Season 7, Episode 38: Barnes Fragrance Fair Recap and What We Can’t Stop Sniffing

Wowie! So many excellent fragrances to get your noses around in this episode, it was difficult to know where to begin. But with so many to explore we started with a recap of the recent barnstorming success of Barnes Fragrance Fair...We talked through Suzy’s choices for her sold-out talk with Alice du Parcq (and if you couldn’t go or were there but missed any of the talks: never fear! They were all recorded and will be on the Barnes Fragrance Fair YouTube channel when they’re all edited. We’ll let you know when they’re up, but meanwhile you can watch last year’s talks there, including the ‘Top of the morning’ show we so loved doing.)Suzy chose:Shloksha Soapy HeartBased in Tunbridge Wells, founder Jay says “Moving from India to the UK in mytwenties, I do miss the immersive sensory joys found in everyday Indian culture.Sourcing and working with traditional Indian materials connects me to mychildhood—scented trips down memory lane!”Opening notes - red mandarin and grapefruitHeart notes - jasmine, ylang ylang, green grass and saffronBase notes – sandalwood, fruity musk, oudh“You slip on your fine silk robe, gorgeously patterned with tropical birds, andquietly pad along the hallway to the bathroom. Closing the heavy wooden doorwith a sigh of relief, you lean over the sparkling slipper bath, slide the plug inand turn both taps on full. Glittering beads of water dance in the diffuse light.You perch your hip on the side of the bath as your ears fill pleasantly with theroar and tumble of the cascading water. Your life is very busy and demanding,and you get few opportunities to indulge yourself. But a long, quiet bath is oftenwhat you crave.Your eyes glance along the rich turquoise tiled shelf as you ponder how to scentyour watery sanctuary. Antique crystal jars hold delicately fragrant floralsalts—you carefully lift their lids- one by one - and their enchanting perfumesmingle with the steam. But they’re perhaps not exactly what you’re in the moodfor.A waxed paper tablet of old-fashioned, handmade soap sits demurely at theend of the shelf. Fresh, brand new and unopened. Your fingertips softly caressthe crackling paper as you carefully unwrap it and the dense, creamy pebbledrops into your silken lap.You dip your hands briefly in the warm bath water and rotate the smooth soap inyour hands. Rich suds fly into the air, dense but light. Airy and iridescent. Yes,this is what you were looking for.”Jorum Studio Risso‘An independent fragrance brand founded in Scotland in 2019 led by Scottishperfumer Euan McCall. Jorum creates modern, poetic fragrances that capture thebeauty of nature with an unconventional spirit. Designing and manufacturing allproducts in-house, Jorum Studio celebrates the craft of perfumery using only thepurest quality materials in truly unique and creative ways.’ (Based in Edinburgh,now with a store in London, too.)‘ImpressionDouglas fir, Pear, Cypress, Mastic, Petitgrain, Bigarade, Carrot, Angelica seed.FadeNerium Oleander, Pearwood, Olive, Neroli, Orange Flower absolute, Ambretteseed.‘Sculptural sunbeams filter through the breaks in gauzy linen, air is cool,carrying the bittersweet embrace of seasonal citrus and the brightness of soapon fabric and skin. Crisp, clean and radiant. Risso awakens with the coolambience of majestic Douglas Fir and bracing Cypress oils, evoking the hush ofdawn. Pear and Bigarade bring bright clarity, where expressive citrus meetsdelicious soft-fruit sweetness. The centrepiece: a gilded rush of vibrant Neroliand delicate Orange Flower Absolute, bringing a fusion of enduring luminosity.’NEUNÉRE When All Things Were DivineFounded in London 2025 by Alina Rosu. Her path led her from the foundationaldiscipline of the Grasse Institute of Perfumery to a Master's degree in FragranceFormulation. Alina says: “We live in the moment, just not this one. This perfumeis about the bittersweet nature of nostalgia.”‘It opens with crisp notes of cut grass and green tea, followed by the bitternessof Galbanum Oil. The heart is a soft infusion of Orris Butter and Orange BlossomAbsolute. It settles into a dry-down of honey and Benzoin from Laos, contrastedby mossy notes.Featuring: cut grass, watery notes, green tea, galbanum resinoid, orange flowerabsolute, orris root butter, philadelphus/mock orange, honey, benzoin siamresinoid, moss, Ambrofix™’To the Fairest CécileCécile, entwines luminous bergamot and mandarin with powdery softness atopthe warmth of amber and a tingle of clove bud, the rose rippled through with anairy creaminess that wafts beguilingly.Top Notes: bergamot, mandarinHeart Notes: rose absoluteBase Notes: amber, clove budSuzy especially loves the matching fragrantly nourishing Satin Body Oil spray –one of THE best you’ll ever try, no matter which scent you choose, and you couldeasily wear any of them instead of a fragrance! Made using organic argan oilextract, this quick-drying formula leaves skin luminous and delicately scented.Beaufort London Fathom V Director’s CutTo commemorate a decade of Fathom V we have produced a limited edition‘Directors Cut’ EXTRAIT version of the scent: the ‘big green beast’ reimagined inan ultra-strong variant at a 150% higher oil inclusion. This ‘extended’ versionbrings to life the more muted aspects of the original and is incredibly powerfuland extremely long-lasting.Each all-black bottle is individually numbered, with the edition running to only1000 pieces worldwide. Each box contains a hand-signed note of authenticity.Top Notes: Juniper, Blackcurrant, Green Leaves, AquaticCrisp green cut stem brightness open, darkened with earth.Heart Notes: Lily, Jasmine, CuminLush white flowers bloom at the heart.Base Notes: Vetiver, Moss, Salt, Atlas CedarSalted woods, moss and vetiver leave a deep mineral resonance.Perfumer: Julie MarloweRather greedily, Suzy really wanted to choose Maya Njie Aethi Opum becauseshe’s been utterly obsessed with it since smelling Jo’s bottle, but Alice hadchosen that. AND she wanted to choose Olfiction ICONIC, but Alice had chosenthat, too. So... they compromised and both spoke about those incredible scents.We’ll discuss them properly on the pod when the talks are up (and when Nicola’shad a chance to get her nose on them.)Nicola’s been falling in love with wearing Juliette Has a Gun Not a Perfume allover again, for its pleasing, easy-to-wear character when worn alone, and for itsability to coax beguiling intricacies from other scents while also boosting theirlongevity.Another new launch Suzy’s obsessed by is Essential Parfums Ambre Latteby Jordi Fernández“I envisioned Ambre Latte as a highly addictive overdose of my favourite amberwoods wrapped in a delicious swirl of almond milk. Infused with caramel, tonka,vanilla, and benzoin, this creamy haze lends the amber structure an irresistibleand unforgettable signature. A fragrance that draws you in… and keeps youclose."‘With Ambre Latte, Jordi Fernandez offers a unique and exquisitely refined takeon indulgence.​ The fragrance unfolds in a vaporous cloud of almond milk,delicately infused with roasted tonka bean.​ Indulgence settles in — irresistibleyet perfectly controlled — as a luscious dulce de leche caramel melts into theenveloping softness of vanilla, benzoin and white musks.​Very soon, the fragrance reveals its duality. Beneath the milky caress emergesan intensely addictive woody-amber alchemy. Ambrofix, Georgywood,Akigalawood and white sandalwood structure the composition, infusing it withdepth, sophistication and modernity. They extend the trail with sensual richness,leaving an unforgettable imprint — the perfect balance between gourmandiseand addiction.’Escentric Molecules Cologne OneSuzy described this as feeling like a Cologne that’s been whizzed up in a SodaStream machine! The brand says: ‘Cologne One captures the freshness of a ginand tonic in a single, sparkling gesture: effervescent, bright, unmistakably clean.The fragrance lives in its top notes: juniper for the gin, lime and citrus for lift, atouch of bergamot and mandarin, a whisper of ginger for a delicate spiciness,and a hint of cucumber’s neutrality to enhance the crispness without becomingliteral. It is freshness concentrated, transparent, and immediate.The heart remains understated: iris, rose, and hedione offer just enoughstructure to support the top note, allowing the bright citrus and juniper to linger.The dry down is linear, calm, and unobtrusive: Ambroxan, Iso E Super, and atrace of musk. Nothing competes, nothing distracts.“We have a very different approach to fragrance, so our first cologne capturesthe very unique and wonderful freshness of a gin and tonic. I think it's quite newwith that sort of freshness. It's the idea of the sparkling, effervescent gin andtonic first scent, this sort of your nose in the drink,” says perfumer Geza Schoen.Cologne One is a cologne reimagined by Escentric Molecules: 15% concentrationfor lasting freshness without leaving an overwhelmingly fragrant impression. It isrefreshing, refined, and gender-neutral....