In this episode of It's Just Perfume, Steve and Dana spend time with Saskia Wilson Brown, the founder of the Institute for Art and Olfaction, a non-profit organization devoted to advancing education and public access to the olfactory arts. They discuss the impact of the IAO and Scent Bar on the burgeoning perfume scene in Los Angeles, transforming the city into an internationally recognized hub of scent creation.

Saskia's passion for perfume and its influence on culture motivated her to write The Cultures of Perfume, released by D.A.P. The book looks at various materials used in perfumery across many cultures over millennia and the associations we have with them. How did rose become associated with love? The answer involves both the Virgin Mary and Aphrodite. What was the scent associated with the decadence and abuse of power in the court of Versailles before the revolution?

The book is a must-read for anyone with a curiosity about perfume and the conversation around it was both enlightening and fun.

Perfumes mentioned in this episode:

00:36:06:25 Oranges and Lemons Say the Bells of St. Clements by Heeley

00:45:28:27 Avignon by Comme des Garcons available on Luckyscent.com

00:49:19:20 Chloe Sevigny Little Flower by Regime des Fleurs

00:50:10:25 Grace by Grace Coddington x Comme des Garcons

00:50:30:15 Rose Highland by Jorum Studio

00:55:22:08 Bee by Zoologist

00:58:17:28 Slowdive by Hiram Green Perfumes available on Luckyscent.com

00:58:34:07 Philtre by Hiram Green Perfumes available on Luckyscent.com

01:04:35:12 Wavechild by Room 1015 available on Luckyscent.com.com

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 sits down with journalist Ariel Baker from Marie Claire at Scent Bar Brooklyn. They talk about her career journey from health care into editorial and her personal journey from Jamaica to Massachusetts to New York City.

Ariel reveals her first perfume loves and her foray into niche as Marie Claire readers demanded more stories about the growing scent world. They talk about the relationships between brands, customers, journalists and content creators and how various generations discover perfume through different channels. We find out which bottles she grabs most often and what notes she's excited about. Iris, concrete anyone?

Perfumes mentioned in this episode:

02:33:18 Twilight Woods by Bath and Body Work

05:28:20 Beach Walk by Maison Martin Margiela

05:36:01 By The Fireplace by Maison Martin Margiela

09:58:10 Mango Skin by Vilhelm Parfumerie available on Luckyscent.com

12:21:09 Molecule 01 by Escentric Molecules available on Luckyscent.com

15:38:23 Fahrenheit by Dior

16:37:23 Molecule 01 + Iris by Escentric Molecules available on Luckyscent.com

17:41:05 Angel Dust by Fugazzi available on Luckyscent.com

21:52:22 Cuir Béluga by Guerlain

22:35:15 Vanille Planifolia Extrait 21 by Guerlain

24:16:25 Rotano by Maison d'Etto available on Luckyscent.com

26:44:25 For Your Love by Mizensir

27:14:08 Baccarat Rouge 540 by Maison Francis Kurkdjian available on Luckyscent.com

37:41:10 Love-O-Matic by Room 1015 available on Luckyscent.com

39:11:01 Sonic Flower by Room 1015 available on Luckyscent.com

39:58:15 You by Glossier

40:58:00 White Rice by D'Annam available on Luckyscent.com

41:52:15 Pomelo Oolong by D'Annam available on Luckyscent.com

48:37:08 God of Fire by Stéphane Humbert Lucas available on Luckyscent.com

50:09:00 Happy Dust by Narcotica available on Luckyscent.com

50:46:24 Beyond the Veil by Sorce available on Luckyscent.com

52:25:16 Peau Originale by Arnué available on Luckyscent.com

56:35:05 Mantes La Jolie by Astier de Villatte available on Luckyscent.com

Hosted by Steven Gontarski

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

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.