Journal
Roja Dove: The Guerlain Nose Who Built Britain's Priciest Perfume House
Roja Dove trained inside Guerlain for nearly 20 years, then launched Roja Parfums in 2011. The story behind the four-figure bottles.
aromara journal
Fragrance, explained
Notes broken down, dupes ranked, and straight answers on what actually lasts.
Journal
Paco Rabanne: The Metal-Dress Designer Who Built a Fragrance Empire
Paco Rabanne made chain-mail dresses before perfume. The story of the 1966 house, Calandre, Puig, One Million and Invictus.
Journal
Amouage: The Omani Perfume House That Started as a Gift From a Sultan
Amouage was founded in Oman in 1983 as a gift, not a product. The real story of the sultan, the frankincense and...
Journal
Carolina Herrera: The Designer Behind Good Girl and Its Stiletto Bottle
Carolina Herrera founded her fashion house in 1980 at 41. The fragrances came later. Good Girl, in its stiletto bottle, is now...
Journal
Xerjoff: The Turin Fragrance House and Its Disputed Founding Date
Xerjoff makes some of Italy's priciest perfume from Turin. Even its founding year is argued over. A sourced look at the house,...
Journal
Jo Malone London: The Facialist Who Built a Fragrance House, Then Sold It
Jo Malone London was founded in 1994 by a London facialist and sold to Estee Lauder in 1999. The founder left in...
The story
Gissah: The Kuwaiti Perfume House That Named Itself 'Story'
Gissah was born in Kuwait in 2019. The name means story in Arabic. A short, sourced guide to the Gulf niche house...
Journal
BDK Parfums: The Paris Perfume House Built on a 1959 Family Shop
BDK Parfums looks like old Paris but was founded in 2016. The real story runs back to a family perfume shop opened...
Journal
Mancera: The Paris Fragrance House Born From Montale
Mancera was founded in 2008 by Pierre Montale, the man behind Montale. Two Paris houses, one founder, and the woody vanilla they...
Journal
Penhaligon's: The Fragrance House That Began in a Turkish Bath
Penhaligon's started in a London Turkish bath in 1870. The barber, the royal warrants, Halfeti, and who owns the British house now.
Journal
Le Labo: The Grasse-Born Fragrance House That Actually Started in New York
Le Labo trades on Grasse, but it was founded in New York in 2006 and owned by Estée Lauder since 2014. The...
Journal
Creed: The Fragrance House That Says 1760 (The Paper Trail Says 1970)
Creed says it was founded in 1760. The earliest hard evidence dates to about 1970. A clear look at the myth, the...
Journal
Initio Parfums Privés: The Power Fragrance House From the Parfums de Marly Founder
Initio Parfums Privés launched in 2015 from the founder of Parfums de Marly. The real story behind the power scents, and how...
Dupe guide
Best Xerjoff Perfume Dupes UK 2026: 4 Niche Icons for £40
The best Xerjoff dupes in the UK. Erba Pura, Naxos, Alexandria II and Italica, rebuilt at 35% Extrait for £40 versus £205...
Dupe guide
Best Kilian Perfume Dupes UK 2026: 5 Cult Scents for £40
The best By Kilian dupes in the UK. Love Don't Be Shy, Angel's Share, Apple Brandy on the Rocks and Black Phantom,...
The story
Yves Saint Laurent: The Fragrance Story Behind Opium and Black Opium
Yves Saint Laurent died in 2008, the year L'Oreal bought the perfume arm. Black Opium came six years later. What is really...
The story
Versace: The Fragrance Story Behind Eros, From Gianni to Prada
Gianni Versace was murdered in 1997. In 2025 Prada bought the house. Eros, though, is made by EuroItalia. What is really in...
Journal
Viktor&Rolf: The Fashion House That Put Its Perfume in a Hand Grenade
Viktor&Rolf is avant-garde Dutch couture. Its perfume is a L'Oreal-made crowd-pleaser in a grenade bottle. Flowerbomb, Spicebomb and the real story.