News: 582 posts

Update: The interest in the new classes has been overwhelming, and all six seminars are now fully booked. I appreciate your enthusiasm and support. If you are interested in the Bois de Jasmin classes, please subscribe to our newsletter to be notified of new dates and topics. Of course, if you are interested in a particular class or topic, please send me a note.

New Bois de Jasmin online classes are now available for enrollment in 2022. I am continuing the popular Spices, Citrus, and Dark Woods series. I will also add three new classes focusing on florals: Rose, Orange Blossom, and Iris.

About Bois de Jasmin classes: These classes are for students of all levels of interest in perfumery. The classes teach you how to smell like a professional perfumer, take apart complex scents, and sharpen your sense of smell. Together we will study the fundamental classes of perfume materials and discover how they are used in perfumes. The lectures are designed to improve your enjoyment and appreciation of scents.

Class structure: 1h 15min. Small-group, interactive classes.

Having completed several classes, I listened to your suggestions and made a few changes. Originally, the classes were 1 hour and I set aside 15 minutes for questions. Many felt that 1 hour was not enough and wanted more guided exercises, so the lecture + exercise portion will be 1 hour and 15 minutes. We have time in between exercises for questions, and I’m always available to answer your questions afterwards.

Another change is that I suggest to bring perfumes to each class. I will give you a couple of suggested fragrances, but you can always use any suitable perfume from your own collection. We will still continue using readily available spices and fragrant materials for our smelling exercises, such as spices, coffee, or citrus fruit. You do not need to buy essential oil kits for these classes. You’ll receive the full instructions before the start of the class and after finishing the class you will also receive a list of fragrances to try based on the lecture theme.

Location: Online, Zoom

Date & Time: 1h 15min

Spices January 22nd, Saturday 1:00pm-2:15pm EST/7:00pm-8:15pm CET (time zone converter)  SOLD OUT

Citrus January 26th, Wednesday 1:00pm-2:15pm EST/7:00pm-8:15pm CET (time zone converter)  SOLD OUT

Dark Woods January 29th, Saturday 1:00pm-2:15pm EST/7:00pm-8:15pm CET (time zone converter)  SOLD OUT

3 class series: Spices, Citrus, Woods  SOLD OUT

Rose February 5th, Saturday 1:00pm-2:15pm EST/7:00pm-8:15pm CET (time zone converter) SOLD OUT

Orange Blossom February 9th, Wednesday 1:00pm-2:15pm EST/7:00pm-8:15pm CET (time zone converter)   SOLD OUT

Iris February 12th, Saturday 1:00pm-2:15pm EST/7:00pm-8:15pm CET (time zone converter) SOLD OUT

3 class series: Rose, Orange Blossom, Iris  SOLD OUT

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Today’s topic is trends in fine fragrance, air care (candles, diffusers, room sprays,) and body care. Based on my professional experience and studies of consumer reports, I will share three key trends that define 2021/2022. First of all, a note on how trends are compiled, because it’s an obscure topic to most people outside of the perfume industry–and to many people in the industry as well. No crystal balls are involved; it’s all about numbers.

To put it simply, agencies like NPD and Mintel track sales of different products, and based on the sales volumes and types of products, they make inferences about consumer preferences. Similar, perfume companies research trends and preferences, based on the sales of their products and those of their competitors. Understanding trends is important for brands in today’s crowded market not so much to make the whole world smell of green tea and peaches but to see where the tastes of consumers lie. What are they interested in? What kind of products appeal to them?

The insights I share below are based on my professional experience as a researcher and the information I come across as part of my day-to-day work as an industry analyst. I will explain each trend and give a few examples. You can watch the video or read my report below.

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For those who like lists and rankings, I have a little treat today courtesy of the Cosmetify Index, a service that ranks the most searched for and followed beauty brands around the world. The Cosmetify Index was created in 2019 to see how brands engage with social media and also how consumers respond to new launches. The newest index tracked searches and engagement in 2020, assessing the impact of the pandemic on beauty and fragrance sales.

The Cosmetify Index also tracks which brands are popular in which country, so you can glean fascinating information like Russia being a Jo Malone country, while China favors Estée Lauder. Yves Rocher rules in France, Italy, and Spain, while Rituals holds court in Germany, Scandinavian countries, and unexpectedly, Angola and Bhutan. The Indian subcontinent is united in its love for The Body Shop, although Nepal prefers Dove. And so on. Of course, these are the macrotrends and generalizations, but all trend reports are bird’s-eye-view snapshots.

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Many of you have been asking me to continue the series 100 Fragrances That Influenced Perfume History. These articles still remain among the most visited ones on Bois de Jasmin for the behind-the-scenes information they offer, stories and the connections between famous fragrances and contemporary launches. Since Bois de Jasmin is going to turn 17 years old next year, I decided to put the series into an e-book, which I will make available to my readers as a gift. Your participation and support mean a lot to me, and I would have been able to maintain Bois de Jasmin over almost two decades without it. It would be my pleasure to share something special with you.

How to receive the e-book

To receive the e-book, please subscribe to my newsletter. When the book will be available, I will send it to you in the pdf format.

If you’re a current subscriber and would like the newsletter, then when you enter your email address into the box below, you’ll have a chance to update your preferences.

If you’ve subscribed, but you don’t receive any emails from me, please check your spam filter and add my email address to your contact list.

The 100 Fragrances That Influenced Perfume History e-book will be available in fall-winter 2021, date TBD.

Any questions or requests? Please ask them in the comments below. Also, please let me know what would be your preferred format for the book.

Photography by Bois de Jasmin

Hope that all of my friends are well. I’ll start with the bad, although not at all surprising, news. The Ukrainian Scent and Taste Adventure is cancelled, or rather postponed until further notice. I’m disappointed, but the situation is what it is. The most important thing is for us to stay healthy and safe. The good news is that I’ve been exploring making videos, and I’ve decided to make a series of short 1-3 minutes films about different aspects of Ukrainian culture such as folk arts, traditions, cultural idiosyncrasies, and customs. I will, of course, cover perfumery, and my first clip, Smelling Tips, will teach you professional perfumery smelling techniques that will maximize your olfactory impressions and sharpen your sense of smell. In the next film, I will explain how to put what you’re smelling into words.

Exercising your sense of smell is not only satisfying and fun, but also important, since doctors and researchers indicate that the loss of smell and taste might be one of the first signs of the coronavirus infection, appearing long before any other symptoms. Moreover, smelling is a complex activity for our brain, so doing it consciously ensures we maximize the potential of the amazing apparatus we have on our faces. Let us not take it for granted (yes, I know, I’m preaching to the choir here.)

The films will appear on Bois de Jasmin YouTube Channel.

I’m considering other topics, such as languages and books, so if you have a specific request, please let me know.

Photography by Bois de Jasmin