Scent World

The root of the word “perfume," Ancient Egyptian perfume rituals, and the use of galbanum in the 13th century, with Sue Phillips, who carved her space in the industry as a "scentrepreneur.” It’s a term she coined to describe her work developing fragrances for luxury brands like Tiffany & Co., Lancome, and Burberry, and celebrities like Jamie Foxx and Katie Holmes.

In this “Summer School” special bonus episode, Sue sits down with Brittney Jackson Moseley, who runs integrated marketing at Scentbird. She shares the early history of perfume as a ritual, the story of bringing Tiffany’s first fragrance to life, and how men can break free old-time scent preferences.

Highlights:

• The root of the word “perfume”
• Ancient Egyptian perfume rituals
• The use of galbanum in the 13th century
• Why Grasse became fertile ground for perfumery
• How Sue’s love of fragrance began
• The accident that led to an “aha!” moment
• Ambient scenting and why it works
• The story behind Tiffany’s anniversary fragrance
• Working with perfumer Jacques Polge
• Finding a fragrance that suits you
• Understanding fragrance families
• Keeping a pulse on what’s new in fragrance
• Ever been invited to an immersive scent dinner?
• Training your nose and uncovering your scent preferences
• “Not all roses are the same”
• Scent Spotlight: Fresh, Floral, Woodsy, Spicy, and Fruity
• Men can love florals, too
• Why so many people love vanilla
• Sue’s book: “The Power of Perfume”

Soak in all of our audio and video content at https://podcast.scentbird.com.

Azzi is known as the perfumer for the world’s biggest celebrities. Her creations help Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom get into character for movie roles and serve as personal fragrances for Kylie Minogue and Cindy Crawford. Her bespoke work starts at £15,000, but for the first time, she is making her scents more widely available with The Perfumer's Story, a limited-edition collection launching on Scentbird in October 2023.

In this episode, Azzi sits down with Mariya Nurislamova, Scentbird’s co-founder and CEO. She takes us behind the scenes of what it’s like to work with iconic stars to develop their scents. She talks about launching the Agent Provocateur fragrance back in the early 2000s, how she bottled the smell of rain on earth, and a tip to increase your pheromones.

Highlights:

• The celebrity that calls Azzi a “white witch”

• A behind-the-scenes look into bespoke perfumery for celebrities

• What Johnny Depp is like one on one

• The “stinky” fragrance that helped Helena Bonham Carter get into character

• The fragrance that helped Johnny Depp play a 200-year-old vampire in a Tim Burton movie

• The surprising scent for Helena Bonham Carter to play Miss Havisham in “Great Expectations”

• How Azzi approaches scent creation (hint: it’s not through fragrance families)

• The fragrance based on poisonous flowers

• Does Azzi have psychic powers?

• Why creating a bespoke perfume for Cindy Crawford was a challenge

• Blood, sweat, and fecal matter: the fragrance for Jude Law to play Henry VIII

• Early scent memories: England, India, and the smell of rain on earth

• The opposite of trendy: bringing the Agent Provocateur fragrance to life

• Azzi's all-time favorite scent notes (and combinations) 

• The intimate dinner at Kylie Minogue’s house

• The celebrity that motivated Azzi to start her own brand

• The story behind The Perfumer’s Story

• Bringing heritage and edginess to the brand’s design

• Why it’s hard to find a perfume that truly matches you

• Scent Spotlight: Sequoia Wood, Twisted Iris, and Amber Molecule

• “People stop me on the streets to ask what this scent is…”

• The packaging and why you’ll want to keep it forever

• The fragrance for fun-loving, bohemian, and eccentric people

• Azzi’s tips for wearing fragrance: spots, sweat, and pheromones

• How to smell like Kaia Jordan Gerber

• The scent Azzi used to wear for bedtime stories to her kids

• Scent Connection, All-Time Favorites Edition

• The scent that Benedict Cumberbatch loves: “it tells a thousand stories”

• What’s next for Azzi

Featured Fragrances:
Sequoia Wood

Twisted Iris

Amber Molecule

Old Books

Soak in all of our audio and video content at https://podcast.scentbird.com.

Along the sun-kissed shores of the Mediterranean, the Côte d'Azur exudes an irresistible aura of sensuality. This timeless stretch of coastal paradise, often referred to as the French Riviera, is where Veronique spent her childhood. Now she captures the richness of the region into scents that spark joy and remind us to add beauty to everyday life.

In this episode, Veronique sits down with Brittney Jackson Moseley, who runs integrated marketing at Scentbird. She opens up about what it took to start her own brand after a career at the helm of L'Oréal, Vera Wang, and Estée Lauder. We uncover the essence of her perfumes: a souvenir from Tunisia, a rose that can only be harvested for thirty days a year, and a sensation of pleasure through the G-spot.

Highlights:

• The love of life in the Mediterranean, from the markets to the cafes

• How to make any moment of life more joyful

• Overcoming the fear of becoming an entrepreneur

• “I was not growing any more as an individual”

• At L'Oréal, falling in love with fragrance as a career

• The night Veronique was offered the chance to train with perfumers

• Working on Acqua di Gio, which propelled Giorgio Armani into fragrance

• Building a brand that taps into emotional connection

• Why our sense of smell is so instinctive

• Luxury is not about being “rare” or “distant”

• The aura of Veronique Gabai fragrances

• Generosity in action: ethical sourcing and respecting nature

• Very few companies are 100% sustainable

• Growing up in Antibes, surrounded by beauty

• “My mother was an independent woman at a time when that was difficult”

• Parents were Jewish and had to hide during the war: hunger, fear, and flight

• Loving life and loving people

• Scent Spotlight: La Point G, Souvenirs de Tunisie, Noire de Mai, Sexy Garrigue, and Sur la Plage

• The scent that pays homage to women: curves, pleasure, and the G-spot

• Why women’s pleasure is not like what we see in the movies

• The orange blossom that connects Tunisia and France

• The rose centifolia that can only be harvested early mornings in May

• What a Mediterranean forest feels like

• The scent that captures the sensation of a day on the beach

• Scent Connection, Côte d'Azur Edition

• The smell of pleasure (and womanhood)

• Why you shouldn’t wear fragrance for others

Featured Fragrances:
La Point G by Veronique Gabai
Souvenirs de Tunisie by Veronique Gabai
Noire de Mai by Veronique Gabai
Sexy Garrigue by Veronique Gabai
Sur la Plage by Veronique Gabai

Soak in all of our audio and video content at https://podcast.scentbird.com.

As one of the first YouTube stars, Ingrid reached over 6 million followers and landed pioneering deals with Covergirl, Jo Malone London, and Fresh Beauty. In 2020, she joined forces with Erica, who had built a career in tech and media, to launch The New Savant. The brand pays homage to the untraditional, self-made journey in life.

In this episode, Ingrid and Erica sit down with Brittney Jackson Moseley, who runs integrated marketing at Scentbird. From a tea shop in Paris to a ping pong table in Indiana, they take us back how they started making candles. They talk about capturing uncommon notes like desert air and pignoli cookies, and tell the story of the high school fantasy that inspired one of their most popular candles.

Highlights:

• Ingrid’s untraditional path, from college dropout to founder

• The story behind the name “The New Savant”

• Giving voice to those who have had to find their own way

• Launching out of Ingrid’s kitchen and selling out in 7 minutes

• The tradition customers started on their own

• Essential workers and the most heartwarming customer notes

• A 4-letter word, fancy potatoes, and the most hilarious customer notes

• Making the first candle during a trip to Indiana

• “I feel like this could be my next job”

• Meeting at Lesbians Who Tech

• Erica’s journey becoming who she wanted to be

• What it felt like to wear CK One growing up

• Ingrid feeling “never enough” and the weight of expectations

• Why creativity (and the olfactive sense) made Ingrid feel like she belonged

• The joy of wearing Bath & Body Works Sweet Pea and Jo Malone Peony & Blush Suede

• What does it mean to be feminine in presentation without the male gaze?

• The darkness (and many edges) of BYREDO Sellier

• Highlights from Ingrid’s 10+ years as a YouTube creator

• Ingrid’s decision to come out publicly and why it was groundbreaking

• Scent Spotlight: Mixed Feelings, California Christmas, and Dreamgirl

• Notes of steamed white jasmine rice, the smell of home for Ingrid

• Dreamgirl as a revisionist history of Ingrid’s teenage years

• Scent Connection, Go-To Scents Edition

• How many different ways can an almond cookie smell?

• What candles made in honor of each other would smell like

Featured Fragrances:
Mixed Feelings by The New Savant

California Christmas by The New Savant

Dreamgirl by The New Savant

Soak in all of our audio and video content at https://podcast.scentbird.com.

Think of a place and time in history and imagine what it smelled like. This has been the source of inspiration for Carlos: tapping into scent to unlock the past. His work as a fragrance developer includes the signature scent for St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, the nostagia-infused Vacation sunscreens, and the first fine fragrance for J.Crew. With ARQUISTE, he channels his background in architecture and historic preservation to create time capsule experiences in collaboration with perfumers Rodrigo Flores-Roux and Yann Vasnier.

In this episode, Carlos sits down with Brittney Jackson Moseley, who runs integrated marketing at Scentbird. He talks about the magic of baby cologne and tells the story of how pachouli became the scent of outcasts. Together they explore destinations around the world through hundreds of years, from 16th century Japan to 17th century Mexico.

Highlights:
• Discovering architecture, from Mexico City and beyond

• What historic preservation and fragrance have in common

• Where wanderlust took Carlos around the world

• The magic of New York for perfumery

• Fragrance ingredients native to Mexico: tuberose, frangipani, marigold, acacia

• Grooming rituals and the first love for fragrance

• Scent as a time capsule

• Writing fragrance briefs as in-depth academic essays

• What it felt like to smell the first-ever modifications

• Why Americans are missing out on baby cologne

• How the best fragrances are made

• Scent Spotlight: Misfit, Nanban, and Sydney Rock Pool

• The fragrance Rodrigo Flores-Roux made for Carlos

• Why pachouli is a bit of an accident to our noses

• The fragrance ingredients that “barbarians” brought to Japan

• The summer scent that captures a day at the beach

• Scent Connection, Distant Worlds Edition

• What do these cities smell like? St. Petersburg, Paris, Acapulco, and Calabria

• Why beauty is tied to meaning

Featured Fragrances:

Misfit by ARQUISTE
Sydney Rock Pool by ARQUISTE
Nanban by ARQUISTE

Soak in all of our audio and video content at https://podcast.scentbird.com.

Lev and Alina are best known for building Fresh into a cult beauty brand now part of LVMH. For the past decade, they’ve been channeling their passion into a new endeavor: a boutique hotel that expands into a lifestyle brand. Nestled in the Hudson Valley, with its vibrant arts scene and the Catskill Mountains as a backdrop, The Maker opened in 2020 with 11 intimate rooms across 3 historic buildings, and its very own fragrance and candle collection. It’s all meticulously designed to spark your deepest sensuality.

In this episode, Lev and Alina sit down at The Maker Lounge with Benny Campa, who runs product design at Scentbird. They share why they believe everyone is a maker, what it takes to ignite that part of you, and the James Bond-inspired scent that might help.

Highlights:
• How a fragrance shopping trip with his mother changed Lev’s life

• The story behind The Maker Hotel in Hudson, NY

• Entering another world: a brief tour of The Maker Hotel

• The Italy trip that planted the seed for Lev and Alina’s vision

• Bohemian sensibility, color tones, furnishings, and various personal touches

• The converted horse carriage that became The Maker Lounge

• Why lighting is the jewelry of any room

• The fragrance Lev created for Alina 30+ years ago

• Crafting a feast for the senses through a fusion of art, design, and fragrance

• Why nothing but an olfactory sensation makes you feel like coming home

• Lev’s process for developing The Maker’s scent collection

• The rooms that celebrate makers: The Artist, The Architect, The Gardener, and The Writer

• An overview of The Maker scent collection

• Why you are the ultimate maker of a fragrance

• Scent Spotlight: Libertine, Stag, Naked, Fire, Spiritus, Gardener, and Artist

• The winner of the Fragrance Foundation’s Indie Fragrance of the Year Award

• What does love affair smell like?

• The antique that inspired The Maker’s fragrance bottles

• The scent that’s infused throughout The Maker’s public spaces

• Lev and Alina describe each other in terms of scents

Featured Fragrances:

Libertine by The Maker
Stag by The Maker
Naked by The Maker
Fire by The Maker

Featured Candles:

Spiritus by The Maker
Gardener by The Maker
Artist by The Maker

Soak in all of our audio and video content at https://podcast.scentbird.com.

Have you ever wondered how France became the center of the perfume world? It was thanks, in part, to Louis XV. During his reign in the 18th century, the French royal court was known for its lavish use of fragrances, giving rise to a revolution that shaped perfumery as we know it. The splendor and opulence of this era serve as the inspiration for Parfums de Marly. Yvan joined the fragrance house in its early days and worked closely with its founder, Julien Sprecher, to grow it into one of the bestselling niche brands in the world.

In this episode, Yvan sits down with Brittney Jackson Moseley, who runs integrated marketing at Scentbird. He takes us back to the time of Louis XV, tells the story of the iconic Delina collection, and reveals the fragrances that Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, and other modern-day royals like to wear.

Highlights:

• The magical moment that started Yvan’s journey at Parfums de Marly
• Why the power of the invisible is even more important than the visible
• Using fragrance as an accessory to tap into your personality
• Traveling back to the 18th century, the birth of modern perfumery
• How Louis XV revolutionized perfumery
• Why Louis XV is known the “Adam and Eve” of the equestrian world
• The story behind the Parfums de Marly logo featuring two horses
• The fragrances that Jennifer Lopez and Rihanna wear
• Capturing old perfumery in a modern way: synthetics, naturals, and captive ingredients
• Why natural ingredients make the scent your own
• Scent Spotlight: Delina, Delina Exclusif, Delina La Rosée
• The scent for troublemakers
• Scent Spotlight: Pegasus, Layton, Haltane, Percival
• Introducing Valaya, Parfums de Marly’s latest fragrance
• Scent Connection: Perfumed Court Edition, featuring celebrity couples aka modern-day royals
• Scents for Beyoncé and Jay-Z, David and Victoria Beckham, Rihanna and A$AP Rocky, and Elton John and David Furnish
• A trip to Brittany, France, to Yvan’s earliest scent memory

Featured Fragrances:

Delina by Parfums de Marly
Delina Exclusif by Parfums de Marly
Delina La Rosée by Parfums de Marly
Pegasus by Parfums de Marly
Layton by Parfums de Marly
Haltane by Parfums de Marly
Percival by Parfums de Marly
Valaya by Parfums de Marly

Soak in all of our audio and video content at https://podcast.scentbird.com.

The story begins with a text message. While sitting at the beach, Vicken hears that Commodity has shut down and is looking for a new owner. It’s 2019, and by then, the company had made its mark on the industry as the first direct-to-consumer fragrance brand. Launching with a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign in 2013, it more than doubled its goal, became Sephora’s rising star, and just as quickly as it grew, Commodity found its future hanging in the balance. Vicken decides to buy the brand, and with decades of experience as a fragrance distributor, turns it around.

In this episode, he sits down with Benny Campa, who runs product design at Scentbird. He explores how the art of perfumery can be more intuitive – an innovative idea inspired by skin scents – and why he doesn’t believe in what he calls the “Oprah effect.”

Highlights:

• Leading Europerfumes and representing 20+ artisanal brands as a distributor
• First becoming aware of Commodity (and why Vicken felt a bit envious)
• The text message, while at the beach, that leads Vicken to buy Commodity
• A look into the world of a fragrance distributor
• The first thing Vicken did after taking over the brand
• The tipping point for fragrance brands and what led to Commodity’s decline
• Losing $1.5M and failing with his first fragrance brand in the late 90s
• Why selling a fragrance feels like a Las Vegas experience
• What Vicken cared about the most when rebooting Commodity
• The story behind Scent Space, a first in the fragrance industry
• Rethinking traditional terms like “Eau de Toilette” or “Eau de Parfum”
• Giving consumers choice in their scent projection: Personal, Expressive, Bold
• How Commodity formulates different versions of each fragrance
• Scent Spotlight: Paper, Milk, and Book
• All Commodity fragrances combine two or more opposing notes
• The fragrance that smells like toasted marshmallows
• Scent Connection: Life Moments Edition
• Why Vicken believes in building slowly vs. quickly

Featured Fragrances:

Paper- Personal by Commodity
Paper+ Bold by Commodity
Milk- Personal by Commodity
Milk Expressive by Commodity
Milk+ Bold by Commodity
Book- Personal by Commodity
Book Expressive by Commodity
Book+ Bold by Commodity

Soak in all of our audio and video content at https://podcast.scentbird.com.

Since starting out in the early 90s, Frank has brought to life some of the most beloved fragrances of our time. Nowadays he’s best known as the creator of Le Labo’s Santal 33. His portfolio goes on to include collaborations with Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Hugo Boss, Jason Wu, and Ariana Grande. He’s been prolific in crafting scents that, in his own words, “evoke a profound emotional connection with the power to elicit pure, unadulterated happiness.”

In this episode, Frank sits down with Brittney Jackson Moseley, who runs integrated marketing at Scentbird. They explore three areas that are shaping the future of fragrance: sustainability, artificial intelligence, and gender. Frank shares what it takes to become a great perfumer and takes us back to where it all began, his uncle’s farm in Germany, and all the smells that surrounded him.

Highlights:

• The first time Frank felt like he was officially a perfumer
• Early scent memories at Frank’s family farm in Germany
• Frank’s first exposure to fragrance in Paris in the late 70s/early 80s
• Attending ISIPCA, a leading perfumery school in Versailles
• The intense training it takes to become a perfumer
• What it felt like to join an industry leader like Firmenich
• Inner Workings: How perfumers work, from idea to the bottle
• 90% of your fragrance creations never get to market
• An inside look into the fragrance development process
• After thousands of trials, how you know a fragrance is done
• Why the best fragrances contain some imperfections
• The role of fragrance in our lives, beyond seduction
• Scent Spotlight: Glossier You by Glossier, Red Wood by Nomenclature, Bois by Commodity
• Collaborating with Dora Baghriche and Emily Weiss to create Glossier You
• Using molecules and growing patchouli in a lab as the main ingredient for a fragrance
• Shaping the future of fragrance: sustainability, gender, and AI
• Harry Fremont’s view on AI in perfumery
• What Frank would say to his younger self about his journey as a perfumer

Featured Fragrances:

Glossier You by Glossier
Red Wood by Nomenclature
Bois by Commodity

Soak in all of our audio and video content at https://podcast.scentbird.com.

Michael went from being a pharmacist by trade to being a rocker by trade. He says the guitar was his salvation. For over a decade he toured the world with his psychedelic rock band, Rodeo Massacre, where he was a guitarist, composer, and producer. At a certain point he leaned into fragrance as a medium for olfactive counterculture, a bridge between chemistry and art.

In this episode, Michael sits down with Benny Campa, who runs product design at Scentbird. They reminisce about the 70s and 80s grunge and punk music scene. Michael reveals why he feels like the black sheep of the perfume industry and tells the story of a fragrance he perfected to smell just like a vintage guitar from his childhood.

Highlights:

• Rodeo Massacre, Michael’s biggest musical experience
• Minor Threat, Guns N’ Roses, and the turning point in Michael’s life
• Michael’s biggest fear: turning 40 without fully working as a musician
• The tie between music and fragrance
• Dressing like Slash to an interview for a pharmacist position
• What led Michael to start Room 1015
• The true meaning of being an artist
• Capturing the spirit of the 70s with scents of nostalgic freedom
• The most trashed hotel room in history
• A legendary Keith Richards moment
• Scent Connection: Punk Rock Edition
• What did CBGB, Sonic Youth, The Zombies, Run DMC, and Nirvana smell like?
• Scent Spotlight: Purple Mantra, Electric Wood, and Cherry Punk
• The scent of Transcendental Meditation (and the story of the Beatles’ retreat with Maharishi)
• The fragrance that smells like Michael’s vintage Gibson from his childhood
• Vivienne Westwood’s London SEX Boutique and the punk aesthetic
• Reinventing yourself: make room for several "lives" within one life

Featured Fragrances:

Purple Mantra by Room 1015
Electric Wood by Room 1015
Cherry Punk by Room 1015

Soak in all of our audio and video content at https://podcast.scentbird.com.