Launching a fragrance company is something that isn’t for the faint hearted, but the success of bdk Parfums shows that it’s possible when quality and dedication isn’t compromised. David Benedek founded the company in 2016 with a quintet of fragrances, and the collection now numbers an impressive nineteen. With a family link to fragrance that drew him to create bdk Parfums, I thought it was time to discover David’s scented memories during “Stephan’s Six”.
Our natural surroundings are being destroyed and disrupted by mammoth building projects and ill-thought-out renovations. It's a fact. City streets are having their trees uprooted, parks are being locked outside of “respectable” hours, and wild habitats are being constantly covered in concrete and breeze blocks. We’re in danger of forgetting that nature and architecture used to once coexist happily alongside each other, so it’s the perfect time to be reminded by the inventive Contradictions in ILK. Famous for offering us all two sides of the same coin, you're going to love their latest fragrance Nature.
A journey into the world of perfume can come in many ways, but for Nancy Meiland it was a coming together of two disciplines. Originally a successful actress, Nancy also worked as assistant to renowned perfumer Anastasia Brozler. Now a perfume run her own right, this combination of theatricality and technical knowledge shines through in her fragrances, but I wanted to see what scented secrets she would reveal during “Stephan’s Six”.
There are certain fragrance styles that forever feel as though they’re pushed to the limit with overwhelming volume and aggression, and so finding one where the perfumer has deliberately gone in the other direction is always an absolute joy. Delicacy and contentment mixing with a feeling of intimacy and fascination may sound like a combination that is impossible to achieve, but I’m happy to say it has. Encens et Cedre is the latest release from 1000 Flowers and, under the ever-inspiring eye of perfumer Jessica Buchanan, sits seamlessly alongside her existing “eau de bien-être” fragrances to create an unrivalled trio.
When Brooke Belldon drew on her long-term passion for fragrance to launch the retail website Sainte Cellier, she quickly gained a reputation for stocking a carefully curated selection of the best that niche perfumery has to offer. Brooke has been a well-known face in the fragrance community for over a decade but, even after becoming a go-to voice for the niche market, still playfully describes herself as “an obsessive collector and enthusiastic student”. With such a wealth of knowledge, it was great to finally sit down with her and discover her scented memories during “Stephan’s Six”.
