ESXENCE: The Art of Perfumery 2023 Recap

What an incredible industry we are privileged to be a part of, filled with innovation, creativity, and the endless emotion we are gifted every time we experience a new fragrance. With over 300 brands exhibiting at the biggest perfume expo in the world, to recap our experience at Esxence in one article is simply impossible. Here is a brief glimpse of what the last few days in the heart of Italy were like. 

The fragrance business is booming, and we see more people enter the market every year. Brands are expanding their reach by listening to their consumers and creating perfumes that encapsulate a range of emotions and ideas, like the never-ending thirst for seduction, to clean musks that wear like a second skin, to botanical escapes, lush cocktails, and glorious leathers. The show was filled with installations, discussions, presentations, and everything in between, making the offering so wide that it's equally beautiful, overwhelming, and difficult to discern any specific trends, but we'll focus on the top few we found worth mentioning. 

A few particular threads stood out to us and will be infiltrating our virtual shelves this season. One such direction is of the fresh ozonic air. This can be layered with leather to bring light and luminosity to the scent or used in conjunction with aquatic notes to create the fresh minerality of the river flowing aside the city; Etat Libre d'Orange , we are looking at you ;) It is refreshing to see and smell.

It is also clear that the reign of roses continues to hold firm with every brand offering their own spin on the iconic flower. Most have gone the route of celebrating this versatile floral’s gourmand facets in a sophisticated and complex way. There were almost no sticky-sweet blends at the show. Rather, we saw more savory variations within the gourmand category.  After a decade of cavity-inducing releases across the industry, we are not mad about the sugar concentration scaling back.

Lastly, the dominance of fruits on the scene is absolutely worth noting. Creamy, lush, tart, and ranging from tropical escapes to mouthwatering cocktail-like accords, we can't wait to indulge our palettes with the joy-inducing blends and are particularly excited about the latest release by Jusbox Parfums, which will be launching in the next few months.

Seeing so many familiar faces of the creative directors, founders, content creators, and perfume enthusiasts make their way from across the world to smell, mingle and discuss all things perfume was exhilarating. With so many events happening across town, the champagne flowing non-stop, and what seemed like gallons of fragrances wafting through the air, Milan will be buzzing for days with the energy the show has brought to the city of great food, delicious wine, and great fashion. Till next year Milan! `

P.S. Here is a further glimpse into the sights and scents we experienced during our stay. Enjoy!