The Fragrance Files

Teri Johnson, the owner of Harlem Perfume Co. and Harlem Candle Co., shares her journey from travel and lifestyle expert to creating a brand focused on history and storytelling through fragrance. She discusses the inspiration behind her fragrances, the importance of the Harlem Renaissance, and the unique storytelling capability of perfume. The conversation delves into the creative process of fragrance and candle creation, emphasizing the importance of storytelling and historical authenticity. Chapters00:00 The Journey to Perfume01:05 From Travel to Harlem Candle Company03:39 Inspiration from the Harlem Renaissance21:30 The Power of Fragrance Storytelling32:14 Collaboration and Creative Briefs34:00 The Art of Storytelling in Fragrance Creation38:23 Symbiotic Relationship Between Perfumer and Creative Director42:41 Expansion into Sephora and Brick-and-Mortar Retailers47:36 Celebrating Black Culture and Untold Stories

We take on the audience questions again, with libations flowing we get into some more contentious areas and hot takes. Let us know what you want to hear from us next!Chapters00:00 The Impact of Storytelling and Marketing in the Fragrance Industry14:40 The Future of the Fragrance Industry and Audience Engagement18:32 Accessibility in Fragrance Stores31:20 Fragrances and Personal Memories31:37 Fragrance Experiences and Emotional Connections34:30 Fragrance Memories and Personal Traditions35:44 The Direction of the Fragrance Industry42:11 Fragrances to Smell vs. Wear47:13 Appreciating and Disliking Fragrances53:01 The Influence of Brand Storytelling56:12 The Impact of Feedback on Fragrance Creation01:00:24 Perception of Fragrance Notes01:05:51 The Role of Influencers in Fragrance Culture

This week we were able to sit down with the mother of PerfumeTok and founder of Influxious- Funmi Monet to discuss her rise in social media and what changes when you become a founder vs a reviewer.Chapters00:00 The Scented Journey05:03 The Evolution of Fragrance Content08:13 Representation and Diversity in Fragrance12:28 The Impact of Social Media on Fragrance Talk20:49 The Sheinification of Perfume Talk26:35 From Collaboration to Brand Creation29:40 Creative Control and Ownership34:09 Principles of Excellence37:55 Foundational Experiences and Fragrance Creation43:01 Gold Standard and Magic Hour48:37 Magic Hour and High Life54:00 The Creation of High Life Fragrance55:09 Inspiration from Nigerian Culture56:06 Launching in Sephora and Navigating Criticism57:08 Empathy for Brands and Creators01:03:15 Promoting Black-Owned Fragrance Brands01:12:29 Highlighting Favorite Black-Owned Fragrances

Dana El Masri of Jazmin Saraï shares her olfactory journey, the intersection of scent and music, and the challenges of olfactory art in the modern world. The conversation delves into the intersection of scent, culture, and identity, exploring the emotional and cultural significance of fragrance. It also addresses the Eurocentric nature of perfumery and the impact of music on scent creation.TakeawaysOlfactory art requires a level of awareness and perception that often goes unnoticed in the modern world.The emergence of AI and digital platforms has impacted the fragrance industry, creating challenges and opportunities for perfumers. Cultural complexity influences scent creationEurocentric bias in perfumeryMusic's influence on scent creation Emotion and authenticity are integral to the creation of fragrancesFragrance plays a significant role in preserving history and culture

We asked you, our viewers, to give us questions you've wanted our perspective on.This is one of the most fun episodes we've had and hope you enjoy. If you'd like to submit something for part two- DM us on any platform or comment below!

Beyond the perfume, Douglas Little is building haunted worlds.In this episode of The Fragrance Files, we sit down with the founder of Heretic Parfum to explore why darkness, folklore, horror, and the supernatural have always been fertile ground for scent. Douglas shares the origins of Heretic, the challenges of building an independent fragrance house before niche perfume became mainstream, and why natural materials continue to inspire his creative process despite their unpredictability.Together, we unpack fragrance as storytelling, from texture and atmosphere to emotion and memory.

Following Scent Fest, we sat down with Michael Nordstrand to re-record the second part of his episode. Apologies for the delay but enjoy a poignant, hilarious, and extra long episode to make up for it where we discuss the importance of authorship in perfumery

It's the Scent Fest Episode Y'all!Delightfully unhinged, we dive into the memories made, the people we saw, and brands we loves, the perfumes we missed, and the bottles we brought home!

The conversation this week delves into the challenges in the fragrance industry, disrupting the industry, accessibility and experience, the model of Olfactory NYC- with the founder JJ Vittoria discussing the role of perfumers, creating fragrance elements, and customer connection and experience.

Samira shares her early fascination with fragrance, influenced by her mother's anosmia and her own emotional connection to scent. She introduces House of Iyrah and discusses the emotive approach to fragrance creation. The conversation delves into the importance of smell and the process of evaluating fragrances, as well as personal aversions to certain fragrance notes.

This week Josh sits down with Sebastian Jara, also known as The Perfume Guy. With over a decade of perfume content creation and a collection spanning in the thousands, Sebastian has a distinct vision of fragrance as an industry, art form, and community.Tune in next week when Michy returns, back to our normal Friday spot!

Liz, also known as The Vapor Parade, shares her contrarian outlook on fragrance, emphasizing originality and authenticity. We explore her journey of discovering fragrance, niche fragrances, and the impact of specific scents on her life, as well as, transition from the service industry to the tech industry.

This week it's just the two of us talking about Michy's trip to Milan for Esxence and about things we're loving heading into the summer. Lots of recommendations and lots of PR this week. Thank you to the brands who are supporting our work!

This week we sit down with Paula Morales of The Pitaya Collective to discuss how spirituality, memory, death, and grief are tied to scent.Fragrance functions as a bridge between the physical, psychological, and spiritual in a way other scents cannot. We wanted to explore that facet with Paula and their perspective as a Mayan Timekeeper and an archivist.

**Disclaimer at the time of filming this episode the Estee Lauder and Puig merger was still happening. It has since fallen apart. Dries Van Noten will not be part of Estee Lauder.**This week is the first part of a highly anticipated conversation with the one, the only, Michael Nordstrand about the state of the perfume industry, the ugly underbelly of being a perfumer, and the shifting role of the perfumer in a world trying to focus on scale and sales.Tune in next week for part two!

This week we sit down with Eddie and Bryson of The Alloy Studios to discuss the brand's foundation in black culture and queer culture before moving into fragrance as fashion, armor, and a way of life.

This week we sit down with Ember, the founder and perfumer of Hoshi Gato on everything from the brand's origins to the snake oil educators of faux perfumery on social media

Title kinda says it all on this one, we talk about Fumed and hear from both attendees and brands from the show.

This week the conversation delves into the emotional and practical role of fragrance in daily life, exploring the impact of comfort scents on emotional regulation and relaxation. We discuss the complexity vs. simplicity in fragrance creation and the significance of bedtime rituals and comfort scents in our lives.

This week we delve into the power of a creative couple who founded Mitti as a testament to their relationship. Ridhima leads copy and creative, while Neerav is lead perfumer. The two talk about balance, trust, and make us all question our relationships.The lingering question on everyone's mind: When was the last time I trusted someone to make my coffee?

Bonus Episode: Alie sat down with us for Goth Fragrance Dialogues to discuss the brand ethos of a "midwest love story"

Alie Kiral, the nose behind Pearfat Parfum, graced our screens again to talk about the purposeful playfulness and whimsy inherent to her brand and the impacts of being authentic and fun in an industry prone to revert to the sexy or serious.

We're back with part two of the Stéle episode, talking more about the importance of the Indie space and how to support it. Tune into Part 1 if you missed it!

This week we sit down with Jake and Matt, the duo behind Stéle NYC to discuss the insidious nature in which private equity and venture capital have killed the niche industry in search of profits and is actively working to take over the indie perfume space.What can we do about it? Focus on where we spend out money and who we support. We can only protect this community if we stick up for it.This conversation went so over, it's now a two part episode- with Part 2 Launching next Friday!

This week we slowed down with Christina Loff from The Dry Down Diaries to talk about long form content, the challenges of a world controlled by algorithms, and the diversity of the fragrance community.

This week we sat down with beauty world maker, Arabelle Sicardi, to discuss the world of ingredient sourcing including historical context, beauty marketing traps, and the issues with greenwashing in perfume.

This week's conversation delves into the gender stereotypes associated with fragrances and the impact of marketing on gender in the fragrance industry. We explore the historical context of fragrance gendering and the societal expectations placed on men and women in relation to fragrance choices as well as the way queerness and queer fragrance liberates us from the binary.Chapters00:00 Gender Stereotypes in Fragrance15:36 Marketing and Gender in Fragrance32:38 Gender and Fragrance42:14 Queerness and Fragrance50:07 Gendered Marketing57:02 Storytelling in Fragrance01:03:01 Freedom in Fragrance

This week we sit down with LC, a brand consultant and interdisciplinary artist to have a conversation that delves into the political identity of perfume, highlighting the intersection of gender politics, colonial history, and social stratification within the fragrance industry.Chapters00:00 Perfume as a Political Identity14:46 Colonial History and Perfume24:29 Policing of Women's Scent33:14 Competitiveness and Exclusivity in Perfume TikTok01:04:53 The Business Model and Exclusivity Clauses in Perfume Sponsorships01:10:37 The Impact of Brand Rebranding and Political Implications in Perfume Marketing

This week we dive into different ways perfume and beauty brands treat and act in the fragrance community. To love perfume as an art means not being afraid to critique it as an industry. From content creation tips to shading some egregious missteps, we're here for accountability and transparency.

Bonus episode, a re-issue the 2025 interview with Kyle and Josh as Goth Fragrance Dialogues. Hear a bit about who Kyle is, how OSM developed, and hear the early foundations of our discussion in Episode 7 of The Fragrance Files

This week we sit down with Kyle Mott-Kannanberg of Blend, the umbrella brand for OSM perfume and the upcoming Fumed Expo in Chicago.See The Fragrance Files there, March 28 - 29 in Chicago.

This week we discuss evolving with and past our fragrances. How we are emotionally tethered to fragrance, and the moment that tether breaks. Whether you've moved on for a season or a lifetime, taste and emotions change so your fragrances should too.The Scent of Letting Go is about how to find out what works, and what doesn't. We also discuss our approach to decluttering- or selling/trading/gifting fragrances that we no longer need.

Maybe the desire for a signature scent isn't about fragrance, it's about wanting to be known and remembered.This episode, we explore the myth of Signature Scents, where the idea comes from, why it still matters, and how committing to one fragrance can make sense in todays highly saturated perfume culture.

In Episode 4 of The Fragrance Files, we’re joined by Cult of Kaori for a conversation about perfume as process—how fragrance is made, what it’s meant to hold, and what it costs (emotionally and creatively) to build something with a real point of view.We talk about identity before marketing, intention before output, and why perfume deserves more than first impressions and content cycles.If you’re here for thoughtful fragrance conversations that go deeper than notes and performance, welcome.

Sampling can be discovery or distraction. Michy and Josh explore decants, discovery sets, and the modern “sample spiral,” asking what we gain from endless testing and what we lose when we never commit.

Before we talk about perfume, we need to talk about why.In this episode, Josh, your goth fragrance bestie, and Michele, MichySmells, slow things down to define what The Fragrance Files is, what it isn’t, and why this conversation needed to exist in the first place.This isn’t an origin story in the traditional sense. It’s a conversation about pace, intention, and the kind of fragrance discourse that feels increasingly rare. We talk about what frustrates us in modern perfume culture, what we want to protect, and the kind of listener we’re hoping to sit beside rather than impress.There are no rankings here. No hot takes for the sake of noise.Just an invitation into how we think about scent, memory, and meaning; and how this podcast plans to move through fragrance differently.

A reflective post-mortem of 2025 through fragrance: what stayed, what faded, and what the year revealed about how we wear scent. No rankings. No hype. Just lived experience.