In this episode of It's Just Perfume, Steven Gontarski and Susannah Melvoin talk with perfumer Angelos Balamis of Angelos Creations Olfactives. Having collected vintage perfumes throughout her life, Susannah immediately recognized the unmistakable, special qualities of Angelos' perfumes. Sure enough Angelos revealed his love for the classics of the venerable French perfume houses such as Guerlain and Caron.

They discuss how the economic crash in Greece led Angelos to reposition his career path, inspiring him to pursue his passions. He discusses his thorough process of evaluating raw materials and conversing with them as he builds highly intricate, sophisticated blends.

Together they all sniff Soma Panorama, a perfume developed in collaboration with Sebastian Jara, The Perfume Guy and debuted at the inaugural ScentFest SF earlier this year. The two friends live in sister cities, San Francisco and Thessaloniki, and wanted the perfume to reflect their physical and cultural similarities and differences. It's a perfect example of Angelos' distinctive approach to perfume making combining elements of storytelling, his biography, perfume history and a deep understanding and appreciation of the olfactory building blocks.

Perfumes discussed in this episode

00:03:41:04 Tabac Blond by Caron

00:03:43:03 Mitsouko by Guerlain

00:03:48:10 Vol de Nuit by Guerlain

00:03:56:26 Djedi by Guerlain

00:04:01:11 Iris Gris by Jacques Fath

00:04:27:02 Jazz by YSL

00:04:33:15 Havana by Aramis

00:04:36:14 Fahrenheit by Dior

00:08:06:02 Soma Panorama by Angelos Creations Olfactives

00:17:11:27 Narcisse Noir by Caron

00:17:16:08 Narkissos by Angelos Creations Olfactives

00:32:06:03 Eau de Vertu by Angelos Creations Olfactives

00:33:38:17 Figue de Vertu by Angelos Creations Olfactives

00:37:17:29 Pnoi by Angelos Creations Olfactives

00:41:05:27 Pothos by Angelos Creations Olfactives

00:51:17:07 Vetiveria Animalis by Angelos Creations Olfactives

00:53:48:16 Thebes by Sultan Pasha Perfumes

00:58:25:05 Karikia by Angelos Creations Olfactives

00:59:26:03 Tabac Libre by Angelos Creations Olfactives

01:07:26:21 Fougeriste by Angelos Creations Olfactives

Episode hosted by Steven Gontarski and Susannah Melvoin

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of It's Just Perfume, Steve and Dana hang out with Emma Vernon, host of the Perfume Room Podcast. Emma was in town hosting a live game show where people tried to find a partner through scent. This opened up two questions: What fragrance do we find irresistible on others? What fragrance do we put on when we want to be irresistible to others?

We took an Instagram poll asking the public to name the sexiest scent to them and the results were both predictable and surprising.

Due to a technical issue a portion of this episode is missing its video component. We hope you enjoy the slideshow in its place as Emma, Steve and Dana take a deep dive into matters of scent and attraction.

Perfumes mentioned in this episode:

03:08:24 Mandala by Param Sara

08:17:18 El Morocco Discovery Set by El Morocco

12:42:27 Highball for Lucius B

23:45:09 Angels' Share by Kilian

24:23:11 Ambre Narguilé by Hermes *

24:54:27 Tihota by Indult

26:26:20 Salomé by Papillon Artisan Perfumes

28:59:06 Heliodose by Marlou

29:36:05 Un Bel Amour d'Eté by Parfum d'Empire

30:36:08 Jazz by Zernell Gillie Fragrances

33:04:04 Seduction Theory by Universal Flowering *

33:21:09 Daddy by Universal Flowering

37:30:13 Black Afgano by Nasomatto

39:23:00 Benjoin Boheme by Diptyque *

41:25:06 Bowmakers by DS & Durga

43:39:13 Hinoki by Monocle x Comme des Garcons

43:49:18 Gendarme by Gendarme

45:14:28 Fierce by Abercrombie *

46:35:22 Polo Blue by Ralph Lauren *

46:59:07 Drakkar Noir by Guy Laroche *

47:16:02 Cool Water by Davidoff *

48:03:14 Sicilian Leather by MEMO

49:38:10 Molecule 01 by Escentric Molecules

50:12:09 Molecule 02 by Escentric Molecules

52:12:20 Molecule 01 + Iris by Escentric Molecules

52:33:01 Molecule 01 + Black Tea by Escentric Molecules

55:21:02 BoraBora by Giardini di Toscana

56:47:18 Champs Lunaire by Rogue Perfumery

58:55:07 Monoscent G by What We Do Is Secret

01:01:22:18 Patchouli by Santa Maria Novella

01:20:45:26 Gothic I by Loree Rodkin

01:05:11:27 Orphéon eau de parfum by Diptyque

01:07:04:28 Aristo Chypre by Infiniment Coty

01:08:22:18 Fleur du Mal by Dries Van Noten

01:09:06:11 Apricot Innocence by Simone Anreoli

01:10:51:03 La Panthere by Cartier (not LS)

01:14:10:08 Covert Musc by What We Do Is Secret

01:15:06:26 Terra Former by Braindead

01:16:03:10 Acqua di Sale by Profumum

01:16:35:23 Melograno by Santa Maria Novella

*Not sold by Luckyscent

Hosted by Steven Gontarski and Dana Kiley Buchanan

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of 'It's Just Perfume', Steve and Dana sit with Sebastian Jara, aka The Perfume Guy. Having made a name for himself in the perfume community through his well-established YouTube channel, Sebastian has introduced many to the niche world and continues to educate us on new releases. He recently added to his impressive list of accomplishments by spearheading ScentFest SF, the largest scent expo on the West Coast.

Steve and Dana wanted to know how Sebastian got his start and which perfumes sparked his fascination with scent. They talk about his foray into YouTube and Sebastian's first encounters with Luckyscent. He describes the impetus for ScentFest and lets Dana and Steve try the stunning perfume collaboration he completed with perfumer Angelos Balamis.

Perfumes mentioned in this episode:

03:41:18 Purple Fig by Vilhelm Parfumerie

04:08:02 The Ghost in the Shell by Etat Libre d'Orange

17:35:23 Cozé by Pierre Guillaume Paris, Parfumerie Generale

20:31:14 Musc Maori by Pierre Guillaume Paris, Parfumerie Generale

21:04:14 Le Musc & La Peau by Pierre Guillaume Paris, Parfumerie Generale

21:54:08 Avignon by Comme des Garcons: Incense

22:05:27 Costes Signature Candle by Costes

25:39:15 Relique d'Amour by Oriza Legrand

26:45:05 Horizon by Oriza Legrand

28:18:22 L'air du desert marocain by Tauer Perfumes

28:35:21 Ambre Precieux by Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier

28:39:19 Ambre Russe by Parfums d'Empire

36:48:11 Soma Panorama by Angelos Creations Olfactives

49:12:26 Philosykos by Diptyque

49:14:24 Premier Figuier by L'Artisan Parfumeur

51:56:15 Not a Perfume by Juliette Has a Gun

52:09:25 Monoscent G by What We Do Is Secret

53:59:24 Bois Imperial by Essential Parfums

56:10:27 Fleur du Mal by Dries Van Noten

57:24:02 Camomille Satin by Dries Van Noten

Hosts: Steven Gontarski and Dana Kiley Buchanan

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.