The new scensations

Perfumers have become modern-day explorers, searching the olfactory universe for new scents to captivate our increasingly sophisticated palates. Capturing abstract notes from the natural world, perfumery is now inspired by the most amazing sources.

What creates a successful fragrance? Is it the juice? Is it the bottle or the glossy advertising that markets the scent? Or is it a combination of all those factors? With nearly 800 fragrances launched onto the market this year, it’s almost impossible to find one that will stand out from the crowd. The safer scents will spritz you with fresh white flowers, (because perfume houses know white florals are sure to strike a chord with consumers), while the savvy perfume houses that know how to appeal to the masses may throw in a dash of vanilla (because vanilla is probably the most universally appealing note ever to seduce the human nose).

But to create something new and different, perfumers have had to discover new scent trails and travel to places where traditional perfumes have feared to tread. Today, we’re extracting scents from exotic and unusual sources – from rare flowers, unusual chemicals and even gastronomy.

Dirt doesn’t sound like a particularly seductive name for a scent, but when you actually sniff Demeter’s perfume, Dirt, you’re reminded of something earthy yet fresh, like cut grass or warm stone – a strangely familiar smell from childhood. The scent comes from the Demeter Fragrance Library – this US-based perfume house offers an extraordinary array of colognes and eau de toilettes in the most unlikely aromas such as Bubble Gum, Celery, Bonfire, Funeral Home, Holy Smoke, Fuzzy Navel, Earl Grey Tea, Dust and Play-Doh.
Did you know?  Modern perfumers use synthetic musk these days rather than genuine musk, which is extracted from the glands of the musk deer through a painful process. However, authentic musk is still used in some Asian medicinal remedies and is so prized, according to the World Wildlife Fund for Nature, that it is worth three times its weight in gold.
Words: Nikki Goldstein. Photography: Corrie Bond. Styling: Charlotte Stokes