THROWBACK TO ESXENCE 2022:
YANA’S HIGHLIGHTS
Since her perfume blog Cosmetiqua has grown beyond web and Instagram into the niche fragrance discovery service Perfumestry.com, Yana is constantly on the lookout for fragrance trends and exciting new releases that are more than just nice-smelling formulas. Her ambition is to present her followers and Perfumestry clients with perfumes that have meaning and real stories behind them, in addition to smelling beautifully of course – which is exactly why she attended the perfume fair Esxence 2022.
Image source: Esxence – The Art Perfumery Event
“Esxence is the best place to smell what’s new, see where the industry is going and uncover emerging trends. And visiting it after several years of covid break was twice as exciting! Together with millions of fragrant particles, the atmosphere of a new beginning (or a big restart) was in the air. It was great to finally meet face-to-face with friends and partners who I’ve only been seeing on Zoom over the last years, and to get my nose into the perfume collections of both familiar brands and newcomers.”
HIGHLIGHT 1: COMPORTA
“Femme Fougere by Comporta, created by master perfumer Chris Maurice, has instantly won me over. It’s a brilliantly feminine take on the fougere style. The gentle sweetness of lychee juice and pear mingles with sunny orange blossom and creamy tuberose, without losing any of the elegant clarity and vigor that fougere fragrances are known for. Put simply, it’s a very playful and sexy scent that’s also classy to the bone – not an easy combination to pull off! A pleasure to wear, it has the power to attract and seduce, as I’ve experienced first-hand on several occasions.”
HIGHLIGHT 2: OMAN LUXURY
“Great scents always take you on a journey. That’s why I love Omanluxury – their fragrances let you travel to Oman with its amazing nature and culture. One of the most exciting discoveries at Esxence was their Angham (created by Emilie Bevierre Coppermann) – a limited edition perfume dedicated to the Royal Opera House in Muscat. Like the architecture that combines traditional Arab shapes and European design, the perfume radiates luxury without being overbearing. The combination of apple, spices, orris root, sandalwood, and soft leather with a smooth ambery base feels incredibly rich, deep, and powerful. A spectacular special occasion fragrance!”
HIGHLIGHT 3: STEVE MARTIN PERFUME
“Perfumes from Steve Martin are true works of art. The brand has 6 fragrances dedicated to the great rivers of human civilization – Nile, Euphrates, Tigris, Yamuna, Volga, and Mississippi: all of them breathtakingly beautiful. As much as I tried at Esxence, I just couldn’t pick one favourite. The creator Yasir Al Safi (himself a fourth-generation perfumer) spent over 12 years living on the banks of each river to fully experience it. For me, the brand represents the best of perfumery – the combination of beauty with the love for nature, culture, and humanity. True luxury in our age of optimization and mass production!”
A FRAGRANT PARTY
“Esxence felt like Christmas, Easter, and a birthday party all happening at once. The only serious drawback I can think of… visiting the exhibition can lead to a serious FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) outbreak. The show lasted only four days, and there wasn’t enough time to discover all 280 exhibiting brands. In fact, I think I’ve seen less than a third of the booths, despite thorough planning and discipline. Will it deter me from coming back the next year? Of course not!”
MORE OF YANA
Instagram: @cosmetiqua
Blog: Cosmetiqua
Co-founder of Perfumestry
