Rich Goller is the writer and photographer behind the popular blog fragroom. We always enjoy reading Rich’s lyrical prose and seeing his breathtaking visuals which he creates from his home in South Africa. He kindly took time out of his busy fragrant life to answer our nosy questions.

What question do you get asked most often?

People always ask me, “Do you sell fragrances”? The answer is no, I just write about them.

What’s your first scent memory?

My mother wearing Bien-Être, a very popular eau de cologne in Mauritius, where she was born. I loved its refreshing citrus vibe. To this day, I’m a sucker for cheap, but chic-smelling eau de colognes.

What was the first fragrance you bought?

The Body Shop White Musk. For good reason, this 80s classic seems to feature in many of our lives.

How did you discover us?

If I remember correctly, you discovered me. (edit: Rich is quite correct! He wrote beautifully about our fragrances here on his blog)

What does fragrance mean to you?

It means so many things, depending on the mood. That’s part of its beauty. At their best, fragrances are works of creative and technical brilliance, which is why I love interviewing perfumers so much. They are a key element of a specific time, along with music, fashion, art and design.On a more personal level, they bring me pure pleasure, escapism and comfort. These have become even more important in our covid world.

What do you think the fragrance industry needs in the future? 

Gosh, that’s a big question and so early in the morning. I’m all for  mystique, but there needs to be a lot less bamboozling of consumers.

Michelyn Camen is the Editor-in-Chief, Publisher, and Art Director of ÇaFleureBon, the number one niche, independent and natural fragrance destination in the world and a top five global fragrance site. ÇaFleureBon publishes original content on all aspects of perfumery 365 days a year, affording readers an insider view into the world of fragrance. Michelyn leads a team of sixteen contributors and editors from seven countries. The team of journalists at ÇaFleureBon have been the recipients of editorial excellence awards including Fragrance Foundation USA and the Perfumed Plumes.

ÇaFleureBon posts perfume reviews, coverage of international beauty and scent events, news within the fragrance industry, educational information on raw materials and ingredients, workshops, as well as articles on the roles of creative directors, artisans and retailers in the fragrance ecosystem. She is well known for her in-depth and intimate interviews with independent, emerging and established perfumers and influencers., as well as shining a spotlight on rising perfumers, emerging brands and creative directors.

What question do you get asked most often?

How do you pronounce the name of the site? Sah-fleure-bon. It is a French term with a dual meaning; this smells good and this is a good idea.

 Do you wear perfume every day?

The answer might surprise you. Until 2020, no. I test approximately 500 fragrances a year, so I need a “clean skin canvas”. But I wore lipstick every day. As of COVID-19, I do wear fragrance in the morning and in the evening to test for anosmia.

What are your first scent memories?  

I grew up in a 2-bedroom basement apartment in Brooklyn, N.Y. My dad was very young when I was born and worked two jobs to put himself through college and support a family. His day job was selling fruits at a local grocery. There was always fresh produce in our lives…  I remember the scent, the taste of peaches, plums and cherries. Outside, there was the intoxicating perfume of linden and lilacs during the summer, that bloomed seemingly out of concrete.

What was the first fragrance you bought?

Rive Gauche by Michael Hy in the 1970s. I bought it because I liked the way it smelled on my best friend. The first “independent” perfume I purchased was at Henri Bendel, when it was located on 57th Street (it subsequently moved to Fifth Avenue then permanently closed January 19, 2019). The scent was from master perfumer, Jean Laporte for L’Artisan Parfumeur and was named Pamplemousse. It has been discontinued, but I still have the bottle and a trace of the scent remains.

What does fragrance mean to you?

Permit me to answer your question from a different perspective. What fragrance DOESN’T mean to me. It doesn’t mean endless flankers of best sellers; it doesn’t mean launch upon launch of new collections. Fragrance is a story. It is the perfumer’s story first and then if it suits you, it becomes yours. We each have a scent print as unique as a snowflake. So, what is heaven on one person, might be a scrubber on another. (re: Rive Gauche which smelled great on my friend).

How did you discover Le Jardin Retrouvé?

Michel Gutsatz and his wife Clara Feder sent me samples in 2016; I believe we were among the first to review the inaugural collection. I asked Aaron Potterman, who was a Senior Contributor at that time to review the first collection, which he loved. My favourite was called Black. I believe it is now named Oriental Sans Souci.

What do you think the fragrance industry needs in the future?

More transparency, more diversity and more consumer education. And please credit the authors of the fragrances instead of hiding behind a perfume organ.

What’s next for ÇaFleureBon?

ÇaFleureBon’s tenth anniversary was on March 22, 2020 in the midst of the Pandemic.  While we don’t know what the future will bring, we hope to continue to bring our readers and viewers innovative writing and video content each day. Above all, always be true to our mission statement: Explore all aspects of olfaction through an artistic lens.

The feature photo is Michelyn at Exsence 2019, holding DSH Perfumes Colorado by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz (which went on to win an art and olfaction award ) photo credit Jeffrey Paul.

Stephan Matthews has worked with many perfume companies as an industry consultant and copywriter. He has also written articles for The Perfume Society and Sacrebleu!, as well as reviewing for stephanmatthews.com.

What question do you get asked most often?

“My fragrance has been discontinued. How can I find it?” I get at least ten emails a week asking this question and my answer has changed over the years. I used to offer advice on which auction sites to look at, or potential replacements, but now my response is a little more direct. MOVE ON! We all form attachments to scent but it’s inevitable that fragrances will be discontinued or reformulation. So, if your favourite disappears then there are thousands out there waiting to be discovered.

What’s your first scent memory?

My earliest recollections of scent all involve household cleaning products or medicine. I was a child of the seventies and so the smells of Dettol and Jeyes Fluid were part of my everyday life, because my mother was always incredibly house-proud, but one scent featured more heavily than others. There was a medical gauze dressing called Jelonet which was made by T J Smith & Nephew. I was always cutting my leg or grazing my arm, so this medicinal yellow paraffin concoction that was housed in a thin metal tin was always being applied to one of my limbs!

What was the first fragrance you bought?

I was a Lynx boy for most of my adolescence, and am still a loyal fan, but the first fragrance that I bought was Fragonard’s Belle de Nuit. It was my first visit to Grasse and is always the moment that I feel started my interest in the perfume industry. The fragrance is such a beautiful floral creation and I loved wearing it. On the same day I bought Molinard’s Habanita and Galimard’s Yavana, but it just happened that Fragonard was the first perfumery that I visited.

How did you discover us?

I was in Paris with work and Le Jardin Retrouvé had literally just relaunched. Time was very tight for me but Michel and Theo managed to meet at the end of the day. I immediately fell in love with the history and the scents, and ended up helping them in their first year with some campaigns as well as the UK launch in conjunction with The Perfume Society. It was great to be there at the beginning, and it’s been wonderful to watch the company grow.

What does fragrance mean to you?

Apart from being the industry that I work in, and so the way that I pay my bills, fragrance is the most wonderful way to make a person feel happy. There is a lot of snobbery around different companies and perfumes, but I always say to people to wear what makes them feel cheerful. Never mind about anybody else… wear it because you like it.

What do you think the fragrance industry needs in the future?

We need to stop all the nonsense around synthetics and naturals with regard to safety. All fragrance ingredients have to pass strict regulations in the EU and there is no favouritism. Synthetics and naturals work wonderfully together, but they also work equally well on their own, and it’s the skill of the perfumer that creates a great composition.

All photos by Stephan Matthews except where stated

New Zealand born Megan Paki has made her home with her family in the famously picturesque French Riviera. Megan, who writes the blog Meganinsaintemaxime also works behind the scenes for French niche perfume houses in nearby Grasse. We caught up with her to ask her our six nosy questions.

What question do you get asked most often?

“Why do you like fragrance so much” is a question that I get asked quite often especially by friends who knew me before this passion started. Some think it’s a strange passion to have although if you take them through a selection of fragrances and materials and explain some of the history you can see that they start to have some appreciation. It’s nice when you can see a light bulb pop on when the seeds are being sown.

The fragrance related question that I’m often asked is very simply what is a great fragrance for a loved one or themselves. Sometimes people are quite specific in terms of their tastes and previous loves, however you need to really understand what sort of smells they enjoy – quickly you can check on marine / sea, outdoors – green, a make up scent, incense, florals, cologne style etc. It’s a good idea to see what perfumes they have loved on themselves and others as well. Then you can start making a few recommendations.

What’s your first scent memory?

Definitely my mother’s Chanel No 5 fragrance that I loved to see her spraying. I adored the bottle as it all seemed so glamorous and grown up and when you are a child you often want to experience some adult life even though it is a far away concept. Apparently when I was young I drank some of it as well!  

My first scent memory in France that I still appreciate is the smell of the bitter orange blossom.  It is the most heavenly smell and one that I am completely besotted by and as soon as the season begins the scent permeates the air and really lights up the day. I was lucky enough to live for a time in a house that had three of these trees and it is just the most divine smell and I do love when it is captured in a fragrance

What was the first fragrance you bought?

Fragrance at first was a special gift and one of my first was Opium which back in those days was a real heavy hitter, with a potent and evocative spiciness.  In fact it was a beautiful perfume but really too sophisticated for my teenage years.

The first perfume I remember buying with my own money was Trésor by Lancôme. This perfume was absolutely gorgeous and I was completely enamoured by its apricot rose blend. This fragrance really brings me back to those days even though it smells quite different today to my nose.

What does fragrance mean to you?

Fragrance for me is a means to express a feeling, a moment, a state of being. Perfumes have the ability like music or a great wine to make us feel an emotional connection. Fragrance can be a huge mood enhancer; they can boost you up, chill you out, create a sense of happiness and can help to bring back cherished memories that you want to experience again.

Fragrance is also a way to expand your horizons by smelling materials and fragrances that are different and exciting that have the possibility to transport you to another time and place or to give a moment to pause and reflect.

Scent can also be the exact opposite too, it can simply serve as an accessory to quickly spritz and go. You leave the house and you feel like you are better dressed but you don’t give it too much thought. I think it can be many things to us all but the link to emotions is very strong.

How did you discover Le Jardin Retrouvé?

I’m sure that I discovered Le Jardin Retrouvé via Instagram . I sampled their initial line and fell in love with Citron Boboli. It’s a fragrance that is so much more than a lemon scent and this is from someone who initially didn’t even like citrus fragrances. It has a really interesting spicy aspect to it that errs more to glamour than refreshment. 

The fragrances spell quality and there is something for every perfume lover in the collection. There is a fantastic leather – Cuir de Russie and a very nice rose fragrance called Rose Trocadéro

What do you think the fragrance industry needs in the future?

I think the fragrance industry has really moved in so many directions since I first became interested and now there are many more niche, indie, artisan and lifestyle brands that are doing great things and really helping to extend what we know about fragrance and to give us new creations and inspiration. I think it is good for the consumer as they should be able to find something that gives them pleasure and enjoyment.

The landscape for perfume media has changed dramatically since my hobby started and now there are hundreds of Instagram accounts and YouTubers that suggests that the love is spreading. Personally  I would love to see more documentaries on fragrance that cover every facet of the industry because it touches on so many different elements.

I think that the sense of smell is so very important yet is one that is downplayed. It would be great to see more education for children that helps to build their olfactive capabilities. Also, as they become older to help them understand that there are career opportunities here too.  I think that many working in the industry have ended up there in a roundabout way so it would be nice to see a wider promotion of the various facets that are involved. Most people know that there are perfumers, but beyond this I think understanding is quite limited.

I believe the industry needs more diversity in terms of who works within it. Recently I looked on a company website of one of the big fragrance and flavour houses and there was a photo of master perfumers seated around a table and it was all white males over 45, which seemed the equivalent of a banking boardroom. This is an area that needs to change.

This week, we spoke to Nir Guy, perfume writer, fragrance connoisseur and owner/founder of the Perfumology perfumery in Philadelphia, USA. We are very excited that he will be shortly be making shelf room for Le Jardin Retrouve and will be our first USA retail stockist.

What perfume question do you get asked most often?  

“What’s new?” has to be the most frequent question I hear. Two types of people ask it: regulars who visit every few weeks, and new customers in a room full of fragrances they’ve never smelled before. The best part about this question is that the answer is never the same. The brands we carry keep us on our toes with a constant flow of new launches. But my mission is to bring rare, incredible fragrances to our discerning customers regardless of how new it may be. Gin Fizz is a perfect example, one of our best selling perfumes that was originally launched in 1955.

What’s your first scent memory?

Playing in the yard when I was a little kid, specifically the smell of dirt and grass in autumn. Thinking about it invokes several memories. Several with my friends playing with action figures, or seasonal sports while the air cooled in the fall, and gardening with my parents in the spring. The smelling a full year of the earth going into hibernation or coming to life every year. Now I’m an adult who doesn’t spend nearly enough time playing in the grass anymore.

What was the first fragrance you bought?

My first fragrance was Fragonard Concerto when I was fourteen, an easy citrus with a light floral heart that I remember well. I spent a day in Grasse on a tour of Europe with my family when I was in high school, one day of which we spent learning about perfume. The museum gift shop where I got to pick one to take home was the best part, and Concerto was my favorite. My wife and I enjoyed a trip to France last year and Grasse looked exactly as I remember it. This time I chose the Musée International de la Parfumerie, which was much more rewarding as an adult.

How did you discover Le Jardin Retrouvé?

We share a brilliant customer who raved about Le Jardin Retrouvé when she visited one of our events. Le Jardin Retrouvé stood out in our conversation. She truly understood good perfume, and she knew that I’m naturally drawn to family owned perfumeries. Michel and Clara invited me to their boutique when I was in Paris where they really blew me away.

Their fragrances are fantastic on the skin. The cool part about visiting was Clara’s experience behind the lab, which transported me to a magical garden. I expected a fairy to fly in the room to spray the perfume instead of using blotter strips. Their actual perfume delivery system is brilliant and does not involve blotters. I recommend people take the time to visit them and see it for themselves. 

What does fragrance mean to you?

Crossing borders. Making great perfume requires a global network of suppliers. Our brands and their perfumers are from all over the world, and they each look for the best materials our planet has to offer. Together they make olfactory art. Looking back, I discovered most of my first fragrances in Duty Free when traveling, the brands were almost always European, and they reminded me of summer trips when I wore them. I still believe fully in acting locally. Perfumology perfumes and boxes are currently made about half an hour drive from the boutique. 

What do you think the fragrance industry needs in the future?  

I’d like to see more efforts towards diversity and sustainability. I think our industry can do a lot better and I do what I can. We carry diverse brands at our shop and make recyclable packaging for perfumes. It helps to see others like Le Jardin Retrouvé making an effort as well with their company. Small steps that will lead to great strides.

This week’s fragrance lover is YouTube vlogger Clemence CC. Clemence has reviewed our fragrance on her channel and we just love her vivid descriptions and how she understands our ethos so perfectly.

What perfume question do you get asked most often?

There are a lot of questions so it’s difficult to choose but most of the time, I get asked “which is the best perfume for ladies/men” which I always think is tricky. Fragrances are really linked to our own emotions and our memories so what I think is the best, won’t be for someone else. I can always advise fragrances that are, for me, qualitative, enjoyable and suitable for different situations but I think everyone needs to make their own journeys and always try by themselves before making any decisions !

What’s your first scent memory?

I remember smelling the fragrance collection of my mom, and that’s where I think my passion began. When she was at work, I used to sit at her dressing table, play with her makeup and use her perfumes. She had Yves Saint Laurent, babydoll that I thought look like a little diamond, I was really fascinated and couldn’t wait to grow up to begin my collection !
But my family was really into fragrance in general, we always had big bottles of Eau de Cologne at home for example. My grandparents had an aromatic garden as well, heaven for fragrance lovers !

What was the first fragrance you bought?

I remember I wanted to purchase a bottle of No5 when I was really young, but I think my dad was quicker and got me one.

The first one that I bought with my own money was La Parisienne from Yves Saint Laurent. It was a really trendy scent at the time, and as I was born in Paris but living in Brittany I thought it was for me ! I loved the fact that the blackberry was so intense in this scent, it was really leaving an intense feminine sillage.

How did you discover Le Jardin Retrouvé?

I discovered Le Jardin Retrouvé on Instagram. I remember that the team contacted me, and I received a discovery set so I could try the collection.
I remember being impressed by the quality of the fragrances and I became addicted to Sandalwood Sacré, it has so much character and really got that vintage vibe that I love!

What does fragrance mean to you?

Fragrance is basically my all life at the moment, it’s my work, my hobby and my passion. It’s also a great way of remembering memories and each of my fragrances drive me to a part of my life or people I met. When I look at my collection, it makes me think of a diary.
I also met so many passionate people, that are sharing the same passion and it’s really magical to be able to connect with people that you probably wont know without it.

What do you think the fragrance industry needs in the future?

Creativity for sure ! That’s why I enjoy looking for scents that are different. It is just so enjoyable when you find a scent that is using different ingredients that you probably never smellt before. The fragrance industry at the moment is a lot around making the same fragrances as well known brand for a cheaper price which I think is really damaging what fragrance is really is : art.
I wish also that people in general will enjoy to wear something a bit different and understand that their fragrance journey is very personal and that everyone would be able to respect each other choices.
For me the inspiration, the history and the process of making the scent is as important as the final result.

All photos by Clemence CC on Instagram

Aaron Potterman writes for the multi award winning niche perfume blog CaFleureBon as well as having founded his own perfume house, Les Parfums de La Maison 303. Aaron was one of the first writers to review and support Le Jardin Retrouvé and we have always appreciated his beautiful writing and vast perfume knowledge.

What question do you get asked most often?

The most asked question I get that is perfumed related is: can a guy wear a woman’s perfume? My answer: Of course! Any fragrance can be worn by anyone. I’ll always tell them there is absolutely no need to let a label stop you from wearing what your nose likes. Your nose knows!

What was your first scent memory?

The one I can think most of is when I discovered clover (around 3 or 4 years old). This memory sticks out because it also when I learned to get along with bees. I remember being drawn to the scent and then just headed out to the patch and plopping myself smack in the middle of it. Of course, there were a ton of bees around and my mom was absolutely horrified, but you know, you gotta do what you gotta do… I had to be immersed in that patch. I’m happy to say that I was not stung once by the bees. To this day nothing puts a smile on my face more than smelling clover wafting from the fields.

What was the first fragrance you ever bought?

I am fairly certain it was a Calvin Klein gift set of Obsession for Men.

How did you discover Le Jardin Retrouvé?

Through my work with ÇaFleureBon! It’s been charming ever since.

What does fragrance mean to you?

Fragrance is like music or a good book. It’s an integral part of our being and a crucial part of the fabric of life; thus relating in some way to almost every story of life. I like to look at perfume as history bottled in so many ways- from naturals to synthetics- it’s all history.

What do you think the fragrance industry needs in the future?

Innovation. It seems that so much of the time in the past 10-15 years the expansion of knowledge and transparency has taken a bit of a toll on the industry. In some ways that’s a wonderful and glorious thing. In others, maybe not so much. I’m sad to say that so much of what is happening now really is a gigantic wave of taking one innovation after another and absolutely bleeding it dry by huge amounts of what quickly can become same ole, same ole. I’d like to see an expansion into the unknown. We need a scent innovation that is so obtuse and revolutionary that it would be difficult to look back on history to find a parallel for comparison. In other words, I’d really and truly like to see something new under the sun. Something that will bend all of our minds in ways we never imagined. For folks like me who love and cherish our shared history, this would be something very welcomed.

Christi Long is the founder of Facebook group Eau My Soul, which was formed with the aim of being a safe place for perfume lovers to express their views among a positive and friendly membership. Reaching over six thousand members from all over the world, including influencers and perfumers, the group goes from strength to strength. Christi took time out to answer our five questions.

What perfume question do you get asked most often?

I get asked “what is your favorite perfume of all time” more than any other question. It’s impossible to answer, and I usually refuse to even try. I can’t even narrow it down to a top 10. But…if I was being sent to a deserted island for a year and forced to choose only one perfume to bring along, I would probably choose Chanel No 5.

What’s your first scent memory?

My first scent memory, or at least the most vivid, is Jungle Gardenia by Tuvache. I was literally just a baby when I first smelled it and I can recall the scent and how I felt, when all I could do was hold the cap and sniff. My mother had a bottle but wore it only for special occasions. She held the cap up to my nose to let me smell it and she said my eyes got big as saucers. After that, when she would go near the dresser where the bottle was, I would raise my arms up and make those “gimme, gimme” grabbing motions with my hands. So she would take the cap off and let me hold it and sniff. Until I tried to eat it of course and then she would have to put it back on the bottle. But I sniffed this bottle and cap until I was a teenager so it’s definitely implanted in my brain.

What was the first fragrance you bought?

My parents bought all of my perfumes for me until I was 18 and working myself, and the first I can recall purchasing with my own money was Fendi. It was my signature scent for a few years and when I smell it now I am instantly transported back to that period in my life. I bought a Fendi handbag around the same time and I remember just sitting and staring at it, so proud that I bought it with my own money. When I smell Fendi today, I immediately think of that handbag and how I finally felt like somewhat of a “real” adult.

What does fragrance mean to you?

While many fragrances are very meaningful to me, I really only think of fragrance in terms of scent. Simply, do I like how this smells? Does it make me feel good when I wear it? I don’t set out to find any meaning, I just look for things that I like to smell. It’s usually by accident or nostalgia that a fragrance provokes something beyond the scent. But fragrance is my hobby and passion and it has brought some wonderful people into my life from all over the world, and it has allowed me to learn so many things about different cultures. So fragrance is very meaningful to me for this reason.

What do you think the fragrance industry needs in the future?

Kindness. I say this not because it’s not a kind industry, some of the kindest, most selfless and giving people I have ever known have come into my life through fragrance. But I would love to see more conscientiousness from the perfume makers, such as avoiding materials that create unnecessary cruelty toward animals, all just for a “scent”. There are so many wonderful alternatives, it simply isn’t necessary to hurt an animal so we can smell a certain way.

I think the industry has made huge improvements in this area and they should be applauded. I still think we could do a little more. Outside of that, I think what the fragrance industry needs is less fragrance. There is just too much, too many releases, too much of the same, too many brands, and it’s killing the magic.

Niche perfume started out as something that felt smaller and more unique and special. Now it’s being heavily commercialized because of Instagram and Youtube and not much feels like real “niche” today. Some of the indie perfume feels more heavily promoted than designers. And designers crank out endless releases trying to compete with what the niche market has taken away from them. So what we have now is simply too much competition and too much perfume. I just wish everyone would slow down, take some time, sip some lemonade, chill in a hammock, and take it a little more easy. It’s not a race…..just slow down and make some magic.