Visiting Esxence is always an exciting experience. The theme this year was Inspiration Flow and with the added venue of Villa Quartzo there were many more perfume brands to explore. Being able to stay for only the first 2 days it was impossible to see all the brands on my list and I've come back with the feeling I should have done more, but the perfumes I smelt and the people I met made it an extraordinary experience none the less. The venue was once again hot and not lit in the best way possible (blogger problems) however everyone's love for perfume and joy of being part of it made it unforgettable.
I came back with a multitude of samples of new scents that have just or are just about going to be released to the market and I noticed a trend towards floral - real full blown flower - scents, many naturals, mono-thematic fragrances and an inspiration from bygone eras.
The first brand I visited was Olfactive Studio as I was really curious to see the new additions to their Sepia Collection.
The first 3, Chypre Shot, Leather Shot and Vanilla Shot were gorgeously made by Bertrand Duchaufour and the 3 that follow are creations by Dominique Ropion. Iris Shot, Rose Shot and Violet Shot are simply beautiful, all 3 expressing these much used raw materials in a unique way through the inspiration of Roberto Greco who has taken these amazing stills . Iris Shot is spicy, aldehydic, rich and dry iris that presented minimal powderiness on my skin. The drydown was sweet and full with still a hint of spices. Rose Shot is a depiction of an actual rosefresh, spicy and woody with a surprising milky heart and Violet Shot - my favorite - is a leathery sweet violet leaf that has left me swooning. I'm really looking forward to their official release so I can try them more on my skin.
Next stop at L' Orchestre Parfum to revisit their 5 beautiful musical fragrances ( You can read my review here ) and try out the new release coming out shortly, a soft soothing scent accompanied again by lovely music. I will follow up with a review once I have a bit more information.
A visit to Manos Gerakinis was mandatory as apart from being a friend he was the only exhibitor from Greece! His perfumes are unique and I have reviewed some here (link here and my favourite, Rose Poetique
His latest luxury offering, Jardin Secret, is truly luxuriously magnificent and comes in a bottle with gold leaf.
I had also the chance to preview his much anticipated perfume, The Bow, created in collaboration with Vassilis Zoulias, the best (according to my opinion) designer in Greece.
Meeting lovely perfume friends is always a treat so I was really happy to bump into Lucy Akhurst, the perfumer of La Maison Hédonique. I have reviewed her first 4 scents here and I'll be posting a review on her latest creations soon.
Sarah Baker was there too with new creations and gorgeous new bottles. The new scents are fab, my favourite was Charade, a beautiful leathery tuberose with a mossy drydown, my husband's was Atlante, a mermaid inspired scent composed by Sarah McCartney (nominated for the Art and Olfaction Awards) and the third was Rules of Attraction that now that I think more of it I indeed liked it a lot as I'm a sucker for an iris / leather combination with a bit of animalic drydown.
Ormonde Jayne was present as well with all the lovely scents we know and Linda Pilkington kindly sprayed me with my favorite Osmanthus to refresh me before I went off to my next meeting. Privé was featured as well, an enveloping sweet floral with a creamy soul. There are newer releases, the Elixir range, which I will be reviewing in more detail soon.
I briefly stopped by to smell the new scent by Dusita. Splendiris is indeed a splendid iris, rich, creamy and powdery with a dry masculine finish that is so beautifully old fashioned!
I walked by the FO'AH stand so many times without ever having the opportunity to talk to them. I have already tried their first 4 perfumes previously and reviewed them (link here)
I was happy to see their newest release No. 17. I need to dig up my sample and try it again!
Map of the Heart was also present with all the hearts, No.7 The Heart of Love being featured slightly more as it's the newest release. My review of the Pink Heart is available here
Herve Gambs Paris has a new launch coming soon too, an Ice cologne collection with 3 scents. Ice Lemon is fresh and citrusy with ginger, cardamon, vetiver and moss, Ice River, an aquatic cologne with lavender, cucumber, cedar and moss and finally Ice Land, a very interesting take on lavender with orange, vetiver, patchouli and moss.
Also had a chance to revisit old favorites and especially La Baie Des Anges, a mouthwatering combination of grapefruit, rhubarb, jasmine, and vanilla.
A brief meeting followed at Alexandre J with a sneak peek of a new scent that I hope to try soon in London!
These bottles are to die for!!
Alex Simone is a beautiful French Riviera inspired brand with elegant scents. All their fragrances were created in collaboration with Bertrand Duchaufour and very recently they released 3 concentrated versions of Villa Simone, Tellement Bleu and En Terrasse. These Absolus are more sophisticated with more refined compositions and I'll be writing more about them soon!
DFG 1924 was a perfume brand that I was aware of but didn't have the opportunity to try yet. Their lovely perfumer, Roberto Dario, was there and took us through the perfumes of the line which were released in 2017 and also gave us a lovely preview of the new trio of scents inspired by love!
“La baia di Jasmine” is the dream: quick glance, dip in the sky, flapping of wings, explosion of unexpected energy. A beautiful fluttery jasmine wrapped in heliotrope and amber .
“Non dire no” is the passion: obsession, apnea, impetuous dominion, incredulity. One of the creamiest, most sensual sandalwood perfumes I've tried. Amber and galbanum complete the picture of passion and longing. This is a perfect scent for a first date.
“Il sentiero degli dei” is the infinite love: truth, purity, eternity, music that does not end, marvel that is continually renewed. Iris, musk and cedarwood create a perfume that celebrates eternal love. I am very smitten with it!
Bois 1920 took the Cannabis trend to the next level, offering 2 new scents based on this controversial plant.
Cannabis is very herbal and green with a woody base and Cannabis Fruttata is lighter, fruiter, saltier, with a dash of lily of he valley and ambergris. Very interesting compositions that will definitely draw a lot of attention!
It's a brand that I haven't explored much however I have some samples now that I intend to try soon!
I also payed a visit to Calé Fragranze d'Autore, and their musical fragrances. I had an opportunity to try them a little last year so my visit was quite brief and I focused more on the new release.
Libera Mente, is a juicy aquatic scent, free flowing and quite transparent. With aquatic notes, ginger, rhubarb, bitter orange, magnolia, cyclamen, fir, vetiver, black tea and seaweed, it's indeed an interesting fragrance that, with the addition of the musical piece that accompanies it, makes you visualize a flowing stream and evoke the sense of calmness within the modern chaos of our lives.
A pic of me caught in the act of trying it!!
This is not the end of my reviews; I'm only just beginning to explore and I'll follow up with more impressions from Esxence!