Milan Reinforces Its Position as the Global Capital of Artistic Perfumery
Milan, Italy | June 2026
The 16th edition of Esxence, The Art Perfumery Event has concluded in Milan, once again bringing together the world's leading niche fragrance brands, perfumers, distributors, retailers, media, and fragrance enthusiasts.
Held from June 3–6 at Allianz MiCo, this year's edition marked an important evolution for the industry as Esxence transitioned to a new summer format and expanded its exhibition footprint. More than a trade show, Esxence has become the annual meeting point for artistic perfumery, a place where brands launch new creations, distributors discover future partners, and fragrance lovers explore what's next.
The move from spring to early summer also seemed reflected in many of the launches presented, with bright citrus compositions, cocktail-inspired fragrances, and sun-soaked Mediterranean themes appearing throughout the exhibition.
A Growing Global Industry
Walking the 20,000-square-meter exhibition floor, one thing became clear: artistic perfumery continues to expand far beyond its traditional centers.
While Europe remains at the heart of the niche fragrance industry, brands from Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America were increasingly visible throughout the exhibition. From South Korea and Thailand to Peru and Türkiye, many of the most interesting discoveries reflected a growing diversity of cultural perspectives, ingredients, and creative influences.
This internationalization was evident not only in the countries represented, but also in the stories being told. Personal heritage, local traditions, regional ingredients, and cultural identity played an increasingly important role in how brands presented themselves. As artistic perfumery continues to evolve, its future appears more global and more diverse than ever before.
Olfactive Trends from Esxence 2026
BeautyNavigator's Key Takeaways
• Citrus, orange blossom, limoncello, and spritz-inspired fragrances were among the most visible themes of the show.
• Gourmands continue to evolve through pistachio, milk, butter, sesame, popcorn, pastry, and savory inspirations.
• Oud is increasingly being paired with unexpected ingredients, including tropical fruits and gourmand notes.
• Storytelling remains one of the most powerful tools in niche perfumery.
• Sustainability remains vital, but few brands are making it a defining pillar of their identity.
A few themes seemed to appear again and again throughout the exhibition:
Mediterranean Escapism & Summer Cocktails
One of the most noticeable themes throughout the exhibition was a return to sunshine, travel, and leisure. Orange blossom, bergamot, limoncello, spritz-inspired accords, citrus fruits, and Mediterranean landscapes appeared repeatedly across new launches.
Rather than pursuing traditional aquatic freshness, many brands seemed focused on recreating a feeling: sitting on a terrace overlooking the sea, enjoying a citrus cocktail, or spending a warm afternoon on holiday. From Villa Erbatium's Spirit Crush to Scenception's Admire the Beauty of Italy, fragrance increasingly became a vehicle for transporting the wearer to a place, a moment, or a state of mind.
Gourmands Get More Textured
Gourmand fragrances remain one of the most visible directions in niche perfumery, but the category is becoming more nuanced. At Esxence, we noticed fewer straightforward dessert references and more textured interpretations built around pistachio, milk accords, butter, sesame, pastry notes, coffee, popcorn, and savory-leaning notes. Fascent's Corn Star and Sensatio Paris' Black Sesame both reflected this shift toward culinary memory, texture, and comfort rather than simple sweetness.
Oud Breaks the Rules
Oud remains a major force in artistic perfumery, but many brands are moving away from traditional rose-oud and amber-oud structures. Instead, perfumers are pairing oud with unexpected notes such as tropical fruits, gourmands, and modern musks. Fragrances such as Fugazzi's Passionfroudh and Maie Piou's Banana Oud demonstrated a more playful approach to the material.
Rather than treating oud as the centerpiece, brands increasingly seem comfortable using it as one ingredient among many, opening the door to more surprising and accessible compositions.
Fragrance as Storytelling
Perhaps the strongest theme of all was storytelling. Many of the most memorable launches were rooted in personal memories, family traditions, cultural heritage, meaningful places, and individual identity.
Increasingly, brands are not just selling a fragrance, they are selling a memory, a place, a personality, a cultural perspective, or a feeling. From House of Helios' exploration of personality through fragrance layering, to Maison Sulékó's tributes to meaningful landscapes, Sanya Zaheer's deeply personal interpretations of South Asian culture and heritage, and Vertus' belief that fragrance should create an emotional connection, some of the most compelling brands at Esxence were those with a story worth telling.
Standout Discoveries
.jpg)
Villa Erbatium (South Korea)
Among the hundreds of fragrances presented at Esxence 2026, Spirit Crush by Villa Erbatium was one of my personal favorites, I enjoyed it enough to order a bottle.
Inspired by the refreshing pleasure of a summer spritz, the fragrance immediately reminded me of one of the strongest themes running throughout the exhibition: sunshine, leisure, and carefree summer afternoons. Yet rather than relying on the citrus-heavy formulas that appeared across many launches, Villa Erbatium takes a more unconventional route through notes of cassis, grapefruit, carrot oil, green rose, tomato leaf, and vetiver.
The result is green, vibrant, and unexpectedly sophisticated. While many brands were chasing a similar mood, Spirit Crush arrived there from a completely different direction, making it one of the most memorable fragrances I encountered during the week.
View Villa Erbatium Website
House of Helios (Spain)
House of Helios presented one of the most interactive concepts at the show with enneaKIND, a collection of nine fragrances inspired by the enneagram personality system.
After taking a short personality test, I was matched with a fragrance and shown how different scents could be layered to emphasize certain aspects of my personality. It was a fun take on the fragrance wardrobe concept and a reminder that personalization continues to be a growing trend in niche perfumery.
View House of Helios Website
Maison Sulékó (France)
As a born-and-raised Floridian with French roots, Florida Vibrations immediately caught my attention.
Founder Anastasia Sokolow created the fragrance as a love letter to Florida's often-overlooked natural beauty, evoking tropical rain, mangrove forests, local florals, and sea air. Combined with the stunning handcrafted bottles created alongside French ceramic artist Maxime Defer, Suleko delivered one of the most artistic presentations of the entire event.
Anastasia was also presenting her In Situ collection, inspired by her travels through Morocco's Valley of Roses and the landscapes surrounding Mont Blanc.
View Maison Sulékó Website
Malbrum Parfums (Norway)
We met founder Kristian, whose passion for fragrance and belief in originality left a lasting impression.
Founded in Oslo, Malbrum balances classical French perfumery with a distinctly Norwegian spirit. The collection is organized into three creative volumes developed with perfumers Delphine Thierry and Cristiano Canali, each exploring a different olfactive universe.
We left with a sample of Paradiso Super, part of Malbrum's Volume III collection. During our conversation, Kristian spoke candidly about originality and the importance of creating fragrances with a clear point of view. That independent spirit felt evident throughout the collection, which came across as confident, creative, and unconcerned with chasing trends.
View Malbrum Parfums Instagram
Perfumery Journey (Thailand)
Thailand's Perfumery Journey impressed us with fragrances inspired by local ingredients and cultural storytelling.
TINI tini offers a fresh and elegant interpretation of the classic rose-lychee accord, while Lamphun Gold draws inspiration from Northern Thailand's prized longan fruit, introducing many visitors to an ingredient rarely explored in perfumery. Both fragrances felt authentic, memorable, and deeply connected to their origins.
Scenception (France)
Another brand that perfectly captured the growing trend of place-based storytelling was Scenception by perfumer Nadia Geyken.
A Givaudan-trained perfumer who launched her own niche fragrance house, Nadia creates fragrances inspired by destinations and cultures encountered throughout her travels. One standout was Admire the Beauty of Italy, which immediately transported me to the Amalfi Coast with sparkling limoncello, bergamot, cassis, florals, and a mineral accord that beautifully evokes citrus fizz and Mediterranean sunshine.
View Scentception Website
Aypa (Peru)
While fragrance dominated the exhibition, a few beauty and wellness brands also stood out.
One of our favorites was Aypa, a Peruvian holistic wellness and natural skincare brand founded by Mirella Crovetto. Inspired by Andean wisdom and indigenous ingredients such as maca, quinoa, lucuma, purple corn, and sacha inchi, the brand emphasizes wellness, balance, and connection to Pachamama, Mother Earth.
The connection between beauty, wellbeing, and nature felt genuine and refreshing.
View Aypa's Website
Van Dang (United States)
Sustainability was frequently discussed throughout the event, but surprisingly few brands made it a defining part of their identity.
Van Dang was one of the exceptions. Founder Kim Van Dang shared her mindful luxury fragrance collection, created using certified natural, traceable, sustainably cultivated, pesticide-free, and fair-trade ingredients sourced directly from vetted farmers.
I was particularly drawn to Acid-Washed Dream, a beautifully composed fragrance designed to evoke a state of euphoria. Beyond the fragrances themselves, I appreciated seeing sustainability treated as a core value rather than a marketing afterthought.
View Van Dang's Website
.jpg)
Sensatio Paris (France)
Founded by two brothers, one a perfumer and the other a chef, Sensatio Paris transforms family memories into fragrance. Co-founder Sacha Perrin explained that Black Sesame was inspired by a brioche their mother would bake for them, filled with chocolate and topped with roasted sesame seeds.
Going in, I expected Black Sesame to be darker and more savory than it actually was. Instead, it revealed itself as a surprisingly elegant composition balancing chocolate, fruits, florals, coffee, and sesame.
Beurre de Santal was equally memorable, inspired by the smell of fresh croissants and warm pastries prepared for loved ones. In a year where gourmand fragrances were everywhere, Sensatio managed to stand apart by making the stories feel authentic rather than trendy.
View Sensatio Paris Website
WWDIS (France)
Not every interesting discovery happened on the exhibition floor itself. Just a short walk from Esxence, we visited WWDIS, which was presenting its collection from a nearby hotel suite.
Among the many brands exploring identity and self-expression, WWDIS approached the subject with a refreshing sense of confidence. Their fragrance Je M'en Fous®, French for "I don't care", celebrates individuality and the freedom to live on your own terms. Inspired by a fleeting impression of Santa Monica in June 1999, the fragrance combines mandarin, bergamot, neroli, crisp aldehydes, jasmine, lavender, ambrette, and lentisque into something bright, sunlit, and effortlessly carefree.
The concept immediately caught my attention because it felt different from much of the storytelling seen throughout the week. Rather than focusing on heritage, ingredients, or craftsmanship, it projects a mood: carefree, self-assured, and unapologetically authentic.
View WWDIS' Website
Business Remains at the Core
While consumers often focus on the fragrances, Esxence remains fundamentally a business event.
Behind every launch were conversations about distribution, retail partnerships, international expansion, raw material sourcing, and brand development. Throughout the exhibition, we saw retailers discovering new brands, distributors evaluating opportunities, and founders sharing their vision with potential partners from around the world.
That balance between creativity and commerce is what continues to make Esxence one of the most important events in the global fragrance industry.
Looking Ahead
The 2026 edition demonstrated that artistic perfumery continues to enjoy strong momentum despite broader economic uncertainties affecting luxury markets. Consumers increasingly seek originality, craftsmanship, and emotional connection in their fragrance purchases. Independent and niche brands are responding with creativity, authenticity, and innovation, helping drive the continued growth of the sector. As Milan once again hosted the world's fragrance community, one message became clear: artistic perfumery is no longer a niche within beauty. It has become one of the industry's most dynamic and influential segments.
For brands, retailers, distributors, and fragrance enthusiasts alike, Esxence 2026 confirmed that the future of perfumery will be shaped not only by scent, but by creativity, culture, and meaningful human connections.