Victoria: 2668 posts

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I’ve always been fascinated by the way perfume travels. A vial of rose attar distilled in Kannauj might find its way to a perfumer’s bench in Kyiv, while the scent of pomelo blossoms perfuming a courtyard in Hanoi could inspire a new fragrance accord in Tokyo. The history of perfumery has always been one of exchange of ideas, raw materials, and traditions. That’s one of the main reasons I became interested in aromatics and devoted more than 20 years to studying them.

This October, I will be continuing this journey as I travel to China. I’ve lived and worked in different countries in Asia, but this is going to be my first trip to China. Before I travel to Beijing and Chengdu, I will start at Notes Shanghai 2025, the premier international exhibition dedicated to fine fragrance. From October 16–19, the West Bund International Convention and Exhibition Center will transform into a meeting place for more than 200 fragrance brands from around the world, alongside forums, cultural programs, and the live judging of the Golden Osmanthus Awards.

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Чай та османтус: Ароматна спадщина Китаю (українська версія)

When I traveled in Vietnam, I sat at a low wooden table in Hue and learned incense-making from a master. It rained outside and the scent of blooming osmanthus filled the studio with its languid fruity aroma. The master ground woods, resins, and spices before binding them into sticks with makko powder. The recipe, he explained, had Chinese origins: agarwood, sandalwood, clove, borneol. These were ingredients once carried along the great trade routes, linking temples, courts, and homes. Watching him, I realized how much of perfume’s history rests on such exchanges.

China’s scent culture is vast. It ranges from temple incense to osmanthus blossoms in autumn, from precious agarwood to the steam of a teacup. Western perfumery rarely bottles these traditions directly, but their influence lingers, shaping some of the most interesting fragrances of the last decades.

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From Agarwood to Osmanthus: Perfume Journeys through China (English)

Коли я подорожувала у В’єтнамі, я сиділа за низьким дерев’яним столиком у Хюе й навчалася мистецтва виготовлення пахощів у майстра. Надворі йшов дощ, і аромат квітучого османтуса наповнював майстерню своїм м’яким фруктовим ароматом. Майстер розтирав деревину, смоли й прянощі, а потім з’єднував їх у палички за допомогою порошку макко. Рецепт, пояснив він, мав китайське походження: агарове дерево, сандал, гвоздика, борнеол. Це були інгредієнти, які колись перевозили великими торговими шляхами, що поєднували храми, двори та домівки. Спостерігаючи за ним, я зрозуміла, наскільки історія парфумерії тримається на таких обмінах.

Китайська культура запахів величезна. Вона охоплює храмові пахощі й осінні квіти османтусу, дорогоцінне агарове дерево й пару від чашки чаю. Західна парфумерія рідко прямо втілює ці традиції, але їхній вплив залишається відчутним, формуючи деякі з найцікавіших ароматів останніх десятиліть.

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Guerlain Shalimar L’Essence (українська версія)

When a house like Guerlain marks the centenary of its most famous perfume, expectations run high. Shalimar is more than a fragrance; it is a myth. Born in 1925, Jacques Guerlain’s creation was radical in its structure: a dazzling bergamot opening tumbling into smoke, balsams, and a warm, animalic vanilla base. It was perfume as sensation, unapologetically modern and deeply sensual.

Shalimar L’Essence, launched in 2025 by Delphine Jelk, does not attempt to recreate that audacity. Instead, it revives the formula of Shalimar Millésime Vanilla Planifolia (2021), a limited edition that quickly became a cult favorite. Fans of that release will be pleased to know that L’Essence brings the same opulent, liqueur-like vanilla into the permanent collection.

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Нішеві парфуми для осені (українська версія)

As summer fades and September approaches, my perfume shelf tilts toward warmth, depth, and resonance. Autumn is the season when I crave perfumes with substance—scents that wrap like a shawl or glow like candlelight. It’s also the perfect time to discover something new, so I selected a variety of niche fragrances. Some perfumes mentioned are best-sellers in their category, others are less well-known outside the scent lover circle. They sit comfortably alongside classics and even layer well with them.

Ambers & Resins

Amber is a shape-shifter. It can glow like sunlight caught in silk, or it can brood like incense in a shadowed chapel. For autumn, I always think first of Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan, the quintessential amber. Its bold resinous profile set the modern standard, and it remains the point of reference when speaking about ambers. Around it, these newer ambers offer fresh interpretations:

Parfumerie Générale L’Ombre Fauve: the sensuality of warm fur and smoke, created out of incense, spices and patchouli.

Meo Fusciuni L’Oblio: a perfume that reads like a poem, ambered iris tinged with melancholy.

Maison Francis Kurkdjian Oud Satin Mood: a cashmere wrap of violet petals and amber, with just enough oud to make it dramatic.

What is amber in perfumery? Learn here.

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