4 Fragrance Trends Highlighted at Esxence 2023

The 13th edition of Esxence, the international event dedicated to artistic perfumery, was hosted in Milan from March 30 through April 2, 2023. This year's edition posted a record attendance of 10,300 visitors including Maurizio Forte, director of the Made in Italy Promotion Coordination Office of the ICE (Italian Trade Agency) and Barbara Mazzali,councillor for Tourism, Territorial Marketing and Fashion were also in attendance for the event. 

The expansive expo hall hosted 298 exhibiting brands, divided into 98 main brands and 200 spotlight brands with 30 countries highlighted.

Four trends highlighted at Esxence: 

1. New fragrances are talking to the soul; some have the word "soul" in the naming or suggest this concept by including revitalizing or relaxing notes (mood enhancing) in the formula.
2. About olfactory notes, the link with music is emerging, as if seeking synesthesia between smell and sound, also involving eyesight with bottles and names that refer to songs or musical genres.
3. Many brands have designed new, more sustainability-conscious packaging.
4. There is an emerging trend to rediscover the class.

The Essencional Study Center, curated and coordinated, together with Equipe Exbit, presentations and lectures that were open to the public. You can find a piece of a panel featuring Mane fine fragrance perfumer Alex Lee on P&F+'s Instagram.

Cofounder of Esxence and CEO of Equipe Exbit stated, "Every year, thanks to the careful research and selection carried out by the Technical Committee - made up of nine experts from five different continents, we offer our visitors only the best of the artistic perfumery. Esxence is the world's reference event: the most important players in the industry meet here, trends are decided here, emerging brands do their debut here. Edition after edition we always aim to renew ourselves." 

Cofounder of Esxence and director of the Essencional Study Center shared, "This edition has confirmed very clearly what a fundamental role Esxence has played in recent years at the international level. I am very pleased that the 13th edition of Esxence validated the extreme verve of the sector at the international level. There was a clear  appreciation of our role as important players in the beauty supply chain; our workshops were well attended and covered topics of extreme relevance, not only from a business point of view but also - and above all - on the front of knowledge, creativity and better understanding of the value of olfactory communication."

Karen Marin, author, writer and Esxence moderator, shared, "Esxence has always been the ideal platform for retailers, distributors and influencers to discover what’s new in the artistic perfumery sector while giving the opportunity to established and emerging brands to increase their exposure to the right audience. Esxence 2023 was an amazing 4-day event which gave attendees the chance to discover the newness and innovation driving the category coupled with an impressive lineup of informational and educational workshops - all of which are available in replay so the spirit of the show lives on even for those who couldn't attend."