Bourgeoisie; The Future of Scent

A few years ago, a trip to East London introduced us to the visionary Experimental Perfume Club, a small start-up looking to help people to mix and customise their own fragrance. Little did we know then that this small event would be the future of perfume. Now, perfume is all about an affordable level of customisation. It is the biggest trend in perfume for years.

Where a few years ago it was possible to get a fragrance mixed for you, often at hundreds of thousands of pounds, this has now become an affordable luxury and a key fragrance trend that is seemingly unstoppable, and, may we say, a rather wonderful one too.

Emmanuelle Moeglin, the founder of the Experimental Perfume Club, is a classically trained nose with over 12 years’ experience working in the fragrance industry. This clever company has grown greatly since we first met them, so much so that they are now launching The new Layers Lab. The lab is launching in Selfridges utilising a hi-tech algorithm that allows the club to guide you through creating a bespoke perfume profile unique to you.

The pop up has been created to aid in building your own individual scent, taking each person through a very short, time-conscious process of initial perfumes that then can be layered from a set of original scents. The six initial perfume options available include woody, citrus, musk fruit, floral and amber scents. As in most perfumes, there is, of course, a pyramid in each: the Top, a Mid and a Base. These layers can be worn as stand-alone unisex niche perfumes, or as the magic progresses, layers can be specially blended together to make one of 25 pre-created perfumes, i.e different combinations from the original six layers collection. Either a top or middle note of one of the original layers can be mixed with a middle or base note, meaning that in each perfume, one has the option to mix two or three of the layers. This is done with expert guidance, magically leaving you with your own original blend.

The next loving step is to name your creation. Of course, this precious recipe is yours and yours alone, and as such should be named as you wish. A label is then made with your chosen name and the bottle put to bed in a card box. The ingredient breakdown is also given to each customer which, meaning that your creation can be replicated time and time again, a final important factor in this divine scent experience.

Throughout the creation process, not only do you get a truly personal scent, but there are also green initiatives that come with it. The company is incorporating eco-friendly practices, and with so many of us wishing to make environmentally friendly choices, their unique perfume refill station makes this a great option for those hoping to reduce their carbon footprint.

The Experimental Perfume Club Layers pop-up is open now at Selfridges with a 50ml Eau de Parfum at £95 or the Layers Lab for a bespoke fragrance journey at £105.