I’m moving away from traditional labels like EDP, Parfum, or Extrait. I don’t see much value in holding onto these terms, because they imply a standardization that simply doesn’t fit what I do or how I work.

These labels suggest that perfumes within a certain category will perform similarly—but in my experience, that’s not entirely true. The character of a blend comes from the types and quality of the materials I use.

You might see some consistency in mostly synthetic blends, but when I work largely—or solely—with natural materials, these labels can be misleading. The variations in the materials themselves are far more significant than any standardized concentration number. Some materials differ in processing, some in age—factors that profoundly affect the final composition.

For example, a 10% musk tincture that’s one year old might need to be used differently than a 10% musk tincture that’s five years old. Each variation is unique, and trying to impose rigid numeric measures feels like chasing a mirage. If my work were reduced to numbers, I’d quickly lose interest in perfumery altogether.

I approach perfumery as an attempt to capture olfactory moments in liquid form—much like painting captures a moment on canvas in color and form. Whether real or imagined, asking a painter how much white pigment they used—or how many tubes they emptied to produce their work—is absurd. They simply use enough to achieve the effect they intend.

That said, when a blend feels like it could benefit from a different concentration—and indeed offer behavior worth experiencing on its own at that level—I will introduce it. In those cases, I create my own labels. Not to be a rebel, but to emphasize that the standard EDP/Parfum/Extrait distinctions are not necessarily relevant or meaningful for my work.

The only questions I can meaningfully answer are practical ones: for instance, “What impact does adding one gram of X oil have on this existing blend?” That’s concrete, measurable, and relevant to the client. Questions like “What’s the concentration?” or “How much of this is in that blend?” are not questions I am interested in entertaining—especially if the intent is to compare my work to another perfume.

I don’t do perfumery to compete with others—I do it to challenge myself. Looking back to measure progress against a standard only holds me back. For me, growth is forward-focused; the moment you look back, you’re already behind.