Jasmine Awards 2023 Finalists (and why we’re squealing with joy!)

The Fragrance Foundation Jasmine Awards 2023 finalists have just been announced, so if you heard a high-pitched sound and dashed to check your fire alarm batteries didn’t need changing – worry not: it was merely the sound of The Perfume Society team squealing with joy!

The Fragrance Foundation says: ‘Launched in the UK in 1990 the Jasmine Awards are recognised as the most prestigious journalistic awards in the beauty industry. They recognise and reward the talents of journalists & visualisers whose difficult task it is to translate the complex art of perfumery into words and pictures.’

We are thrilled to have FIVE nominations this year, for articles published in our magazine, The Scented Letter (sign up to get your FREE digital copy, here, if you’ve not done so already), and for our blog. Amidst such talented company as the other incredible nominees, and with so many submissions the prestigious judging panel had to work their way through, we are full to the fragrant brim with gratitude for this recognition, and send huge congratulations to ALL of the finalists…

 

Jasmine Awards 2021

Practical Guide:

The Scented Letter magazine50 Perfume Icons, by Suzy Nightingale

The Scented Letter magazineAny Colour, So Long As It’s Green, by Jo Fairley

The Scented Letter magazineTime to Spray your 5 a Day, by Suzy Nightingale

@FabulousmagHow to Smell Expensive (Without Breaking the Bank), by Tara Ledden

 

 

The Jasmine Awards 2021

 

Short Piece:

Perfume Society blogChapter & Verse: fragrances inspired by literature, by Suzy Nightingale

The Scented Letter magazineIt Takes Me Right Back (To the Hardware Store), by Jan Masters

@CountryandTownHouse – The Green, Green, Grasse, by Jan Masters

@BeautyMatterofficial – Safety in Numbers: The Henry Rose Team on a New Era of Ingredient Transparency, by Carla Seipp

How to Spend it (Financial Times)Help, I’ve Been Discontinued… by Mark C O’Flaherty

 

 

The Jasmine Awards 2021

 

Creativity:

Instagram, All The Perfumes I Wore Last WeekSali Hughes

Instagram, Desert Island (little) Spritz with Poppy du ParcqAlice du Parcq

Instagram, Desert Island Spritz, My Top 10 Guerlain FavouritesAlice du Parcq

Instagram, Slutty PerfumesSali Hughes

@OnTheScentPodcast, Scented Story Time & Perfume Prescriptions (Episode 56) – Suzy Nightingale & Nicola Bonn

 

 

The Jasmine Awards 2021

 

 

Rising Star:

@FabulousmagHow to Smell Expensive (Without Breaking the Bank), by Tara Ledden

Harrods (Instagram Stories)Trending Oud Scents to Try Immediately, by Shannan Sterne

Harrods MagazineWhat’s the Hype?, by Nateisha Scott

 

 

Meanwhile, we are also excited to share with you the HOT OFF THE PRESS just-launched edition of The Scented Letter magazine, which you can have sent straight to your inbox by signing up here, and purchase gorgeous glossy print copies of, here!

Jasmine Awards Finalists 2022 announced (read the plethora of perfume pieces here!)

At a time we’re all hanging on to every scrap of good news, we had reason to squeal with true joy when The Fragrance Foundation announced this year’s Jasmine Awards Finalists

Often referred to as ‘the Oscars of the Fragrance Industry’ – an annual event in which amidst celebrating the industry as a whole, The Fragrance Foundation also take time to give thanks to those who write about and discuss fragrance in engaging and innovative ways. We are utterly thrilled to have made the final line-up again this year with SEVEN nominations, and even more proud to be sharing that space with so many talented individuals.

Here are the pieces that are in the running – we’ve put a link to each article so you can read it in full, something we’re so happy to be able to do with The Scented Letter Magazine now, having taken the decision during lockdown to make this publication available to everyone. Happy reading!

Celestial Scents (Literary Award) Suzy Nightingale – Suzy Nightingale, The Scented Letter Magazine 

What IS a Fougère? Pteridomania & the Frenzy for Ferns (Practical Guide Award) – Suzy Nightingale perfumesociety.org

Let Us Spray (Practical Guide Award) – Suzy Nightingale, perfumesociety.org

Give Me Strength: perfumes for a post-lockdown pick-me-up (Short Piece Award) – Suzy Nightingale, perfumesociety.org

When Soap Equals Hope (Literary Award) – Josephine Fairley, The Scented Letter Magazine 

The Year the World Discovered the Sense of Smell (Literary Award) – Louise Woolam, The Scented Letter Magazine

#smellfie 2021 (Creativity) – The Perfume Society Team, Instagram / The Scented Letter Magazine 

The Jasmine Awards 2022 shortlist announcement was part of the seven-day scent-fest of The Fragrance Foundation National Fragrance Week celebrations, the Jasmine Awards ceremony itself is due to be held in May with all winners being announced during the glam-filled affair, when the scent of success (and oodles of perfume, obvs) fills the air.

Until then, we raise a glass to ALL the worthy finalists, in what must have been very difficult decisions for the judges to make. We’re utterly thrilled to have made the finals, and are especially honoured to be among such great names in the industry. Cheers!

Creativity
Publication Journalist Article
Instagram Alice du Parcq ‘Desert Island Spritz’ InstaLive with Adam Reed.
Instagram Alice du Parcq ‘Desert Island Spritz’ ‘Party Special’ with Sali Hughes.
Rakes SENSE Victoria Gaiger Making an Impression.
Stylist Magazine Shannon Peter Up, Up and Away
The Perfume Companion Sarah McCartney & Samantha Scriven The Perfume Companion
Instagram The Perfume Society Smellfie 2021

Literary Piece

Publication Journalist Article
Rakes SENSE Victoria Gaiger Master of Molecules
Rakes SENSE Beatriz Zimmermann Take Courage
The Scented Letter Josephine Fairley When Soap Equals Hope
The Scented Letter Louise Woollam The Year the World Discovered the Sense of Smell
The Scented Letter Suzy Nighingale Celestial Scents
The Stack World Viola Levy Do you smell expensive
Practical Guide
Publication Journalist Article
Glamour Magazine Alice du Parcq How to make your perfume last longer, if you’re sick of scent fading by lunchtime.
perfumesociety.org Suzy Nightingale What IS a fougère? Pteridomania & the frenzy for fern fragrances.
perfumesociety.org Suzy Nightingale Let us Spray.
We Wear Perfume Amanda Carr & Tamara Fulton The Long Read : Exhilaration in a bottle, the mood busting power of citrus.
We Wear Perfume Amanda Carr & Tamara Fulton The Long Read : The New Rose Revival.
Women’s Health Ingeborg van Lotringen Scent and Sustainability.
Short Piece
Publication Journalist Article
Beauty Matter Carla Seipp Is AI Threatening the Role of the Perfumer?
elle.com/UK Fiona Embleton Slow Scent – Upcycled Fragrances are the New Movement in Sustainable Perfume.
Glamour Magazine Alice du Parcq These alternative summer fragrances get better and better as your skin heats up in the warm weather, and they won’t disappear in minutes.
Harrods Magazine Olivia de Courcy Pure, Not Simple.
meatfortea.com Nicola Thomis Nosings.
perfumesociety.org Suzy Nightingale Give Me Strength: perfumes for a post-lockdown pick-me-up
Rising Star
Publication Journalist Article
Escentual.com Kate Avetoomyan +A173The Fragrance Innovations Of The Future.
Harrods Magazine Ella Crosbie Elevated to a Fine Art.
Medium, Originality, Imitation and Flankers Marie Krnakova Creativity Behind Perfumes in Antiquity.
Rakes SENSE Haydn Williams High Culture – When Art Meets Scent.
Rakes SENSE Saskia Gaiger Scents through the Pages.

 

 

 

Perfumed Plume Awards 2021 – Winners announced!

The Perfumed Plume Awards 2021 have just been announced, and we’re popping the fizz on a school night!

These awards are an independent, annual showcase of international journalism that gives ‘an inside view of the cultural, historic, scientific and personal approaches to fragrance design and what it takes to create an evocative scent.’

The organisers said: ‘Considering the ongoing challenges even now, we applaud each and every finalist (not to forget all the writers who submitted) for their masterful writing. It is always an honor to receive so many entries.’

‘We look forward to celebrating the winners this year, whether virtually or in person, and we are happy to kick off the award festivities by announcing the finalists as below,’ comment award Co-Founders Lyn Leigh and Mary Ellen Lapsansky.

‘The creativity in both the descriptive word and the visualisation of scent in all its glory is on full display this year and is nothing short of stupendous,’ added Miranda Gordon, Vice President Fine Fragrances Marketing & Evaluation, MANE. ‘Deserving of much recognition and admiration for their talent and commitment to the art of fragrance. Please read their stories. You will be rewarded!’

We were, once again, thrilled to be shortlised as finalists – especially with regular writer for The Scented Letter Magazine, Persolaise, being our fellow finalist in the first category, below. Given the number of extremely talented entrants from around the world, we’re even prouder to say… we won an award!

Many congratulations to all finalists, and winners, whom we’ve highlighted in bold type. We so hope we can all meet in person next year! Meanwhile, please do go and read these stories, linked below: you’re in for a fragrant treat…

 

 

PERFUME STORIES IN MAINSTREAM MEDIA – PRINT – MAGAZINES & NEWSPAPERS

The criteria for judging: quality of editorial content; originality & creativity; accuracy & depth of information:

Modern Florals (Heavy Petalling)
WINNER: Suzy Nightingale – The Scented Letter
The Changing Face of Fragrance
Persolaise – The Scented Letter 

PERFUME STORIES IN MAINSTREAM MEDIA – DIGITAL – MAGAZINES, NEWSPAPERS, BLOG POSTINGS, WEBZINES

The criteria for judging: quality of editorial content; originality & creativity; accuracy & depth of information:

 

 

SHORT ‘N SWEET PERFUME STORIES – PRINT OR DIGITAL

The criteria for judging: quality of editorial content; originality & creativity; accuracy & depth of information:

 

 

VISUALISATION OF PERFUME STORIES – PRINT & DIGITAL

The criteria for judging: design concept; how design relates to content:

 

 

INSTApost – PERFUME STORIES ON INSTAGRAM

The criteria for judging: originality/creativity of visual element(s); quality of the post content:

FRAGRANCE BOOK OF THE YEAR

Winner determined by the Perfumed Plume Consulting Committee:

Zaza’s Scent-sational Super Power
SPECIAL AWARD: Alexis Wintrob and Illustrator Shera Serrulha

Art & Olfaction Awards: register to watch for free!

The Art & Olfaction Awards 2020 are to be live-streamed online this year (as with so many other scented events we’re sadly missing in person), but the good news is, this means they have flung open the virtual fragrant doors, and you can register to watch as a guest…

The scented award season really is in full swing – we’ve just had the Fragrance Foundation and Jasmine Awards, the Perfumed Plume Awards, and now: The Art & Olfaction Awards sashay forth to the spotlight.

Far more than an exercise in self-congratulation, The Art & Olfaction Awards are open to any independent perfumer who wishes to enter a submission, and the results are blind-sniffed by a panel of judges around the world. As well as the indie brands, they celebrate artisanal fragrance and installation artists who work with fragrance as a creative medium as part of their work.

Some of the names you may have heard of, but we guarantee there will be many you don’t (and need to get to know!)

These houses and artists represent some of the most interesting movements in perfumery right now, and it’s always fascinating to keep an eye (and, indeed, nose) on them by way of glimpsing to future trends for the fragrance industry as a whole…

 

 

The organisers of The Art & Olfaction Awards say: ‘Grab a bottle of bubbly, wear your fanciest outfit, and join us to celebrate this very strange year’s most excellent finalists in the artisan, independent and experimental categories. The ceremony will take place on September 17, 2020, from 2pm to 3:30pm PDT. Join us!’

To watch the event, you need to register for free tickets first.

Meanwhile, check out the list of 2020 finalists (always names worth knowing, as these awards are hotly contested…)

By Suzy Nightingale

Jasmine Awards 2020

Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures, and this year, The Fragrance Foundation U.K. held their presigious annual awards in a live-streamed, scent-filled ceremony, held on YouTube last night…
Linda Key Jackson, CEO of The Fragrance Foundation UK, explained in a statement:
‘…we had to make the sad decision to change the format of this years award ceremony. When lockdown came into effect in March, we had already been working for months with the aim of producing our best awards ceremony yet. However I can assure you that it will still have the glamour, excitement and anticipation and we will deliver an awards to remember.’

The ceremony split into two parts: The Fragrance Foundation Awards – showcasing the best new fragrance launches that made it to the finals; and The Jasmine Awards – celebrating fragrance journalism.

And the winners are…

 

LIMITED DISTRIBUTION WOMEN

FLORAL_STREET_ELECTRIC_RHUBARB

And the winner is… Floral Street – Electric Rhubarb!

 

LIMITED DISTRIBUTION MEN

And the winner is… Giorgio Armani Prive Orangerie Venise!

 

MEDIA CAMPAIGN 

And the winner is… Jo Malone London – Gent Campaign with John Boyega!

 

DESIGN & PACKAGING

And the winner is… Gucci – The Luxury Collection: The Alchemist’s Garden!

 

INNOVATION

And the winner is… Lancôme Idôle!

 

INTERIOR FRAGRANCE

And the winner is… Cire Trudon – Ernesto!

 

INDEPENDENT

FlorisVert Fougère!

 

NEWCOMER 

And the winner is… Sous Le Manteau!

 

PEOPLE’S CHOICE (Voted for on boots.com)

And the winner is… Dior – Joy eau de parfum Intense!

 

PERFUME EXTRAORDINAIRE 

And the winner is… Marc-Antoine Barrois – Ganymede!

 

RETAILER OF THE YEAR

And the winner is… Harrods!

 

ONLINE RETAILER OF THE YEAR

And the winner is… (A draw!) Harrods / The Perfume Shop!

 

BEST NEW FRAGRANCE: WOMEN

And the winner is… Yves Saint Laurent – Libre!

 

BEST NEW FRAGRANCE: MEN

And the winner is… Le Labo – Baie 19!

 

READER’S CHOICE

 

And the winner is… Chanel – Gabrielle Essence eau de parfum!

 

ULTIMATE LAUNCH 

 

And the winner is… Yves Saint Laurent – Libre!

 

Creativity: Harvey Nichols ‘In the Air’ Rakes Progress

Practical Guide Award: Alice Du Parcq ‘Message in a Bottle’ Glamour Magazine

Short Piece: Fiona Embleton:Cancer Stole My Mother’s Scent’ marieclaire.co.uk

Literary Award: Amanda Carr ‘Fragrant New World’ Rake’s Progres

(We admit a particular patriality to Amanda – she’s a long-time friend and regular contributor to The Perfume Society, and we are so happy for her!)

Rising Star: Sophie Elkan ‘The Scents of Britain: Penhaligon’s’ OX Magazine

Even though we weren’t lucky enough to win this year, we were uttely thrilled to be finalists for SIX awards in varying categories, and we’ve linked them below if you’d like a moment of fragrant reverie…

Finalist: Literary AwardPerfuming a Part, by Suzy Nightingale

Finalist: Literary AwardScents of India, by Amanda Carr

Finalist: Practical GuideScents of Place: Venice, by Jo Fairley

Finalist: Practical GuideThe Future of Fragrance, by The Perfume Society Scented Letter Magazine team

Finalist: Short PieceOrange Blossom, How to Bottle Sunshine, by Suzy Nightingale

Finalist: Short PieceScented Inks & Inky Scents, by Suzy Nightingale

Do, please, make time to have a look at the full list of finalists and their work – fragrance journalism is such a difficult task, and these writers all deserve recognition for their creativity, and the immense value they add to the fragrance industry.

Congratulations to ALL our fellow finalists, and all the winners. And congratulations are due, too, to The Fragrance Foundation team for their hard work – especially under such trying circumstances! We look forward to next year, when hopefully we can all be together again…

By Suzy Nightingale

 

Fragrant escapism… read each of our Jasmine-Award nominated pieces!

In the flurry of everything that’s happened over the last few weeks with a global pandemic, though we shouted our happiness on our social media channels at the time, we must admit this had escaped our minds to post about. But as we’re clinging on to every good news piece we can, right now, we hope you’ll forgive us for re-living the joy we felt because of the news…

For this year’s Fragrance Foundation Jasmine Awards – the ‘Oscars’ of the fragrance world – we have an incredible SIX nominations!

We wanted to give you a chance to take a look over each of the pieces we’re nominated for – a form of fragrant escapism, if you wish, amidst the worry that’s all around. So sit back and take some time to unwind, and read about something nice for a change…

Finalist: Literary AwardPerfuming a Part, by Suzy Nightingale

Finalist: Literary AwardScents of India, by Amanda Carr

Finalist: Practical GuideScents of Place: Venice, by Jo Fairley

Finalist: Practical GuideThe Future of Fragrance, by The Perfume Society Scented Letter Magazine team

Finalist: Short PieceOrange Blossom, How to Bottle Sunshine, by Suzy Nightingale

Finalist: Short PieceScented Inks & Inky Scents, by Suzy Nightingale

Do make time to have a look at the full list of finalists and their work – we are thrilled to among such a pool of perfumed talent, of names we know well as friends, and those new to our noses. We’re crossing our fingers for even more good news when the winners are announced (a lot of fingers to be crossed, with our nominations for Perfumed Plume Awards this year, too!)

Until then, we hope that you’ll enjoy this list of lovely things to read, and wish you all sunshine, health and happiness…

Perfumed Plume Awards for Fragrance Journalism – more good news!

We could all do with some good news at the moment, and we were thrilled to discover we’re finalists for this year’s prestigious Perfume Plume Awards for Fragrance Journalism, with FOUR nominations!

The Perfumed Plume Awards are held annually – though this is the first year we’ve ever submitted entries – in order to celebrate the tricksy art of fragrance journalism, and to showcase writing that gives ‘an inside view of the cultural, historic, scientific and personal approaches to fragrance design and what it takes to create an evocative scent.’

The Perfumed Plume Awards committee comment: ‘We’re SO happy to share some good news: announcing the finalists for the 2020 Perfumed Plume Awards. “While we would normally gather at MANE Gallery to celebrate with a glass of bubbly, this year is obviously a different time,” said Co-Founders Mary Ellen Lapsansky and Lyn Leigh. “Nonetheless these marvelous writers deserve recognition and congratulations for their perfume stories. All are factual. All are creative. All are fascinating.” It’s true to say that all the submissions were just wonderful and the results a close call. These fabulous stories are a must-read so please take a few minutes to appreciate the talents of these writers.’

Our nominations are for…

Perfuming a Part, by Suzy Nightingale

The Poison & the Remedy, by Suzy Nightingale

Scents of Place: Venice, by Jo Fairley

The Perfume Society #smellfie campaign 2019

The full list of entires can be found on The Perfumed Plume website, with links to each of the finalists’ work, and we urge you to grab a cuppa and read every single one for some precious moments of escapism.

There’s a wealth of journalistic talent out there and we are honoured to be numbered among them. It’s such a shame the awards ceremony is cancelled, though of course understandable given the circumstances we find ourselves in with Covid-19 and self-isolating… but WHAT a refreshing blast of (fragrant) air this was, amidst so much gloom.

Hot on the back of our celebrating the news that we have SIX Jasmine Award nominations this year for our writing, we do hope you will join us in celebrating, perhaps with a fragrant gin or two!

The Jasmine Awards 2018 Finalists…

When we received emails beginning, ‘Congratulations, you are a finalist!’ we’re pretty sure you must have been able to hear us squealing from the moon…

The Jasmine Awards are often referred to as ‘the Oscars of the Fragrance Industry’ – an annual event in which The Fragrance Foundation celebrates those who write about and discuss fragrance in engaging and innovative ways. We are utterly thrilled to have made the final line-up, with several nominations, and to be sharing that space with so many talented individuals.

The awards will be announced on April 19th, so until then we’ll be sharing some of the nominated features from The Scented Letter Magazine with you right here – content that’s usually exclusively for our subscribers (in print and online) – because as it’s a very special occasion, we wanted to give everyone the opportunity to have a gander!

Below, you’ll find the complete list of finalists in all the categories, but firstly we’d like to share with you an episode of Thomas & Nick‘s always informative (and often hilarious) podcast, Fume Chat, which features none other than our Co-Founder Jo Fairley as a guest, and has been nominated for the Innovation Award.

Have a listen to Fume Chat: The War of the Roses, and do catch-up on any others you may have missed. We’re sure you’ll join the growing legion of listeners who tune in for a regular dose of the duo…

CREATIVE VISUAL AWARD

Can You Feel The Love Look Magazine Lydia Thompson & Ian Oliver Walsh
Crowning Glories Harrods Magazine Jan Masters & Ashleigh Houlton
Scents & Sensibility Men’s Health UK Eric Down, Luke Kirwan & Zena May
The Big Splash Stylist Magazine Shannon Peter, Mitch Payne & Kyle Bean
The Craft Stylist Magazine Nikita Gill & Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini
The Rise of “Marmite” Perfumes Stella Magazine Alice du Parcq & Josh Caudwell

INNOVATION AWARD

Can a Perfume Change Your Life?
ELLE Magazine Sophie Beresiner & Joely Walker
Crowning Glories Harrods Magazine Jan Masters & Ashleigh Houlton
Episode 16:Molecule Mania Fumechat Nick Gilbert & Thomas Dunckley
Episode 18: The War of the Roses Fumechat Nick Gilbert & Thomas Dunckley
Scents & Sensibility Men’s Health UK Eric Down, Luke Kirwan & Zena May
The Sweet Smell of a Bargain Cosmopolitan Lucy Partington

LITERARY PIECE AWARD

Mimosa: Let The Sunshine In The Scented Letter Jo Fairley
Oranges Are Not The Only (Fragrant) Fruit The Scented Letter Suzy Nightingale
The Rise of “Marmite” Perfumes Stella Magazine Alice du Parcq
This is a Journey into Skank Basenotes.net Louise Woollam
Transcending Scent Stylist Magazine Anita Bhagwandas
Vanilla Wards & Ghosted Olfaction REEKperfume Alex Musgrave

PRACTICAL GUIDE AWARD

Heal Thyself Cent Magazine Suzy Nightingale
Live, Love, Spritz Red Magazine Alexandra Friend
One Scent Good, Seven Scents Better? The Scented Letter Thomas Dunckley
Scents of Calm GRAZIA Alice du Parcq
Scents of Place The Scented Letter Carson Parkin-Fairley
Summer Fragrances for People Who Hate Summer & also Summer Fragrances Basenotes.net Claire Vukcevic

RISING STAR AWARD

Best Fragrance Discoveries 2017 Tommelise Yana Lysenko
Christmas Trilogy Harry Sherwood
Parterre Fragrances – a New Concept in Perfumery Maria Angelidou
Scents & Sensibility Sara Sheridan
Smells Familiar Grace Cook
The Juice – A Sensual Story of a Most Singular Smell Richard O’Mahony

SHORT PIECE AWARD

A Scent To Swear By Financial Times – Life & Arts Kathleen Baird-Murray
Dear Bleu – A Letter of Apology to Bleu de Chanel The Candy Perfume Boy Thomas Dunckley
Falling Through The Chypre Portal I Scent You a Day Samantha Scriven
Free Florals Harper’s Bazaar Hannah Betts
Revisiting Three Modern Perfume Classics How To Spend It Victoria Frolova
Scented Androgyny Harper’s Bazaar Hannah Betts

SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT AWARD

#AdPSmellogram Alice du Parcq
Black Friday The Perfume Shop
Love at First Scent Persolaise
Mixed Gems Rose Gallagher
#Smelfie Campaign Carson Parkin-Fairley
We Wear Perfume Amanda Carr & Tamara Fulton

We would like to congratulate every single person who made the finals, we’re such admirers of all their work, already, and will be biting our fingernails alongside them until the winners are announced!

 

BeauFort London fly the flag for British fragrance as Art and Olfaction Awards announced…

The fourth annual Art and Olfaction Awards were announced on May 6, and with a heady melange of strong candidates in the running as finalists, we were so thrilled and proud to see that BeauFort London won for their outstanding fragrance Fathom V in the Independent Category. In fact, though the awards ceremony were held in Berlin this year, we’re pretty sure you could have heard us whooping all the way from the UK!
Based in Los Angeles, the The Art and Olfaction Awards are designed to ‘…raise interest and awareness for independent and artisan perfumers – and experimental practitioners with scent – from all countries.’ More than simple recognition for the immense hours of hard work undertaken by these small and proudly independent fragrance houses, the award founders explain that, ‘by shining a spotlight on perfumery’s most outstanding creators, we hope to help generate support for independent practices in perfumery as a whole.’

We have long known and celebrated the importance of niche fragrance houses and the great influence they now carry for the designer brands and the trickle-down effect they have for the mainstream market. Those mega brands now showcasing “unisex” scents in paired-down bottles across the range, florals for men and unusual note combinations? All these trends began long ago in the niche world – think of them as catwalk couture influencing eventual high street styles.

Of course, before BeauFort London had even officially launched, we were championing the house based on love at first sniff of their historically inspired yet ultra contemporary scents, and you can read our interview with founder Leo Crabtree, here.
Read our page dedicated to the BeauFort London to find out more about their inspirations and our thoughts on some of the fragrances themselves, but for those of you who haven’t yet tried the (now award-winning!) Fathom V – get ready to have your senses beguiled. It’s one of the most incredible shared fragrances we’ve smelled for some time – a humongously green, tousled bouquet of flowers tossed into roiling waves as guns fire a salute, sinking in to salty, opaque waters cloaking hidden treasures in the shdowy depths… And you can try it for yourself at home in our Precious Perfumes Discovery Box.
We would like to extend our congratulations to all the finalists in this hotly contested year, and are busily reading up on some of the more artisinal houses we’ve not yet had the pleasure of exploring. So really, think of the entire list of finalists as your must-sniff guide to all that’s uber-cool right now in the perfume world.
And for 2017, the winners are…
ARTISAN CATEGORY WINNERS
Bruise Violet
by Sixteen92 (USA)
CD/ Perfumer: Claire Baxter
Presented by judge Luca Turin
Mélodie de l’Amour
by Parfums Dusita (France)
CD/ Perfumer: Pissara Umavijani
Presented by 2014 winner Tanja Bochnig
INDEPENDENT CATEGORY WINNERS
Altruist
by J.F. Schwarzlose Berlin (Germany)
CD: Lutz Herrmann / Perfumer: Véronique Nyberg
Presented by judge Matthias Janke
Fathom V
by BeauFort London (UK)
CD: Leo Crabtree / Perfumer: Julie Marlowe
Presented by judge Antonio Gardoni
SADAKICHI AWARD WINNER
Osmodrama Berlin / Smeller 2.0
by Wolfgang Georgsdorf (Germany)
Perfumer: Geza Schön
Presented by judge Ashraf Osman
CONTRIBUTION TO SCENT CULTURE AWARD WINNER
Christophe Laudamiel
Presented by founder Saskia Wilson-Brown
Written by Suzy Nightingale