Perfume Room

As promised, here is pt 2 of the ~The Making Of: Chanterelle~

If you've ever wondered how a perfume actually gets made, this special episode of Perfume Room gives a behind-the-scenes look at the entire creative development process, featuring actual recorded audio from the making of: ORRIS CHANTERELLE AND CAROB CHANTERELLE

(surprise we launched two perfumes ;) ;) ;))

PRE-ORDERS LIVE NOW ON LUCKYSCENT.COM :)

attend the launch in SF!!

official launch date: Nov 14, 2026!

This special 2-part mini-series was produced by Tracy Soren and edited and soundscaped by Joe Leonardo.

SURPRISE! For the past 2.5 years I've been quietly creating a perfume in collaboration with Scent of Wood!

THIS WEEK ENJOY PT. 1 OF A SPECIAL 2-PART SERIES: The Making Of: Chanterelle!

YOU'RE INVITED: MARK YOUR CALS!

NYC PREVIEW PARTY: 10/23 from 5-7P @ ScentBar Brooklyn!

SF LAUNCH PARTY: Sat 11/14 from 5P @ Ministry of Scent Fillmore

SF MASTERCLASS: Sun 11/15 at 10a @ Ministry of Scent Valencia

PRE-ORDERS START NEXT WEEK!!!!

Since we last spoke, MIT Scientist-turned-Beauty-Founder Jasmina Aganovic has been up to A LOT. Like, oh I don't know, attempting to challenge everything we think we know about BO and the deodorant industry???!

Through her newest product, Base Scent, Jasmina asks:

What if deodorizing isn't the point? What if instead, we could just odorize all the good stuff?

JOIN OCT SMELL CLUB: witchysmellclub.eventbrite.com

FOLLOW: @jasmina.aganovic @futuresociety

SOTD: What We Do is Secret Studio Particulier (10% off w/ code 'perfumeroom')

FRAGS MENTIONED: Escentric Molecules Molecule 01 + Black Tea, Dries Van Noten Fleur du Mal, Les Bain Guerbois L’Heure de Proust, Serge Lutens Daim Blond, Bottega Veneta, Atelier Cologne Silver Iris, Maher Olfactive Orris Forest, Jorum Studio Healing Berry, Zernell Gillie Techno, Masque Milano White Whale, Future Society: Base Scent, Cloud Reverie, Wandering Rain, Optimal Habitat, Base Scent

LEGEND, ICON, FOUNDER KILIAN HENNESSY is in the Perfume Room this week! Heir to the Hennessy dynasty, Kilian has given new meaning to the family name: PERFUME.

Founded almost two decades ago, Kilian Parfums was one of the early luxury niche brands to emerge, and one that's shaped and laid the blueprint for so many brands that have followed.

Today we chat about everything from his family, to his unlikely path to perfumery, what it takes for him to launch a new fragrance, the discontinued gems of Kilian Parfums, the current amber woods epidemic, and so much more.

Full video coming later this week on Substack!

SOTD: Kilian Sparkling Royal

FRAGS MENTIONED: Kilian: A Taste of Heaven, Light My Fire, Amber Oud, Rose Oud, Back to Black, Angels' Share, Liaisons Dangereuses, Love Don’t Be Shy, Straight to Heaven; Baccarat Rouge 540, Le Labo Santal 33, Creed Aventus, Mugler Angel, Dior: Eau Sauvage, Jules; Chanel Pour Homme, Antaeus, Ralph Lauren Polo, Guerlain Vetiver, Kilian Dark Lord, Dior Fahrenheit, Kenzo Kashaya, Cacharel Anaïs Anaïs, Issey Miyake L’Eau d’Issey, Dior: Poison, Dune, Fahrenheit, Dolce Vita; Paco Rabanne Ultraviolet, Alexander McQueen Kingdom, Armani Mania, J’Adore Dior, Mugler Angel, Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male, L'Eau d'Issey, Kilian: Piña Paraíso, Midnight Espresso, Sparkling Royal, Eau Sauvage

FOLLOW: @kilianhennessy | @kilianparis

FOR PERFUME ROOM UPDATES + EVENTS: linktr.ee/emmavern

JOHN EARLY AND RUBY McCOLLISTER ARE IN THE PERFUME ROOM THIS WEEK!!!!

We're chatting Maddie's Secret (the film!), Maddie's Secret (the scent!), the history of cola, John's personal journey into perfume (one Ruby shepherded), and Ruby's lifelong love affair with fragrance that all started with her mother. And of course, all roads lead to Marissa Zappas!!

FOLLOW: @bejohnce @ruby.mccollister @maddiessecretedp

SOTD: Maddie's Secret EDP

⁠SHOP MADDIE'S SECRET⁠ (10% off with code 'perfumeroom')

FRAGS MENTIONED:

Marissa Zappas Tragedy Oil, Mondo Mondo Patchouli Palace, Radi$h Maddie’s Secret EDP, Malin & Goetz Cilantro, Unreleased Cigarette After Love, Fendi Asja, Robert Piguet Bandit, Heretic: Nosferatu, 'Til Death; Nostos Calico, Evyan White Shoulders

Thank you to this month's sponsor: Essential Parfums!

A perfume industry vet, Géraldine Archambault KNOWS the essentials.

In fact, she's built a global luxury fragrance brand around them: high-quality ingredients, top-tier perfumers, a diverse offering of fragrances, and most importantly: affordability.

HOW? In this episode, the Essential Parfums founder shares exactly how she cracked the code to offer niche, luxury scents at prices well below all of her competition.

FULL VIDEO EP: https://perfumeroom.substack.com/p/full-video-ep-222-essential-parfums

Get 10% off Essential Parfums:

luckyscent.com (code: perfumeroom)

twistedlily.com (code: perfumeroom10)

FOLLOW: @essential.parfums

FRAGS MENTIONED:

Frederic Malle for Acne Studios (SOTD), Essential Parfums: Ambre Latte, Divine Vanille; Shiseido Feminité Du Bois, Serge Lutens Feminité Du Bois, Guerlain Samsara, Parfums Aubusson, YSL Libre, Essential Parfums: Velvet Iris, Neroli Botanica, Rose Magnetic, Ambre Latte, Fig Infusion, Bois Impériale

~This ep is generously BTYB this month's sponsor: Essential Parfums~

Are you using your perfume powers for good or evil?

Certified *perfume shop girl* and Nose Candy pod co-host Chloe Coover breaks down your biggest perfume-shopping faux pas, the bottles she's emptied, holes in her collection, the scents that define her, her high school persona and how it shaped her taste, and so0o0 much more.

FOLLOW CHLOE: @trannehathaway @nosecandypod

ESSENTIAL PARFUMS EVENTS! linktr.ee/emmavern

FRAGS MENTIONED: Guerlain L'Heure Bleue 2026 (SOTD)

Dolly Parton Dolly, Eight & Bob Original, Caswell Massey Sandalwood, Axe, Liis Flower Glyph, Guerlain Mitsouko, Rochas Tocade, Halston, Kilian L’Heure Verte (now known as Fievre Verte), Stora Skuggan Hexensalbe, Kerosene Black Vines, Parfums de Nicolai Vanille Tonka, Akro Crush, L'Eopque Dopamine Rose, Oriza L. Legrand Horizon, Hollywood Gifts Centerfold, Serge Lutens: Ambre Sultan, Fleur d’Oranger, Fils de Joie; Stora Skuggan Mistpouffer (empty #1), Jorum Studio Gorseland (empty #2), Marc-Antoine Barrois: Aldebaran, Tilia; Robert Piguet Fracas (empty #3)

In search of the next great aromachemical (think of predecessors like ISO E Super, Cashmeran, Galaxolide, etc...), Patina Co-Founders Sean Raspet and Laura Sisson spend their days in the lab testing and developing new molecules. What does that mean? What is scent design and how does it work?

And—in the same way every color has its own immutable RGB code, can we empiricize smells? Laura and Sean hope to do just that.

FRAGS MENTIONED:

Dior Thé Cachemire (SOTD), Chambre52 Contra Ta Peau, Guerlain L'Heure Bleue (2026), Zoologist Squid, Viktor & Rolf Spicebomb, Tauer L'Air du Desert Marocain, Frederic Malle Carnal Flower, Anti Rosa Antiqua, Patina: Metalox, Olivine, Ozocure, Ocean Simulation, Peppercess, Silterra; Chanel No. 5, Patina Nopalia

Logos, slogans, jingles--they all matter, but Beauty Exec-turned-Founder Caroline Fabrigas knows that the next (and most impactful) frontier in branding is scent.

Through her company Scent Marketing Inc., she's developed everything from iconic hotel scents (The 1 Hotel, Baccarat Hotel, and Auberge Resorts), to retail spaces, med spas, amusement park rides—even 20 blocks of 5th Avenue.

Where money can be spent, scent can be smelled.

Today we chat about scent as a means of branding, how Caroline got into this business, and how she reimagines her client's brands through the lens of smell.

scentmarketinginc.com | ⁠scentfluence.com⁠ | @scentmarketinginc

SOTD: Chambre 52 Contre Ta Peau (get 10% off LuckyScent sample with code: perfumeroom)

BOOK A SCENT STYLING SESSION W ME: linktr.ee/emmavern

FRAGS MENTIONED:

Chambre 52 Contre Ta Peau, Penhaligon's Fortuitous Finley, Comme des Garcons Odeur du Theatre du Chatelet Act I, Headspace Sauge, La Perla Once Upon a Garden, Celine Saint-Germain-Des-Prés, Dior Bois D'Argent, Abercrombie Fierce, Hollister Socal, Wayfair Perfect Weekend, Dior Eau Sauvage, Estée Lauder: Youth Dew, Cinnabar; Revlon Charlie, The One Hotel signature scent, Guerlain Shalimar, Chopard Casmir

Within hours of launch, Influxious sold out of all inventory on Sephora.com. The next day it sold out again on the Influxious site. The visionary behind this booming and blooming brand? It's the one, the only, Queen-of-PerfumeTok-turned-Founder, Funmi Monet of course.

She's in the Perfume Room this week sharing the behind-the-scenes of building her brand, the importance of picking the right partners, the double standard she faces as a Black-owned perfume house, the *sheinification* of TikTok, and what the future holds.

SOTDs:

Gap Dream (2026) and Fragrancias Pittoro Pittoro de Mango

FRAGS MENTIONED:

Influxious Gold Standard, High life, Well Loved, Magic Hour; MFK Baccarat Rouge 540, Kayali Yum Boujee Marshmallow, Le Labo Santal 33

BOOK A SCENT STYLING SESSION WITH ME: linktr.ee/emmavern

Julien Rasquinet, Senior Perfumer at CPL Aromas, had an incredibly fortuitous path to perfumery, and it began with a chance meeting at an airport.

Today, he is one of the most prolific and successful perfumers of all time, and when you hear his story, you'll understand why.

We chat about creating the perfect rose, where AI falls short, his least favorite kind of client briefs, the behind-the-scenes stories of your (my) fave perfumes, and how following his nose across the world led him to exactly where he was meant to be [our perfume shelves!].

SOTD: Veronique Gabai Noire de Mai

FRAG MENTIONED: Nishane Thorns become Roses, Estée Lauder Pleasures, Dior J’Adore, Davidoff Cool Water, BDK Tabac Rose, Naomi Goodsir: Iris Cendre, Bois d’Ascese, Cuir Velours; Creed Royal Oud

SMELL CLUB: summerinabottle.eventbrite.com

BOOK A SCENT STYLING SESSION: https://stele.nyc/products/scent-styling-emma-vernon

EDITOR NOTE: In 2025, Perfumer/Founder Maya Njie released a perfume called Aethi Opum, inspired by her own Gambian and Senegalese roots, with a gowé accord. The idea of gowé was something she had discussed with CPL Aromas a few years prior.

Fragrance and fashion legend Narciso Rodriguez joins me in the Perfume Room this week!!!! (REQUIRED LISTENING.)

Two-time recipient of the CFDA Womenswear Designer of the Year as well as the Lifetime Achievement Award AND recipient of 2003 TFA Best New Fragrance Award (for For Her) (among many others), Narciso has received the highest honors for his contributions in both industries. He is able to capture important moments in time in ways that transcend it. Some of his most seminal creations include Carolyn Bessette Kennedy's wedding gown, Michelle Obama's 2008 Election Night dress, and in fragrance, For Her, which is largely credited with modernizing musk for the 21st century.

Today we chat about everything from how he cultivated his own signature (and what that signature is), to how his fashion and fragrance sensibilities are one in the same, his special friendship with CBK and what the media has gotten right and wrong,some never-before-told behind-the-scenes stories surrounding the creation of Narciso Rodriguez fragrances, and of course, what lies ahead.

Ed. Note: I'M STILL NOT OVER THIS EPISODE!!

FOLLOW: @narciso_rodriguez

FRAGS MENTIONED:

Capucci Pour Homme, Lagerfeld For Men, Narciso Rodriguez For Her, JPG Le Male, Narciso Rodriguez Poudree, Egyptian musk oil, Jovan Musk, Narciso Rodriguez: Pure Musc, Essence, Musc Noir

SOTD: Voyage D'Hermes

SCENT STYLING STELE (Aug 2): linktr.ee/emmavern

Husband-and-wife duo Isaac Lekach and Lillian Shalom have spent the past few years developing fragrances for other brands. With El Morocco Perfumery, it's finally their turn.

In an attempt to recreate the magic of cafe society (and the legendary club for which the brand is named), the pair approached this project like archivists, collecting every handkerchief, matchbook, and photo they could get their hands on. What began as a mission to be historically accurate became a reimagining of what fragrance bottle and packaging design could be.

FRAGS MENTIONED:

El Morocco Perfumery: Gala, Highball for Lucius B; Escentric Molecules Molecule 01, Animale Animale, Mugler Angel for Men, Stork Club, El Morocco Perfumery: 154, Gala, Highball for Lucius B, Lulu’s Back in Town, Two Cigarettes in the Dark

SOTD: Future Society Rain Tea

BOOK A SCENT CONSULT W ME: linktr.ee/emmavern

Decorated MANE Senior Perfume Mathilde Bijaoui, and veteran evaluation exec Lauren Shyman are in the Perfume Room this week!

How do perfumers and evaluators work together behind the scenes to create the juice we smell in our most cherished perfume bottles?

Enjoy this an intimate (and fun!) look at the professional and personal relationship between a high-level perfumer and evaluator.

FOLLOW: @mane_1871_ @mathilde.bijaoui.perfumer @thelaurshy

GET TIX TO SMELLS LIKE LOVE! linktr.ee/emmavern

SOTD: ⁠Aedes de Venustas Signature⁠

FRAGS MENTIONED:

Bond No. 9 Madison Ave., Bath & Body Works Whipped Coconut Milkshake, Penhaligon’s Lily and Spice, Jo Malone Poppy & Barley, Snif 2%, Byredo Bal d’Afrique, Glossier You, Jo Malone Yuja/Yuzu Zest Cologne, L’Artisan Mure et Musc, Snif Crumb Couture, Jo Malone English Fields Collection (Primrose & Rye), Mugler Alien, Giorgio, Carolina Herrera Good Girl, YSL Opium, Mugler Angel, Narciso For Her, BR540, Chanel Egoiste, CK Eternity, Davidoff Cool Water, Cacharel Anais Anais, Giorgio, Opium, Aromatics Elixir, Elizabeth Taylor White Diamonds, Dana Canoe, Victoria's Secret Vanilla Lace, Eau de Bonpoint, Mure et Musc, Dior Eau Sauvage, Rochas Eau de Rochas, Hermes Caleche, Chanel No. 19, Paul Sebastian Design, Gap Dream, Heaven; DK Cashmere Mist, CKOne, Drakkar Noir, ELdO Like This

Sebastian Jara is not new to this [fragrance content]; he's true this. Since 2012, he's been creating videos, and today his YT channel boasts over 335K subscribers. Now he's onto the next venture. After years of attending perfume trade shows all over the world, Sebastian has created his own and it's called ScentFEST. And the inaugural show is happening in just 3 weeks in SF! (June 26-28, 2026)

We chat all about what can you expect at the show, highlights from his 6000-bottle personal collection, the evolution of fragrance content over the last decade, and all the roads that led him here!

FOLLOW: @theperfumeguy (on all channels)

~PERFUME ROOM WEST COAST TOUR OF LOVE!~

linktr.ee/emmavern

Stop 1 ~ LA: Smells Like Love (June 20) NOW CASTING!

Stop 2 ~ Monterey: WPC (June 22-25)

Stop 3 ~ SF: ScentFEST (June 26-28)

****

SOTD: Parfums MDCI Un Coeur en Mai(get 10% off code: perfumeroom)

FRAGS MENTIONED:

Angelos Créations Olfactives Soma Panorama, EM Molecule 01, Alrehab Choco Musk, YSL Rive Gauche, Madame Rochas, YSL Opium, Polo Green, Caron Pour Un Homme, Pierre Cardin, Guy Laroche Drakkar Noir, Chrome Azzaro, JPG Le Male, D&G Pour Homme, Jo Malone: Orange Blossom, Vetyver, Black Vetyver Cafe, Blue Agave & Cacao, Lime Basil & Mandarin, Pomegranate Noir, Wild Fig & Cassis; Mugler A*Men, Cologne; Penhaligon’s, Annick Goutal, Mugler Angel, Sarah Baker Jungle Jezebel, Massimo Dutti White Evening, Jusbox Fifty Four, BLNDGRPHY Vanilla Mudslide, Trudon 45°, Sarah Baker VaVa Vanilla, Dusita Light of Bangkok, Pesad Orris Cocoon, Dior Homme (orig.), Hugo Boss Bottled Absolu, Le Male Elixir, Loumari Radanfor, JPG Le Male, Guerlain Guerlinade, Jean-Louis Scherrer, Lancome Magie Noire, Hermes Eau d’Orange Verte, Eau de Gucci, Carine Roitfeld Carine, Houbigant Fougère Royale (1884), Coty Ambre Antique (1904), Chanel No. 5 (1921), Guerlain Mitsouko (1919), Caron Tabac Blond (1919), Molinard Habinita (1924), kyphi from ancient Egypt

Stop. what. you're. doing. DOMINIQUE ROPION IS IN THE PERFUME ROOM TODAY.

FRAGS MENTIONED:

Frederic Malle: Carnal Flower, Portrait of a Lady, Geranium Pour Monsieur; Mugler Alien, Lancome La Vie Est Belle, Givenchy L’Interdit, Frederic Malle Portrait of a Lady, Givenchy Ysatis, Aphorismes Innocent Tuberose, Frederic Malle Carnal Flower, Aphorismes A Rose is a Rose, Frederic Malle Portrait of a Lady

⁠linktr.ee/emmavern⁠

WEST COAST TOUR OF LOVE:

LA: Smells Like Love (6/20)

Monterey: World Perfumery Congress (6/22-25)

SF: ScentFEST (6/26-28)

SINGLE? APPLY TO BE A DATER!

World-renowned expert on the psychological science of smell, neuroscientist Dr. Rachel Herz is in the Perfume Room this week!

Bookmark this episode; you'll want to come back to it!

Why are you attracted to the way certain people smell and what role does scent really play in attraction? Is your partner's perfume hiding potential red flags?! What can you to improve your sense of smell (especially after smell loss), and how can you use smell to make healthier food choices? Plus, is climate change messing up our noses? AND SO MUCH MORE!!!!

⁠www.rachelherz.com⁠

DR. HERZ'S BOOKS:

Why You Eat What You Eat

The Scent of Desire

That's Disgusting

FRAGS MENTIONED:

Lise Watier Neiges, Cacharel Anais Anais, F. Millot Crêpe de Chine, Chanel No. 5

!!!ROSE SMELL CLUB!!! ⁠rosesmellclub.eventbrite.com⁠

MY SOTD: D'ORSAY⁠ Vouloir Etre Ailleurs CG⁠ ('perfumeroom' for 10% off)

What do Tom Ford Ombre Leather, Narciso Rodriguez Pure Musc, Valentino Donna, Jimmy Choo I Want Choo, and Jean Paul Gaultier La Belle all have in common? All were created by multi-award-winning Givaudan Senior Perfumer Sonia Constant.

In addition to her illustrious client repertoire, Sonia is the creator of her own brand, Ella K—a brand that inspired by bold women that chronicles Sonia's personal adventures and travels.

FRAGS MENTIONED:

Ella K Myrrhe K, Tom Ford Ombre Leather, Narciso Rodriguez: Musc Noir, Pure Musc; Ella K Musc K, Narciso Rodriguez Pure Musc Blanc, Liquides Imaginaires Dom Rosa, Ella K: Ambre K, Orchid K; Marc Jacobs Daisy Wild, Guerlain Agua Allegoria Tiare Mimosa, Ella K: Ghibli, Reflet Sur L'Okavagno; Daisy Wild, Jimmy Choo I want Choo, Ella K Memoire de Daisen In, Allons Voir, Van Cleef First Premier Bouquet, Valentino Donna, Dom Rosa, Mugler Angel Nova, Ella K: Ghibli, Camelia K; Ombre Leather, Pure Musc, Dom Rosa, Myrrhe K

FOLLOW SONIA: @constantsoniaperfumer @ellakparfumsparis

SHOP: luckyscent.com (code: perfumeroom for 10% off)

SCENT STYLING @ STELE: stele.shop/emma

FOLLOW perfumeroom.substack.com FOR SMELL CLUB UPDATES!

PERFUME ROOM CANON ALERT!

Givaudan Master Perfumer Calice Becker is shaping the future of perfumery at every level.

Not only have her iconic creations like Tommy Girl, J'Adore Dior, Love Don't Be Shy, and Velvet Orchid (to name just a few) come to define entire decades of perfume, but she also serves as the Director of the Givaudan Perfumery School, handpicking the next generation of perfumers and training them through an entirely new method—one she developed herself.

As President of the ISPC, Calice also spearheaded the creation of a formal charter and accreditation system to standardize what it takes to call oneself a Perfumer-Creator™.

FRAGS MENTIONED:

Serge Lutens La Myrrhe, Marc Jacobs Lola, Tommy Hilfiger Tommy Girl, J’Adore Dior, Estée Lauder Pleasures, Mugler Angel, Tommy Girl, Essential Parfums The Musc, Kilian Love Don't Be Shy, Lola, Arquiste Almond Suede, Balmain: Monsieur Balmain, Vent Vert; Robert Piguet Bandit, Fracas; MFK Baccarat Rouge 540, Chanel No. 19, Tom Ford Black Orchid, Narciso Rodriguez Essence, Love Don't Be Shy

SOTD: Les Cocottes de Paris Melle Cleo

BOOK A SCENT STYLING SESSION: www.stele.shop/emma

In just one year since launch, Param Sara, a new niche Indian perfume brand on the scene, has already won numerous prestigious accolades. And it all began when Founder Ankita Gill noticed a common theme in perfumery: non-Indian and non-Asian brands were telling Indian and Asian stories.

Determined to reclaim and retell these stories through her own memories and experiences, Ankita pivoted careers, signed up for perfumery school, and just a few years later leads an award-winning perfume brand with fragrances created by some of the world's best (and she calls it, 'culturally-fluid') perfumers.

FOLLOW: @paramsaraofficial

FRAGS MENTIONED:

Param Sara The Mandala, Davidoff Coolwater, JK Helene Curtis Park Avenue, Param Sara: The Kama, The Nirvana, The Bodhi, The Naga, The Nagi

SMELL CLUB, SCENT STYLING & MORE: linktr.ee/emmavern