Selected innovations in the heady world of fragrances

Simone Oltolina
Sep 4, 2018 · 3 min read

Perfumes. Fragrances. That’s one product category I’ve always had a soft spot for.

It’s the quintessential ephemeral luxury, literally vanishing into thin air after awhile. You can post pictures of the bottles online but, somewhat, the actual product defies our obsession with “sharing”.

And while some fragrances have become highly recognizable (Escentric Molecules, anyone?), most are too niche to be instantly attached to a brand name.

All of this makes buying perfume an overall subtler act of consumption than — say — going for the latest “it” bag or sneaker.

Over the past 10–15 years, the world of luxury perfumes has fragmented into hundreds of new launches. Cult-ish newcomers such as Perfumer H happily share a space with the “Classics” from either France or England: Creed, Penhaligon’s and many others.

Still, as much as the notes can vary, I’m starting to sense a kind of “ennui” with indie perfumers. We have gone from the excitement about a new golden age in perfumery to “Oh, another niche fragrance. Tell me something new, please!”. I know, first-world problems…

There are interesting exceptions, though. I’m highlighting a few of them. They all play with the “use”, rather than with the scent itself. I wouldn’t call them “radical”, yet they all pursue a slightly different path…making things a bit more interesting in the process.

#1 D.S. & Durga — I don’t know what

Aside from having one of the best-looking websites in the industry, D.S. & Durga have recently launched a “perfume enhancer”. That is, a fragrance that is meant to go with other fragrances, adding a touch of “je ne sais quoi”.

The notion of mixing perfumes is not entirely new, to be sure, but the idea of a “booster” smells quite striking to me.

#2: Diptyque — Un air de Diptyque

Rented cars never smell nicely, right? Let’s not even discuss carsharing…

Diptyque is coming to the rescue, with an easy-to-pack car diffuser that comes with replaceable cartridges. This has been done to death…but Diptyque brings the idea into luxury territory, replacing those chemical fragrances with the quality you’d expect from a renowned perfume house.

#3 Aesop — Gouttes Anti-Odeur de Merde

These have been around for a while and, to be clear, they are not a gimmick.

They do exactly what the name implies. Post-poo drops. Anyone with small children will understand. Possibly.

Simone Oltolina

Written by

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade