Scent World

What does a simple skincare routine look like? At a time when skincare was becoming more and more complicated, Matthew and Andrew went a different direction: less, but better. They started Malin+Goetz in 2004 with just six essential products that worked for all skin types, tones, and genders. Today, fragrance is the brand’s fastest-growing category, with two collections that create a sense of balance: “the (un)florals” and...

Trixie, the electrifying drag superstar, shatters boundaries and captivates audiences like no other. She won RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 3, and since then, has been on a meteoric rise to become a cultural icon. She worked with Integrity Toys to create the “Trixie” doll, was nominated for a Critics’ Choice Award for her “One Night Only” comedy special, and in 2019, debuted her cosmetics company, Trixie Cosmetics.

Dita is the biggest name in burlesque since Gypsy Rose Lee. She is known for revitalizing the art form, mesmerizing sold-out theaters around the world with spectacles that evoke fantasy and freedom. Born Heather Sweet in Michigan, Dita posed on the cover of Playboy in the early 2000s and soon became fashion’s “it” girl. Her book, Your Beauty Mark, is a New York Times bestseller, and her latest fragrance, Scandalwood, is a ...

In Part 2, we explore Dita’s collaboration with perfumer and Heretic Parfum founder, Douglas Little. Together, Douglas and Dita tell the story behind their latest fragrance, Scandalwood. They talk about their creative process, finding inspiration in vintage erotica, and why the social revolution of the 1920s made it such a rich period for perfumery.

Highlights:

• The story behind Dita and Douglas’ collaboration

• How the ...

Mona introduced the world to Middle Eastern scent layering. She came into the limelight as the co-founder of Huda Beauty, and in 2018, founded Kayali, which translates to “my imagination” in Arabic. Propelled by the wildly popular fragrance Vanilla 28, the brand is known for its decadent, luxurious gourmands that demonstrate Mona’s belief that “perfume is pleasure.”

In this episode, she sits down with Marianne Mychaskiw...

Can a fragrance do more than smell good? That’s the question behind “functional fragrances,” which are developed to elicit a certain emotion, mood, or cognitive state. Malaika and her team are pioneering this space, tapping into decades of neuroscience research to explore how scent can make you feel better. But they don’t stop there. They bring in an understanding of cultural nuances to create evocative scents that resonat...

Jo has one of the most recognizable names in the perfume industry. Starting out with handmade scents from her kitchen, she grew Jo Malone London into a cult classic brand worn by royals. She sold the company to Estée Lauder in 1999, and after stepping away, found the inspiration to start a new venture, Jo Loves. It’s a rekindling of her deeply personal relationship with fragrance.

In this episode, Jo sits down with Mari...

David says that when he started out, he knew nothing about perfume, business, or the perfume business. From his Bushwick apartment, he began making fragrances for friends, and at one point, joined forces with his wife, Kavi Moltz, to bring D.S. & Durga to life. They brought together their backgrounds in music and architecture to create scents as immersive experiences, or what they refer to as “armchair travel.” 

In ...

What would Endor, the moon in Star Wars, smell like? How about Central Perk, the coffee house in Friends? Questions like these start the creative process at Homesick, a home fragrance brand with a knack for capturing places and moments. Whether it’s your favorite series, college town, or even wedding celebration, they know how to evoke a memory that transports you there.

In this episode, Lauren sits down with Heather Hy...

The root of the word “perfume," Ancient Egyptian perfume rituals, and the use of galbanum in the 13th century, with Sue Phillips, who carved her space in the industry as a "scentrepreneur.” It’s a term she coined to describe her work developing fragrances for luxury brands like Tiffany & Co., Lancome, and Burberry, and celebrities like Jamie Foxx and Katie Holmes.

In this “Summer School” special bonus episode, Sue s...

Azzi is known as the perfumer for the world’s biggest celebrities. Her creations help Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom get into character for movie roles and serve as personal fragrances for Kylie Minogue and Cindy Crawford. Her bespoke work starts at £15,000, but for the first time, she is making her scents more widely available with The Perfumer's Story, a limited-edition collection launching on Scentbird in October 2023.

Along the sun-kissed shores of the Mediterranean, the Côte d'Azur exudes an irresistible aura of sensuality. This timeless stretch of coastal paradise, often referred to as the French Riviera, is where Veronique spent her childhood. Now she captures the richness of the region into scents that spark joy and remind us to add beauty to everyday life.

In this episode, Veronique sits down with Brittney Jackson Moseley, who r...

As one of the first YouTube stars, Ingrid reached over 6 million followers and landed pioneering deals with Covergirl, Jo Malone London, and Fresh Beauty. In 2020, she joined forces with Erica, who had built a career in tech and media, to launch The New Savant. The brand pays homage to the untraditional, self-made journey in life.

In this episode, Ingrid and Erica sit down with Brittney Jackson Moseley, who runs integra...

Think of a place and time in history and imagine what it smelled like. This has been the source of inspiration for Carlos: tapping into scent to unlock the past. His work as a fragrance developer includes the signature scent for St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, the nostagia-infused Vacation sunscreens, and the first fine fragrance for J.Crew. With ARQUISTE, he channels his background in architecture and historic preservatio...

Lev and Alina are best known for building Fresh into a cult beauty brand now part of LVMH. For the past decade, they’ve been channeling their passion into a new endeavor: a boutique hotel that expands into a lifestyle brand. Nestled in the Hudson Valley, with its vibrant arts scene and the Catskill Mountains as a backdrop, The Maker opened in 2020 with 11 intimate rooms across 3 historic buildings, and its very own fragran...

Have you ever wondered how France became the center of the perfume world? It was thanks, in part, to Louis XV. During his reign in the 18th century, the French royal court was known for its lavish use of fragrances, giving rise to a revolution that shaped perfumery as we know it. The splendor and opulence of this era serve as the inspiration for Parfums de Marly. Yvan joined the fragrance house in its early days and worked...

The story begins with a text message. While sitting at the beach, Vicken hears that Commodity has shut down and is looking for a new owner. It’s 2019, and by then, the company had made its mark on the industry as the first direct-to-consumer fragrance brand. Launching with a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign in 2013, it more than doubled its goal, became Sephora’s rising star, and just as quickly as it grew, Commodity foun...

Since starting out in the early 90s, Frank has brought to life some of the most beloved fragrances of our time. Nowadays he’s best known as the creator of Le Labo’s Santal 33. His portfolio goes on to include collaborations with Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Hugo Boss, Jason Wu, and Ariana Grande. He’s been prolific in crafting scents that, in his own words, “evoke a profound emotional connection with the power to elicit pur...

Michael went from being a pharmacist by trade to being a rocker by trade. He says the guitar was his salvation. For over a decade he toured the world with his psychedelic rock band, Rodeo Massacre, where he was a guitarist, composer, and producer. At a certain point he leaned into fragrance as a medium for olfactive counterculture, a bridge between chemistry and art.

In this episode, Michael sits down with Benny Campa, who ...