Traditional fragrance thinking feels backwards to me. It's all about sillage, concentration, notes, ingredients — but your body doesn't experience scent that way. You feel it before you analyze it. You know if something makes you confident or calm or alive, before you identify the bergamot.
For years, I've wondered what to call my approach, and I can only think of it as emotion-first. When I'm designing a fragrance, I start with a feeling before I think about notes. Not 'what do I want this to smell like?' but 'how do I want someone to feel when they use this?'
Take labdanum — perfumery considers it a sophisticated base note with great longevity. I consider it the feeling of being held. There's something about its weight, the way it settles into your skin, that creates exactly that sensation.
Beauty without emotional resonance is just decoration. I want fragrances that change how you move through your day.
Emx
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