SCENT SOMMELIER by Salud

Can you smell it?

Intriguing, irresistable aromas are wafting around the globe, even more powerful than volcanic ash,  from Sniffapalooza - New York’s most unbelievable perfume event and extravaganza.

Sniffapalooza, based in New York City, is a group of passionate perfume lovers who - twice a year - tour the greatest smelling city on earth to sniff the latest scents, scout out fragrance trends and meet face-to-face with perfume industry leaders. As a member of this group, I got to participate in Sniffa’s Spring Fling last weekend - and I’m still swooning.

Breakfast at Bergdorf’s

Our 2-day tour started at sunrise, outside the gold-etched doors of Bergdorf Goodman on New York’s infamous, luxurious 5th Avenue.  It was like standing outside the grand gates of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, but instead of cocoa - I smelled French rose de mai, tuberose, civet and musk. The doors swung open, and we stepped magically into Bergdorf’s, passing the diamonds and Birkin handbags, scarves from Hermes… and down into the massive cosmetics and perfume department for a private reception and elegant breakfast.

As we enjoyed our scones and cafe americano, perfumers and industry experts from the world’s greatest fragrance lines enticed our senses with the newest perfumes and trends in scent.  Fig and galbanum from Annick Goutal, organic orange from Dayna Decker, and unforgettable florals from Chanel. We passed around scent strips and the room was filled with the most exotic and unbelievable essences. It was simply, perfume heaven.

As the team from Acqua di Parma introduced us to their newest scent, Bergamotto di Calabria, I was transported to the Italian seaside with aromas of pure, citrusy bergamot, sparkling ginger, cedarwood and vetiver. I learned that this is the first perfume to ever receive DOP certification, an EU-based award that recognizes that all phases of  production have been performed on a local level, a process usually reserved for food and wine.

Jo Malone’s team revealed that their White Tie & Tiara scent will now be available stateside, and Guerlain gave us an interesting history of their company with stories of the days when they were blending scents for Napoleon. And there was more - scents inspired by a watermelon tourmaline from Van Cleef & Arpels, Caribbean essences from Tom Ford, elegant rare iris from Donna Karan, tuberose from Prada, Killian’s new Rose Oud (outstanding), and chypre violet from Balenciaga. My favorite sniff was the new Voyage d’Hermes from perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena, a sparkling blend of greens and woods, “hot and cold, familiar and surprising,” that made me want to wrap a silk Hermes scarf around my neck and board a private jet on a tour across the globe.

 

After the presentations we toured the perfume counters, experiencing more scents from the world’s most luxurious fragrance houses. I met with Alexa Rodulfo and we reminisced about the exotic, incense filled essences of cathedrals in Mexico City  infused into her luxurious new candle line, and was inspired by Danya Decker and her unique, organic line of home fragrance.

I also had the wonderful pleasure of meeting Chandler Burr, the New York Times Perfume Critic and author of several must-read books about the fragrance industry.

Perfume Presentations at Opia

With our noses in full force, it was off to lunch at Opia and meetings with representatives from the International Fragrance Foundation, OsMoz, and Perfume.com, and the delightfully inspiring Katie Puckrick, who rightfully declared, “fumeys are the new foodies!”  I lunched with the top trainer from Sephora, getting the inside scoop on the latest, must-have products from the beauty powerhouse. An unforgettable takeaway from the afternoon - Mr. Burr reminded us that we must not get caught up in the individual notes of a perfume. Rather, we must remember that it is a work of art - and to smell it as a whole from the artist’s point of view - to appreciate the architecture of the fragrance.

Ode to Takashimaya

Sadly, New York is losing its infamous department store from Japan - Takashimaya - and we had the chance to tour their magnificent perfume display one last time. Exotic and hard-to-find perfumes line the wood walls, and we met top perfumer Yosh Han.  The highlight was an introduction to the newest scent from Histoires de Parfum - Moulin Rouge 1889 - a sexy, boudoir scent with notes of absinthe and rose.

Gum, Leather, Clay & Accessories at Henri Bendel

Fully intoxicated with aroma, we crossed the avenues of uptown and entered the grand, colorful palace of Henri Bendel. The charming Francois Damide introduced me to Jacomo Art Collection and I fell in love with their new #02, a “double-edged, ambiguous perfume, addictive and regressive, as if the artist’s muse had escaped from the studio leaving in her trail, gum, leather and modeling clay. ” As I toured the Bendel accessories department wearing my newest scent, I ironically found myself trying on hats and feathered headbands that transformed me into the drawing of the front of the Jacomo perfume box…

French Perfumes at the Plaza

Just as I thought I’d reach the pinnacle of perfume luxury, we pulled open the doors of the Plaza Hotel, passing under the crystal chandelier and up the ballroom stairs for a reception with Krigler Perfumes. The rich history of this European perfume house is infused into its elegant collection. Truly, these were the most exquisite scents of the entire day - it was like the aromas were coming to life - rich, pure and liquid luxury. I tried on the English Promenade #19 and felt instantly different, as if I were touring a European garden of orange blossoms and citrus. Then I learned that this scent was created for Audrey Hepburn when she went to Europe to film Roman Holiday. And suddenly, I am a runaway princess riding around Rome on my Vespa with the handsome Gregory Peck at my side.

The Scent of Spring in NYC at Bond No. 9

The next morning my cab took me past blooming dogwood trees and tulips, south on Lexington Avenue and into downtown - and straight to the crisp, white entry of the delicious Bond No. 9.  With scents inspired by the neighborhoods of New York, Bond No. 9 offers a collection of gorgeous scents in must-have bottles. Their new High Line scent, with a beautiful bottle etched with blades of grass, perfectly captured the essence of this perfect morning in NY.  My favorite scent was West Side, a complex blend of ylang ylang, peony, rose and musk.

And as the reception ended, I peeked into my swag bag to find a goldmine of Bond samples - the most exquisite perfume samples in the world, wrapped like candy in shiny, irridescent wrappers.

Scents of SoHo

As the Sniffas descended on SoHo and NoLita we toured Le Labo, a virtual fragrance lab with locations in cities around the globe. Salud recently shared a spot with Le Labo on Martha Stewart’s Wedding Blog, in celebration of signature scents for brides.

Next, it was off to LAFCO NY - the mecca of my absolute favorite line of soaps from Claus Porto - large, luxurious bars milled through and through with fine Italian fragrance. Across the alley, the new MiN NY impressed us all with its modern apothecary feel. I grabbed a refresher and took a seat on the long leather sofa next to Perfumer Christopher Brosius of CB I Hate Perfume, a cult fragrance line with scents unlike any other. One whiff of his Burning Leaves fragrance instantly took me back to age 8 and October at my grandparent’s small Ohio farm - crisp, burning leaves out by the barn, gray smoke and maple. It’s a brilliant collection that brings to life the scents of our memories. My new fragrance friend and amazing nose from Basenotes, Mark Behnke, shared the scent strips with me and we contemplated aromas like In the Summer Kitchen, In the Library, and At the Beach 1966 (and please check out Mark’s captivating and entertaining review of the Sniffa weekend, by clicking here.)

As the day was winding down, we crossed the cobblestone streets heading west to the ultimate perfume destination - Aedes de Venustas. I’ve blogged about this boutique before, and felt at home as I passed the peacock into the warm interior of scent. My new fragrance friends and I reminisced on our scentful weekend as we sniffed collections of cult perfumes, and the charming boutique owners graciously provided us with recommendations and exquisite samples, including my favorite, Le Parfum by Lalique.

As the sun set on New York and the event came to a close, my nose weary but ever inspired, I felt transformed by the aromas I had just experienced. With perfume, we can become whoever we want to be.  Who says that we cannot fill our senses with these invisible, completely powerful molecules that can instantly turn us into artists, dancers, lovers, explorers and dreamers. Go on, grab a bottle of perfume -  any bottle that could be your muse - and let your senses soar.