Event Report: Sniffapalooza Fall Ball 2018 (The 27th Edition) + Niche, Artisan and Indie Perfume Swag Bag

(L) Karen Dubin and Karen Adams of Sniffapalooza

After attending Sniffapalooza Fall Ball 2018, hosted by Team Karen (Karen Dubin and Karen Adams) held on October 26-28 in New York City, one was left with the belief that anything that is worth doing is worth overdoing. So much sniffing so little time!

 Sniffapalooza Fall Ball 2018, Friday, October 26th: 

(Lower Left) Joseph Quartana from Quartana Parfums, Ryan Richmond from Rich Mess,(Lower Right), Chris Classic from Savoir Faire (Top Right), Simona Abaton from Acqua di Sardegna

Christopher Draghi from Source Adage

The Friday Night Cocktail party for Sniffapalooza Fall Ball 2018 was held at the recently located MAISON 10 boutique onto Fifth Avenue in NoMad. Henri, Tom, and Carsten carefully curate 10 items over 10 categories, available for 10 weeks, with 10% from each sale donated to 1 of 10 charities. Six perfumer/ brand owners, Joseph Quartana from Quartana Parfums, Ryan Richmond from Rich Mess, Christopher Draghi from Source Adage, Chris Classic from Savoir Faire, Simona Abaton from Acqua di Sardegna and Stephen Dirkes from Euphorium Brooklyn, presented their latest creations.

Tom Crutchfield of Roja Parfums

Sniffapalooza Fall Ball 2018, DAY ONE: Saturday, October 27th:

The inclement morning weather kept early shoppers away so our group had a chance to sniff their way around the Beauty and Fragrance Floor at Bergdorf Goodman in relative ease from 10-12pm. 

By Kilian for Linda Do It For Love (Linda Fargo of Bergdorf Goodman)

Major play this Sniffapalooza Fall Ball 2018 shown for Tom Ford's Lost Cherry, Chypre Extraordinaire by Roja ParfumsBy Kilian's Do It For Love for Linda Fargo (Exclusive), Cuir Celeste from Ex NihiloClive Christian's Papyrus, Amorem Rose, and Jardin Nocturne (both signed by Maurice Roucel) from Shalini Perfumes, and Robert Piguet's L'Entier.

Karen Dubin,  Bart Schmidt, and Catherine Selig, Senior Perfumer at Takasago

 Sniffapalooza Fall Ball 2018, Lunch and presentations were held at Mangia:

Preceding lunch a Master Class Workshop was held. Birth of a Brand: H2H by Damien Escobar featured Catherine Selig, Senior Perfumer at Takasago along with the brand development team, Bart Schmidt of Brands With Purpose and Karen Dubin, on the steps taken to get to market with musician Damien Escobar's first fragrance collection. Samples of three accords and the finished scent were handed out along with a discussion on the thought process behind the evolution of the fragrance. 

Francoise Alessi of Goutal Paris

Guest Speakers at Lunch Sniffapalooza Fall Ball 2018: 

Francoise Alessi of Goutal Paris spoke on recent rebranding from a name change and new packaging. And of course the new scent line sans alcool (ALCOHOL-FREE WATER).  

Simona Abaton of Abaton Exceptional Luxury Brands presented Acqua Di Sardegna and Sadalia,  the artisanal brands which she curates. The former is light and fresh while the latter more sensual.   

At Sniffapalooza Fall Ball 2018, Amy Marks McGee of Trendincite gave us a look into the future with us revealing trends to look for such as the rise of Matcha and Cocoa in beauty and fragrance. 

Spritzing to Success author  and industry legend Annette Green

Closing the lunch at Sniffapalooza Fall Ball 2018 was the eagerly awaited presentation and book signing from Annette Green, (founder of The Fragrance Foundation and industry icon) author of Spritzing to Success. She regaled us with tales from her illustrious career in the 1960’s of saving the non-profit Fragrance Foundation, while simultan­eously operating her marketing agency. At the conclusion, a long line snaked around the room to meet and purchase a signed personalized copy.

Sniffapalooza Fall Ball 2018  continues as we headed down Fifth Avenue we visited the PENHALIGON'S Rockefeller Center jewel box boutique for presentations of the Hidden London Collection, Belgravia Chypre, Kington Amber, and Marylebone Wood (Fabrice Pellegrin). A personal olfactory and sensorial journey to find a perfume that reflects each individual’s preferences, while sipping on champagne was a nice touch offered.

Ormonde Jayne

Across the street, Saks Fifth Avenue's brand new Beauty Floor 2.0 had us in scent heaven visiting brands like Ormonde JayneSerge LutensL'Artisan ParfumeurFloraïkuVilhelm ParfumerieD.S. & Durga, and others for presentations.

Then it was up Madison Avenue, the evening's festivities were held at a trio of boutiques:

Ross Barry Atelier Cologne Madison Avenue 

 Atelier Cologne officially opened their Upper East side boutique that day and it's a fabulous addition to the 'hood. Done in its signature blue hue the store is covered in mosaic panels which highlight the fragrance bar. It wasn't easy getting Store Director Ross Barry uptown!

Diptyque celebrates their 50th Anniversary in style with Store Manager Maya Fedaseyeva and staff presenting a Master Class on the brand and the 34 Collection. After she presented the much anticipated 2018 Holiday Collection.  

At the tres chic Goutal Paris Flagship boutique, Store Director Francoise Alessi and staff greeted us warmly. She presented a preview of the new updated men's and women's bottles which will make their full debut in early 2019. A festive wine, fragrance, and edibles pairing was a treat for our olfactory pleasure. And a three bottle giveaway drawing for three lucky attendees capped off the evening's festivities in Parisian style! Now that is the fun of Sniffapalooza Fall Ball 2018

DAY TWO: Sniffapalooza Fall Ball 2018 Sunday, October 28th

The morning began at Malin & Goetz which features a complete range of environmentally conscious skin, hair & body care products. Their Leather perfume oil and Cannabis Eau de Parfum were c favorites along with the Atelier Bloem Collection, inspired by the Amsterdam Flower Market. 

Cire Trudon, entering the preeminent French candle house is like taking a step back in time to a more elegant period. The premiere the 2018 Holiday Collection featuring three wonderful scents, the Egypt-themed Amon, Gizeh, and Philae was a highlight of Sniffapalooza Fall Ball 2018. 

NATURA BRASIL  offers a full range of products from body, bath, facial, and hair care. The new fragrance line which just launched is produced using organic alcohol from sugar cane grown without the use of chemical fertilizers and are harvested respecting the environment. 

Atelier Cologne, Store Director Ross Barry gracious hospitality is welcomed by the group. He offered us a sneak sniff of Pacific Lime prior to the World launch (early 2019).  

Le Labo is a favorite destination for its semi-bespoke experience. Tonka 25 (Daphne Bugey) had a major buzz. The annex which carries the brand's complete range of body, hair, and face care lines has been a great addition.

Olfactory NYC, J.J., and team were on hand to present the reasonably priced fragrances are all bottled fresh and can be customized. Some of the world's top perfumers created the scents which use natural and sustainable Ingredients

Lunch was held at Little Italy's La Mela. Fragrance Specialist David Ecker hosted the EAU (Emerging Artisans Uncorked) showcase.

Guest Speaker Highlights:

Alessandro Brun of Masque Milano

Alessandro Brun of Masque Milano paid us a surprise visit at Sniffapalooza Fall Ball 2018. After presenting  Masque Milano' s latest (homage to Hemingway) at Twisted Lily earlier in the week and guest lecturing at Yale University (he teaches Luxury Management at Milano University) he came here to speak on the value versus the price of fragrances.

David Ecker in addition to being the MC, presented two fragrances from the sensual Noir Premier LALIQUE collection, Illusion Captive (Karine Dubreuil) and Or Intemporal (Violaine Collas) and two from the (Phillipe) Starck Collection, Magic Light (Daphne Bugey) and Peau De Nuit (Delphine Lebeau). 

Stephen Dirkes of Euphorium Brooklyn premiered his latest creation FLOCKED & GILDED at Sniffapalooza Fall Ball 2018. A rich pairing of blood orange and red geranium kick it off along with creamy amber with a dark musk are some of what you will get with Stephen's latest fragrance.

Photo by Irina

Two time Art and Olfaction Finalist Irina Adam of Phoenix Botanicals debuted her latest natural wonder, Twilight Green, which Ida  reviewed last week. This is not a spring/ summer green but more an autumn/ winter one. Irina passed around marigold and mugwort.Her scents are like no others and a favorite of Sniffapalooza Fall Ball 2018. 

Irina Adam with  Darryl Do and Rachel Ann of PERFUMARIĒ

Last stop at Sniffapalooza Fall Ball 2018 was PERFUMARIĒ, the multi-sensory incubator, and retail concept store. It was at last year's Fall Ball that we had a pre-opening first-look at Perfumariē which now celebrates their One Year Anniversary. Congrats! An opportunity to meet some of founder Mindy Yang's team and receive a guided experience through the 25+ unlabeled scents on tap to experience without scent biases was a fabulous way to close out the weekend.

Thank you, Team Karen, (Karen Dubin and Karen Adams) for another scentually wonderful weekend and a Sniffapalooza Fall Ball 2018 to remember. See you all at The Spring Fling 2019! 

~Hernando Courtright, Senior Events Contributor and Brand Ambassador and Michelyn Camen, Editor-in-Chief

All Photos by Hernando of CaFleureBon unless otherwise stated©.   

We have a fragrance filled Sniffapalooza Fall Ball 2018 swag bag filled with dozens of samples from the Fall Ball including mini and sample size fragrances from Abaton, Annick Goutal, Atelier Cologne, Cire Trudon, Diptyque, Hermatica, Lalique, LAFCO, Euphorium Brooklyn, Callio Fragrances, Hermatica, Penhaligon's, Caswell-Massey, L'Artisan Parfumeur, and many others. 

To be eligible you must be a registered reader in the CON USA (you have to do this folks) and leave a comment with what you enjoyed about Hernando’s very detailed Sniffapalooza Fall Ball report, if you have attended a Sniffa event before and which brand or perfume you are really excited to get your nose on. Draw closes November 11/8/ 2018.

We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like ÇaFleureBon and use our Blog feed…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume. 

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32 comments

  • Oh wow, two plus days of smelling and talking about perfumes sounds so fun. This quite the list of houses and people you to get see and meet. If I had to choose I would say Atelier Cologne would be the brand I want to get my nose on the most.

  • Thanks for the event summary! I did not know there was a sniffapalooza having only fallen deep into the rabbit hole of perfumery over the past year. Now I’m so jealous of all those who were able to attend! I was glad to see Amorem Rose mentioned – I was able to get a sample from a local perfumery recently (shout out to Indigo Perfumery in Cleveland!) and it is gorgeous! I would love to get my nose on Le Labo’s Tonka 25. What I liked best about the article was the introduction it gave me to many new to me niche perfume brands & noses. I also liked that Cire Troudon candles were included – I want both my skin and my home to smell beautiful! I shall be checking them out. Thanks from Cleveland Ohio!

  • Wow, so many fantastic houses in there. I would love to put my nose on Le Labo juices, especially on the new Tonka 25. Thank you for this awesome draw, a really nice prize. Oakland CA

  • First, what fun! Very jealous, and excited to try new scents now. I would love to smell Roja Parfums, but really I’d like to have a visit to Atelier and Diptyque. I was even toying with a trip to Paris with a day just on perfume, and this definitely inspires that. Thanks for a lovely account and this great chance for a draw.

  • I’m sooo jelly! Absolutely would like to try Masque Milano and Natura Brazil. Thanks for introducing me to more perfumes. I’ve never attended a fragrance show, but would love to one day. USA

  • fazalcheema says:

    I would like to try cire trudon because I was aware of them as candle makers before they jumped into perfumes. I am in US.

  • Elizabeth T. says:

    What a fabulous event! It would be a dream to go some day. I lvoe the pictures, descriptions, and even meal locations that were included in this report! I’m most excited about Phoenix Botanicals, the new Euphorium Brooklyn scent, and the Cire Trudon candles. Thanks for the review! I’m in the USA.

  • This is a great event that I definitely intend to attend in the future which is why I loved this detailed account of the individual presentations and events that encompasses Sniffapalooza! I live in the US.

  • I would love to try out items from Olfactory NYC and Ormonde Jayne. It’s so fun just reading about attending one of the events, I can’t imagine how cool it would be to just wander and SNIFF…. I am in the US.

  • I enjoyed reading this wonderful report of highlights from such a spectacular event. I have not attended one of these. The brand that I am especially excited to try is Atelier.

  • Like everyone else I am in awe thinking how many amazing olfactory experiences you packed in two days. I wonder how your noses held up! Of all the perfumes mentioned in this account, Amorem Rose is the one that made me perk up my ears the most. Natura Brazil is a brand I never heard of before, but I am curious to read about their hair and skin care now.

  • Monica Beaton says:

    Thank you Hernando and Michelyn for such a comprehensive and detailed account of what must have been fragrance heaven! So many incredible innovation and independent perfumers and so many new releases. How on earth did you experience so much in only two days. The descriptions are full of detail, and the photos make me wish I lived in New York and had the contacts to gain entrance to such an entrancing world! Thank you for a great article and for sharing your experience. I live in Aus so not eligible for the generous giveaway.

  • Looks like a fabulous event. Ive never been, but would love to attend. What a detailed review, almost like being there. I’m mostly curious about Atelier”s Pacific Lime. Fabrice Pellegrin”s latest creations are also on my radar. Thanks for sharing this event. uSA.

  • WOW! I’ve never been to any kind of event, but I certainly felt that I was taken on a guided tour of all Sniffapolooza. Thanks to you who made that possible. I really can’t choose one fragrance in particular, there are so many that appear to be entrancing. Thanks for the draw. I’m in the USA

  • As I cannot attend Sniffapalooza I really enjoyed Hernando’s detailed review and the incredible photographs! I have never been to this event. I would love to try everything! USA and thanks for the chance to win.

  • I have always wanted to attend sniffapalooza it would be so much fun to try all the new releases. I always love getting my hands on the new by killian’s they are one of my favorite brands they always have interesting offerings. I think it would be awesome to converse with people from the industry maybe even perfumers. Thanks for the review of your experience and the pictures. Keep up the good work! I am in the USA in AZ.

  • I don’t know if it’s included in the swag bag, but if I attended a sniffapalooza I’d be excited to smell some new by Killian offerings. US

  • I really enjoyed this review and reading about all the olfactory fun over an entire two days! I’ve never attended but this sounds like such a treat to attend. I’ve smelled the new Le Labo tonka 25 and am really interested in it. I’m in the US.

  • What an amazing article! I am so jealous. Stopping at all of the boutiques and seeing and smelling all of the new releases. The photos and dialogue are great. Thank you for the chance to try some new scents. Tonka 25 is on my radar. I live in California.

  • It is my dream to attend an event like this, even if I am sure I would suffer from olfactory fatigue. What an opportunity to try fragrances from houses that you have heard of, but never had the the chance to try before. I myself have heard so many good things about Euphorium Brooklyn. I would love to try Flocked and Gilded.
    I live in the USA.

  • I haven’t made it to a Sniffa event yet; Hernando’s report makes me wonder if I’d be able to keep up, or succumb to sensory overload! I would really like to smell the Cire Trudon offerings. I’m in the US; thanks.

  • Janet in California says:

    This sounds like heaven to me. Thanks for the detailed description, making it sound even more wonderful I love Le Labo and Tonka 25 would be tops on my list. I live in the US.

    Thanks!

  • I’m surprised with By Kilian being there. Truly sounds like an out of world experience for those into the art of fragrances. Never attended an event like this before. The By Kilian sounds interesting.

  • Ooh, I would love to some day attend this or other sniffapalooza type events. It’s fun to hear about the events and opportunities. I would love to try something from Natura brazila. Thank you for the fabulous draw! In the us

  • James Weaver says:

    Unfortunately I have never attended a sniffapalooza I would love to one day. Diptyque is the brand I would most try. Hernando had a great In depth review of a lot of nice perfume brands. Virginia USA resident

  • Wow!! Best sniffa report yet, Hernando! It’s always hard to say what I like best when anreport is so detailed, but I’ve never attended a Sniffa event, so this is the next best thing to bring there! So many things to look forward to, but the standouts for me are the new Penhaligons and the promise of upcoming scents focusing on Matcha and Cocoa. I live in the US and am registered.

  • I have never attached a Sniffa event in my life. Seeing the pictures and the beautiful display of perfumes makes me want to attend one.
    Hernando’s report was indeed very detailed, I don’t think he missed anything.
    I’m excited to try Atelier cologne.
    I live in California.

  • Wow, so much fabulousness! I attended in 2011 but am due a return visit. Of course the swag bag was wonderful! The brands that tweaked my attention the most are Quartana, Vilheim and thta Twilight Green. Thanks for a detailed report…felt like I was there, almost! I live in TX

  • WOW!!! What a amazing, interesting article.
    I like this kinds of events. I would enjoy every moment in this event.
    I would like to test Roja Chypre Extraordinaire and Ormond Jane perfumes.
    US, DE

  • What a great report! It makes me envious – especially because I recently moved and am now not too far from NYC. I need to get myself to a Sniffa at some point! I would love to have listened in on the talk about value versus price and want to get my nose on Tonka 25. I also really like the sound of the rising matcha trend – I think that’s a scent that could lend itself to lots of varied interpretations. I’m in the US and would have so much fun with that swag bag!

  • The huge variety of products to see sounds really cool. I’m wondering what the Perfumarie multi sensory thing means? Or what is alcohol free water in perfume?
    I’ve never attended anything like this event. I wish we had stuff like this in Chicago. So Jealous 🙁
    Olfactory NYC sounds cool by making fragrances with natural and sustainable ingredients. CUrious how they smell, especially when customized.

    Im in IL in the US. Thanks for the draw

  • I’ve always wanted to go to this event but it’s too far away from where I live. What an incredible event this sounds like!
    I’d love to smell the fragrances from Annick Goutal and Atelier!
    I live in the USA – Pennsylvania