we chose to begin with this base. Our goal wasn’t to recreate an 1800s fougère, nor to make a modern interpretation. We wanted something that captured the spirit of the late ’70s and early ‘80s—a time when modern perfumery was overflowing with creativity and perfumers weren’t afraid to be bold. For this composition, we built around two classic animalic specialty bases: Tonquitone and Animalis. Both are intensely animalic, warm, sensual, and incredibly diffusive. They aren’t substitutes for natural animalics, but for achieving this particular vintage designer aesthetic, they are exactly where we wanted to start. This is honestly one of our more straightforward formulas. Every material has a purpose. Every ingredient contributes to the atmosphere we wanted to create. No gimmicks. No unnecessary complexity. Just a study in vintage elegance and nostalgia.

Hello and congratulations for taking the first step into your perfumery journey. Please introduce yourself and feel free to share a picture of your workspace or materials collection. This is a safe workspace where all are welcome. Whether just starting off or an avid perfumer, no question is too silly to ask. I am always opened to suggestions for topics and course ideas, so if you have a specific need, please feel free to reach out. Looking forward to meeting you and helping you achieve your dream of becoming a perfumer!!