Esxence 2024 was larger than ever!
The new location (Hall 5), a new grid of stands, an endless maze that seemed much easier to navigate, a new skyrocketing count of steps made daily, and an unbelievable number of perfumes smelled. With so many new perfume brands, festive and soft new fragrance launches, conferences, workshops, events, and extras – and hectolitres of perfume, this is a clear sign that there’s still plenty of space for growth.
Here are my impressions, highlights, and an impressive list of perfumes!
I might use phrases like “bigger than ever”, and “rivers of perfume”, but let’s hear numbers talk: Esxence 2024, The Art Perfumery Event held for the 14th time in Milan from 6th-9th March 2024 (dates were changed compared to the previous edition, and the last day – Saturday, was open to the general public) hosted more than 12.000 visitors from all over the world. 360 fragrance brands from 30 different countries were exhibiting in a Hall measuring 14.000 square meters! I couldn’t find data in the official press release, but my best guess is that this year’s edition attracted more than 30 new perfume brands.
MiCo, Milan at night
All right, back to Esxence 2024 numbers again: please close your eyes and try to imagine 360 perfume brands. Each features at least one collection, with at least 8 fragrances per collection. There’s no humanly possible way for a single person to cover the whole fair, so yes, I am aware that I missed quite a few novelties, and failed to visit some brands I intended to.
What I regret missing even more, is that the size of the event made it difficult to reconnect with all the people I intended to. I did try but got lost more than once.
Perfume, new releases, that can be smelled later on throughout the year, I have no urge to be the very first to publish, but people…People matter. One of the most important reasons to attend is to connect, reconnect, share, exchange impressions, and reignite passion. Genuine connections, I’ll pay even more attention to that next year.
More numbers: Fragrances of the World has published on their IG account the following information: “In 2009, the year of Esxence’s first edition, we recorded 347 new niche launches.Last year (2023) that figure was 1563.” This year? Even more, trust me! Metamorphosis is getting bigger and bigger.
There is even more: some perfume brands chose not to exhibit at Esxence 2024, but rather to present themselves externally, in the surrounding hotels. Some were open to registered B2B visitors, and some only to chosen buyers & retailers.
I still cannot fully understand the decision of some brands that chose to pack and go and leave empty stands on Saturday, the only day open for the general public – especially when I saw rivers of (mostly young) people, obviously interested in perfume, waiting in a long queue, in rain, to enter Esxence 2024. Hundreds of people – or better said customers, readers, followers, potential and existing niche perfume lovers. Some probably making their first contact with most of the brands exhibiting. I don’t consider it to be a good idea to leave an empty stand while the Fair is still on…but that’s me.
I met Miguel Matos at the Osmotheque stand (a great meeting point!) that Saturday morning, we chatted some and came up with a great idea (we always do!) for the organizers! How about selling tickets online for Saturday, for, let’s say, 5 EUR each, and then donating 50% of the proceeds to Osmotheque?
People would still want to visit the fair, an important non-profit organization would benefit, and visitors could be easily scheduled by designated time slots. The Esxence 2024 team did a great job, and even when the number of visitors seemed larger than ever during all days of the fair, things ran smoothly. The categorization of B2B visitors still bothers me in the segment where perfumers get a badge saying “Service Provider”, but that’s (again) just me.
After three days of roaming the wide and spacy corridors of the second floor of Pavilion 5 during Esxence 2024, I’ll try to draw out some trends I noticed:
Less overly sweet and breathtakingly intense (powerbomb) perfumes. Yes, longevity ‘n’ power is still in demand, but it seems to me that we all suffered less from the overdosage of a certain material that used to burn our nose hairs by the end of each day. Less pink and bling-bling bottles, more sustainable packaging (“Pack it in pink, and it’ll sell like crazy”, one of the Industry-active persons pointed out when we talked about the color of pink).
Some great-looking stands, too:
Bel Rebel, PeachMe
Fewer creative directors/brand owners claim they are perfumers, and more (top-notch) perfumers are getting extremely busy. And yes, Cristiano Canali joined MANE, and MANE opened their new creative center in Milan. Great-quality naturals are becoming more and more exclusive, which is also reflected in pricing.
Unusual aquatics ruled Esxence 2024 (will name the names), unconventional incense, quite a lot of incense this year, mind-boggling aldehydes, and high-quality naturals – oh, these I’ve enjoyed. More esoteric-themed, deep space and “dive into the unknown” collections, and a couple of bizarre, even morbid-themed lines. Florals getting lighter, and botanicals getting greener. Peaches also seemed to be trending, juicy, and bright, and violets, modern violets, deep and shape-shifting.
I can only speak for myself, because when you have an exhibition of this size like Esxence 2024, it is only expected that we all manage to cover it partially, thus forming our own, personal bubble of impressions.
On the other hand, since I’m a regular visitor of Esxence, Pitti Fragrance, and most recently Beautyworld Middle East, I believe that I do manage to have a well-chosen artisan and niche fragrant bubble – and tend to avoid commercial-smelling, fallen-off-the-shelf, and profit-curve pushing, grab-it-while-you-can novelties. With so many utterly fascinating niche/artisan perfumes, who’s got time for boring ones?
Let’s take a closer look at these Esxence 2024 novelties, in no particular order:
Cristian Cavagna – Bianca Forte
Tuberose-obsessed Cristian exhibited at Esxence 2024 for the first time (and I can so relate to his obsession, Tuberose is so multifaceted that I can’t seem to continue being surprised by various and endless interpretations) and added this fragrance to his collection (alongside Musa Paradisiaca, Vittoria Alata, Boa Madre, and Murice Imperiale, a total of 5). Bianca Forte focuses on white flowers and heady tuberose, so yes, it’s both “white” and “strong”, just as the name says. Tuberose lovers, rejoice!
Hiram Green – Philtre
Oh, Hiram, kind and wonderful Hiram, magician of the naturals! He did it, again! And Hiram is one of those gentle and fascinating, genuine perfume-loving people, standing patiently at his stand, having time for each and every visitor, patiently explaining his collection over and over again. With joy and in such a humble way, after all the hard work he has done. Hiram Green deserves all the praise! Philtre is his latest creation, and what an olfactory joy it is!
Philtre is a magic potion, with carnations lost in a forest, flirting with roses and cloves, traces of magical powders sprinkled all over the place and feeling like the most expensive spices, and dark resins flowing through your blood – with all ingredients of natural origin.
Perfume Sucks – Conspiracy Line
I always love meeting Andreas Wilhelm: his warm smile, enthusiasm, and love for what he does are contagious. With his Conspiracy Line, he changed the presentation of perfumes – because, as he told me, some distributors pointed out to him that his prior packaging looked “too common”.
Ah, THE Great Conspiracy! After Wealth4181 – featuring the scent of freshly printed Swiss francs; Fuel0987, the scent of gas, tires, and warmth; Flash0021, telling an olfactory story about the overuse of drugs and having that boost of (he told me so)of cocaine-smelling notes, here come LOVE6567 and HUMAN0233!
Love is about the best childhood memories, the excitement of watching a movie in a cinema, the scent of popcorn and lemonade, your parents’ elbows touching you, the softness of the plush red seat, and how safe and protected you felt. Human – a 100% natural fragrance, is all about the warmth of your skin, reminding us that we are all the same under it, vulnerable and strong at the same time, and so very mortal. I love the new packaging! I am a big fan of Flash0021, but I recommend smelling & sampling the whole line.
Suleko – Florida Vibrations
I’ve been following Suleko practically from the very beginning, and after a long time, a new fragrance is now added to the collection – Florida Vibrations.
I wondered how and when Florida came into Anastasia’s (brand owner and creative director) focus, so she told me about her fascination with Florida, many years of holidays spent there, and how much she missed visiting Florida during COVID-19 years.
Her memories are green, with humidity filling the air, the scent of ferns and plants, lianas and vines, and a golden ray of sunshine piercing through- a vibrant magnolia.
Florida Vibrations caps are fascinating: Maxime Defer, a French ceramicist from the Vosges region, created these most unusual forms, in a technique called Terra Sigillata. The process is very complicated and time-consuming, but these caps are the most beautiful I’ve seen on the whole fair! And Florida Vibrations is a lovely, calming-green, back-to-nature, and feel-good post-Covid creation. Each bottle is signed and numbered.
Olfactive Studio Perfumes – 3 new fragrances, created by Cecile Zarokian
Celine Verleure greeted me with a big smile (I love the way she smiles, it feels like it’s coming from a happy place deep in her heart).
She is preparing to launch a new collection, created by a woman, for women – that seemed to be the vibe of March 8th we celebrated in Milan this year, and these three new fragrances are named Loving Sense, Sister Oud, and Huggy Mauve.
Alas, all three were so new that no samples were available at Esxence 2024, and therefore I really can’t tell you much more just now.
I immediately kept smelling over and over again the strip with Sister Oud – with Black Currant, Pink Pepper, and Cardamom; Assam Oud, Rose de Mai, Cinnamon, and Cumin; Smoke, Vanilla, White Musk, Sandalwood, Spanish Labdanum, Birch, and Oakmoss. It felt so juicy, feminine, and bursting with positive energy. Mmmm.
If I remember correctly, all three new fragrances shall be available this June!
Meo Fusciuni – Last Season
It was so comical: when I stopped by the Meo Fusciuni stand on the second day of Esxence 2024, Meo (Giuseppe) – had lost his voice! All he could do was smile sweetly, hug gently, and pantomime me how happy he was. I looked around, and at that moment I realized how they’ve grown, how fine and full of beautiful perfumes their whole collection is, and how much I’m happy for them! Go, Meo&Fede, go!
Being smitten by the sheer, unparalleled beauty of the previous release, Viole Nere, I was surprised (again) by Last Season. It’s still Meo, but different (again and again). Last Season feels dark, yet it carries intensely the sharpness and brightness of a cold creek somewhere in Sweden, the intensity of breathing fresh air while you’re hiking, and the vastness of Nature, untouched. Moss, leather, and forest all around you. Nordic nights and pleasant dreams…
Santi Burgas – 3 New Candles
It was lovely to meet Santi and his family again at Esxence 2024, and this time he presented three candles: one of them stems from the perfume – extrait, but the other two are new creations: Blau, Pamboli, and Verquet. I do love his Primal Waters Collection, and these candles are just as fascinating.
Remember his Verdant Delirium I praised? Oh, this fragrance is really taking you to a green heaven, and so is Verquet. Lovely!
Boujee Bougies – Infleurno
We finally met at Esxence 2024! Totally subjectively, I love everything about Boujee Bougies: candles, Pia Long, Nick Gilbert, their line of fragrances (I missed meeting them last year), the newest release, their passion, kindness, and love of perfume!
And I love all their fragrances! How refreshingly creative, fully artisan/niche, with names like Queen, Quir, Gilded, and Verdant, and now comes the goddess of Spring – Persephone, raising Influerno.
Influerno: one part of the year prancing joyfully, the other half to be spent in Inferno, thus Influerno. With passionfruit as a promise of shiny days and pomegranate bitter with deceit, off she runs to the surface of Earth, blazing the trail. ‘Tis the season to be rolling in petals, eyeing flowers, and running away from Hades, as fast as she can. Persephone is creamy and smoky, joyous, but still so well aware that to the Underworld she must return.
If I remember correctly, it will be available in June this year.
I loved Gilded too, it seemed to perfectly fit the atmosphere of Esxence 2024, sparkling brightly, and Nick had a shirt to match it. Only now do I realize that I’ve forgotten to take photos with Pia and Nick, it was definitely more important to chat, bond, share, and have fun together! Love these fine people, and love this brand. One of the best artisan brands and the best new perfumes in the show!
Genuine love of perfumes and for perfumery is easily recognizable. Can’t beat that.
Jacques Fath – Encens Copal / Fath’s Essentials
Zooming in on Jacques Fath again this year- after the more accessible (sigh) L’Iris de Fath and beautiful Jasmine de Toscane last year, here comes the bright and uplifting incense merging with orris and labdanum, and a special addition of – hazelnut!
Yes, it’s a Jean-Christophe Hérault creation and a signature accord, and it is a perfect reflection of a relaxed day spent somewhere along the Mediterranean coast. Greece, because – mastic.
Didn’t I say incense? Olibanum. But this one is something even non-incense perfumistas could fall for easily.
Moving to the other side of the stand, where another novelty is revealed! A peach one: Isabey, Rue de la Paix! The opposite of Encens Copal, featuring peach and tuberose, flirty, easy-going, and having a hefty dose of that careless Parisian elegance. Lovely bottle, too.
Filippo Sorcinelli – Memento Collection
Filippo’s stand is always one of the most visited ones at any fair, and when I look back – he has grown, too. Really grown, and you can see that easily by the size of his team. Years ago, there were three or four people around him. This year, a dozen people (at least) were dedicated to all visitors of Esxence 2024. Filippo Sorcinelli launched 8 new fragrances from the new, Memento collection (dedicated to 8 sacristies of famous cathedrals) and Quicky and Coffee, belonging to X SÉ Collection!
To those wondering how religion and sex fit together – Filippo himself answers the best, by being himself and expressing himself. Religious and vulnerable, mortal. Spiritual and carnal.
The master of incense serves us now eight new fragrances: Sacristie Des Arbres, Basilica di Assisi, Domm, Notre Dame Notte di Natale, Chiesa d’Oro, Pont. Max., Rosa Fiorita, and Santa Casa.
Bottles come with embossed metal plates, and their stoppers are shaped like large hands with massive rings showing a Catholic blessing gesture. These are 100 ml extraits, and do come with a discovery kit.
I will have to return to this collection in days to come, but my first-impression favorites are Pont. Max, the most uplifting of them all, with a breezy, refreshing incense, and the only one with…guess what?
Marine elements (Virginia Cedar, Marine notes, Jasmine, Incense, Myrrh, Resins, Benzoin, and Amber), and Domm (dedicated to the ancient sacristy of the Milan Cathedral), spicy and musky incense, a bit powdery and ambery-smooth, very calming (Black Pepper, Bergamot, Virginian Cedar, Chocolate, Jasmine, Musk, Patchouli, and Styrax).
Sailing onwards to some exceptional marine-themed fragrances:
Francesca Bianchi – The Mariner’s Rhyme
Forget “boring aquatic” fragrances and the bad image Calone used to give them and prepare to drown happily in one of the best deep and exciting marine scents currently available!
I do love marine and aquatic fragrances, and the stranger they get, the happier I am! The Mariner’s Rhyme is a poem about once-upon-a-time imaginary oceans and seas, dream-like and surrealistic, striking, bizarre, and at the same time – seductive.
I’m thinking immediately about S. Dali, holding a bottle of rum in his hand, swaying on a ship with sails flapping around him, and an ocean of big waves with white crests, hiding imaginary worlds in dark depths carrying him far, far away, into the unknown.
And he would paint strange creatures inhabiting that ocean, twisted furry flowers, and beds for tired sailors made of soft locks of mermaid’s hair. Stunning!
Dusita – Pelagos
Inspired by Aegean Sea islands, Pelagos is a fresh sea breeze fragrance, light, and with such a wonderful salty opening! It immediately illuminates the space around you, with a cloud of sparkling citruses, airy and radiant.
Later on, Pelagos settles down with grace and allows herbal and floral tones to emerge, soothing and soft, tender and luxurious, with orris and Tonka, jasmine, and white thyme.
The drydown is sensual, with just a touch of incense, but it adds depth and dimension to Pelagos.
This will be a joy to wear, all year around! And it was so great to see Pissara again at Esxence 2024.
For the first time, Dusita’s perfume comes in a black bottle, matte, and it will be available by the end of May!
Notes: Bergamot, Orange, Litsea Cubeba, Pine, Cypress, Clary Sage, Oakmoss, Orris Butter, Jasmine, White Thyme, Tonka Bean, Sandalwood, Amyris, Patchouli, Vetiver, Ambrette, Incense, and Benzoin
Carner Barcelona – Helix
Helix is a floral-aquatic, easy to wear and fresh fragrance, with a touch of peach and quite prominent citruses. I guess it will perform just fine in Summer.
Not overly complicated, relaxed, and undemanding. It is still a “different” aquatic.
Coreterno – Oceannoir
Oceannoir, the newest addition to the Coreterno line, created by Luca Maffei, is quirky and different. Yes, citruses, but also – seaweed. Cassis and saffron dipped in salt. And then comes musky, earthy vetiver, together with ambers and woods. I like Luka’s creations for Coreterno, and Oceannoir is smooth, finely polished, always with a twist, and quirky enough to match the brand’s style! It might match yours too, do give it a try.
And now, let’s move upwards, and dive into the sky:
Source Adage – Ki’lei
American (and Italian) brand Souce Adage is dear to me: Christopher Draghi and Robert Dobay are now living in Tuscany, in a picturesque village not far away from Florence. I met with them at Pitti Fragranze and smelled ki’lei then. Names of their fragrances may seem complicated, but these are all words and phrases coming from the languages of the indigenous peoples of America.
Their new release, Ki’lei means thunder and lightning, dark clouds in storms, and so it smells! The atmosphere reflects gloomy skies and dark clouds that preceded a storm, damp earth, cold aldehydes, dry incense, a sensation of electricity charging through the air, and the sound of thunder rolling somewhere far in the mountains, but coming closer and closer to you. Eerie, in a good way.
Definitely different, and so unusual. I love their presentation, too – nice, cool, simple, and elegant.
Rubini – Hyperion
Rubini has grown as a brand, slowly and creatively, but Andrea Bissoli‘s smile is still the same, and his enthusiasm is contagious.
I managed to smell Hyperion, the latest release he’s working on together with Cristiano Canali. The packaging reflects the theme of stary, stary, nights, and the vastness of the universe, interpreted with sparkling aldehydes – great-smelling ones, too, and dimension-adding incense with layers of cold spices and seaweed.
Hyperion is the Titan god of heavenly light and watchfulness. He is also considered one of the four pillars of the cosmos and the father of the lights of heaven, including the Dawn, Sun, and Moon.
Hyperion feels so strange and so familiar at the same time. Andrea told me he’s still working on it, I forgot what he told me when it shall be released, but I believe sometime soon. And Rubini’s packaging and presentation are always out of this world.
Masque Milano
It was painful to approach Masque Milano’s stand, knowing that Alessandro Brun is missed dearly. Esxence is not the same without him. And yet, his legacy continues, and Masque presented at Esxence 2024 three new additions to the Le donne di Masque collection, plus Alcove (Karine Chevallier), belonging to the Emerald Collection.
My greatest thrill was – Ribot, created by Antoine Lie, sheer beauty in a lovely emerald bottle!
Three new donne are Diana, Catherine, and Vaiana, and my favorite was Diana (Vanina Muracciole) – a fresh and spicy fougere in its heart, smelling like Spring, meadows, and narcissus, fresh greenery and happiness.
Alcove is a sandalwood dream, laden with everything fine sandalwood can provide, a dreamy cocoon of serenity and elegance, but Ribot! Ribot, inspired by a legendary Italian racehorse – one of the best racehorses ever – is breathtakingly beautiful! It features a special hay accord, fine materials used, and skills and knowledge of Lie, blending it perfectly.
Le Jardin Retrouve – Violette Kew
Le Jardin Retrouve invited us to a launch party in the garden of a hotel with a beautiful terrace, and Maxence Moutte signed our travel-sized bottles. Violets-tasting ice cream was served (delicious), and Clara and MichaelGutsatz welcomed us warmly.
The tricky part in the process of creation was to pay attention to the percentage of natural ingredients used, as we were told, and to preserve the style and feel of Le Jardin Retrouve. Violets do align with Yuri Gutsatz’s legacy, and Maxence did a great job!
Violette Kew is a garden, a mystical place that makes you breathe slowly amidst fragile and delicate flowers, just before the night falls.
It feels so tranquil, elegant, and distant from all the worldly issues and problems.
A perfect fragrant getaway, but oh! Very sensual. It shall be available sometime in late May, so keep your eyes on this one.
Christele Jacquemin – Celebration
It’s always a pleasure to meet Christele, her lovely artisan brand is growing slowly and steadily over the years, so why not celebrate? Here comes her new creation, presented at Esxence 2024 – and yes, it’s all about celebrating life, love, and art! I did enjoy it enormously at first sniff, but since it’s so new and just presented, samples weren’t available, so I can’t tell you more than this. Yes, I want to return to Celebration!
Houbigant – Petals de Magnolia
Well, if you’re looking for a new and exciting Spring scent, a beautiful floral that will make you feel it inside out, here comes Petales de Magnolia!
Just perfect for me at Esxence 2024, on a rainy day in Milan: sparkling brightly, gentle, pinkish, soft, and pretty. Yes, it’s so wonderful to feel simply pretty, feminine, and tender, and yes – I want a whole bottle of these petals!
Rania J – Shah’ryar
Wonderful, smiling, gentle Rania returned to Esxence 2024! It’s always a joy to see her and smell together. This year she presented Shah’ryar, launched in 2023, but new for me. Dark, sultry sweet, somehow haunting…full of contrasts – it shifts easily from light to dark, floral to spicy, with pieces of wood dipped in caramel and crispy oud floating around green chunks.
Very rich and worming, Shah’ryar features a very balanced Oud, juicy ripe Plum, and a thick and opulent overall feeling, best described as the “dance of the veils”.
Ever since Musc Moshus, the ultimate musc for women and men, I easily fall in love with Rania J perfumes, and Shah-ryar, inspired by Arabian 1001 night tales, is to me all about that moment when the King finally relaxes, and begins to succumb to the story told, forgetting everything else, closing his eyes and becoming one with the story and the storyteller.
Sarah Baker Perfumes – Peach’s Revenge
Murder! Screamed the Peach!
Oh yes, there’s a script written and accompanying every Peach’s Revenge bottle of perfume, but beware! Sexy Peach is also dangerous, maybe a bit childish, but she does that only to fool you, laughing and prancing around. Chris Maurice sees it as a juice and spice, playfulness and seduction, caramels and musk, and just a touch of amaretto to make you forget sharp and dangerous daggers of amber and ginger.
Soft and sharp, peachy and serious, Peach’s Revenge is something you won’t forget easily! It’s fun.
Love the name, lol. Want amber? Okaay, here comes the Amberbomb.
Created by Artureto Landi, a new release presented at Esxence 2024, Amberbomb is not entirely what you might expect: it features a slight touch of fruits, soft leathery edges, and a slightly rough side that feels animalic.
Notes: Coffee, Plum, Strawberry, Coconut, Apple, Iris, Lily of the Valley, Rose, Jasmine, Leather, Cypriol Oil/Nagarmotha, Sandalwood, Patchouli, Cedar, White Musk, Amber, Tonka Bean and Vanilla.
As much as I wanted to try it on, I’m not a fan of – fans, especially not if pushed into my face. One blotter later, I was nose-dead. No wonder, after day 3 at Esxence 2024, that was expected.
There was more, so much more, but this is my (short?) list of recommendations!
Stay tuned for my Report – Part II, focusing on events, off-Esxence finds, and conferences! Trust me, it’s just as interesting.
Almost forgot: mark your calendars! The next edition of Esxence will take place on 19-22 February 2025. It overlaps a bit with Milano Fashion Week (20-26 February) – which means that hotels shall be sold out, so it’s better to plan well in advance.
The Plum Girl
Elena Cvjetkovic
Photos: Elena Cvjetkovic
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