The Sniff Perfume Podcast

Vicken Arslanian didn't found Commodity Fragrances, but he did RE-found it following the brand's demise. We talk to him about what it takes to bring a brand back, what the challenges are, and how doing so has changed his outlook. Vicken teases us with brand announcements and a new fragrance coming soon. 

Strangelove make fragrances centred on oud. We discuss how a career in sustainable farming got founder, Elizabeth Gaynes, hooked on the scent and thinking about her own brand; how supermodel Helena Christensen got involved; and how perfumer Christophe Laudamiel helped bring the vision to life. If oud is your thing then this episode is a must!

Freddie Albrighton is embracing a punk aesthetic with perfumery. This tattooist turned perfumer launched a brand at the height of the pandemic to community acclaim. We discuss how he turns the smell of beef broth into custard, and how he is intrigued by the smell of a dead body doused in perfume, as well as his brand and their new release, Someone Else's Flowers. 

We talk to Claire Sokell Thompson from luxury fragrance brand Electimuss to discover what it takes to build a high class, high price brand from the ground up. What do your customers want when they are paying a high price for the scent? And how do you ensure that they remain satisfied? Is the market over saturated, and if so, how do you ensure that your brand stands out? We discuss all this and more in this wide-ranging discussion. 

We speak to multimedia artist, perfumer and brand owner Sarah Baker about her extraordinary life. She's worked with Jackie Collins and recently collaborated with Donatella Versace and Helena Christensen. We discuss what her art is, how she creates, and just what these superstar celebrities were like on set. This revealing conversation is a glimpse inside the world of super luxury but also high creativity. 

We talk to Marina Barcenilla, a renowned indie perfumer and space scientist. We discover what space smells like and discuss her two lines, Marina Barcenilla Perfumes and AromAtom which is all about the scents of space. So, if you have ever found yourself wondering what the moon might smell of (spoiler alert: it isn't cheese) then this episode is a must listen!

There are many careers within the fragrance industry that most people won't have ever even heard of. In today's episode we are joined by Laetitia Sida, a brand manager with Per Scent. We discuss what her work entails, how she takes brands from concept to launch, and what her average Monday is like! Through our conversation, we uncover this hidden facet of the fragrance industry and get a glimpse into the brand manager's world. 

Gallivant make perfumes inspired by charismatic cities from around the world. We meet with founder, Nick Steward, to find out which cities have had the biggest impact on him, why he chooses the cities he does for his line, and what might come next for this exciting young brand. 

Layering: is it just marketing or can it be a genuine way of personalising your scent? We speak to Bella from Contradictions in Ilk about what it was like launching a brand in the middle of Brexit and a pandemic, what Cassanova's pants smelled like, and that all important layering question.

Aurelien Guichard is one of France's top-flight perfumers. He has worked for brands like Nina Ricci, Guerlain, Gucci, Issey Miyaki and many more. Coming from a family who have been in and around the perfume industry for several generations, Aurelien talks about his life as a perfumer, as a grower of rose centifolia on his organic farm in Grasse, and as the head of his own perfume company, Matiere Premiere. We discover what is next for this vibrant brand, which showcases and overdoses a single main ingredient in each of their compositions and learn about life as one of the world's hottest talents today. 

In this episode we get to know sleek, sexy and modern brand 27 87 by talking to their founder, Romy, as she gets ready to launch the seventh fragrance in her line. We get hints on what to expect from the new release, and reminisce together about how lovely freshly made mint tea is!

In this episode I am joined by indie perfumer Karen Timson as we take a close look at one of her fragrances and break down the composition into individual facets. We also uncover some of Karen's scented memories and talk about what it takes to be an indie perfumer in the marketplace today. 

I talk to acclaimed writer, Stephan Matthews, about fragrance reviews, the ethics of the reviewers and influencers, and what fragrances he goes back to time and again in the vast perfume market. We touch on some challenging topics in this episode and there is one instance of minor swearing. 

We speak to Omer Ipekci from renowned indie brand Pekji, who has launched a new project. Called Disconnect, this box landed at the start of the pandemic, and explores themes of disconnection in a world which was to become increasing disconnected, but it's not all bad news as we shall see - disconnection allows for interesting forms of reconnection.   Please note: due to some technical difficulties the sound on this episode isn't perfect. Apologies. Back to normal next week!

Jorum Studio are one of Scotland's hottest perfume houses. Their fragrances are dynamic, unusual and seek to push raw materials well out of their usual tropes and cliches. We speak to the team behind Jorum Studio - Euan McCall and Chloe Mullen - about life perfuming Scotland's capital (and beyond). We discuss brand ethics, how they know what is elegant, how they work on their creative practice, and how Scotland itself helps shape the final scents. 

We look at memorable fragrances and brands, ones that really stick in the mind including scents by Angela Ciampagna, Neela Vermeire, L'Orchestre Parfum, Sarah Baker, Bedeaux, Karen Timson, January Scent Project, The House of Oud, Arquist, and Pierre Guillaume. 

What is life like as a working French perfumer in Grasse, the perfume capital of the world? We speak to Joelle Lerioux Patris, a talented and respected French perfumer about her life in Grasse, her creative process, where she finds inspiration and how she came to set up her business - Le Parfumeur Francais - which specialises in creating bespoke fragrances for clients around the globe. 

Sarah McCartney, owner of 4160 Tuesdays, has to be one of the best known names in British perfumery. We talk to this industry maverick about how she set out to lift the lid on a secretive industry, what her creative process is like, how she still finds joy in fragrance and what's next for this well-loved British brand. 

Bet you've never really given much thought to scent blotters or scent strips, those little bits of cardboard or paper that you test fragrances on? We talk to Andy Hudson of Maximise Scent Marketing, one of the UK's leading suppliers of scent strips and find out about this overlooked facet of fragrance. 

We talk to Imogen Russon Taylor from Scottish fine perfumers Kingdom Scotland, and find out about their latest release as well as delving into the influence that Scotland has on their perfumes. We also discuss the Royal Botanic Society of Edinburgh and the role their archives have played in inspiring the brand. 

We are back and kicking off season 2 with an interview with Simon Constantine from And Fragrance. Starting a perfume brand is never easy, but doing so in the middle of a global pandemic is even harder. We discuss how the And line came to be and what motivates Lush's former perfumer. 

In this bonus episode, we gather together all the vox pops of people talking about scents that form part of their lives, and we say a huge thank you to our supporters thus far - this episode is dedicated to you.

In this episode we take a look at scents that can help calm and soothe during troubled times. We also have reviews of scents by Bogue and Mendittorosa.

In this episode, we speak with Marta Dziurosz, a translator and Jasmine Award finalist, who is an expert in the language of smell.

In this episode, we speak to founder of La Maison Hedonique, Lucy Akhurst, about how she composes fragrances, what makes her tick, and what she thinks of the fragrance world.

In this episode we talk to Chris Wilkinson from the YouTube channel, Fragmental, about what it takes to be a video influencer, what the maximum amount he would pay for a bottle of perfume is, and look at scents by Strangers Parfumerie, Jorum Studio, and Ruth Mastenbroek.

This episode we feature an interview with John Biebel, founder of amazing American perfume line, January Scent Project.

In this episode we have reviews of scents by Byredo, Pierre Guillaume's Parfumerie Generale, and thoughts on if certain perfumes are for men or for women.

In this episode we have reviews on L'Humanist by Frapin, Rhinoceros by Zoologist and hear from Art and Olfaction winner and creator of Bedeaux Perfumes, Amanda Beadle.

We talk to Dr Laura Speed, an experimental psychologist about how language and smell are linked.

In this episode we review Liquo by Angela Ciampagna, as well as look at the scents of travel and discuss how to get into niche, art and artisan fragrance in the first place as well as where to buy and how to start trying different scents.

In this episode we look at fragrances by Olfactive Studio and Carner Barcelona, and discover what people's favourite smells are.