• Renaud Salmon is a man with time on his mind. This isn’t entirely surprising, considering that he doesn’t have a great deal of the precious commodity available to him. When he isn’t giving interviews, or flying half-way across the world, or keeping up with the output of the globe’s most cutting-edge artists, he’s meeting perfumers to discuss upcoming creations, smelling and evaluating the large number of ‘work in progress’ fragrances in his office and even indulging his architectural leanings by designing new boutiques. All par for the course for the Chief Creative Officer of one of the most revered and successful perfume houses on the planet: Amouage, founded and based in Muscat, Oman.

  • But Salmon’s preoccupation with time is related to more than just the reality of his day-to-day busy-ness. For him, it’s at the crux of understanding how the 21st century world operates. “At the moment,” he says, in his characteristically soft-spoken tones, with an accent that reflects his French-speaking, Belgian origins, “we seem to have an obsession with racing ahead, with instant gratification, with fleeting experiences. We seem to have forgotten that creating something of true value—whether it’s a meaningful fragrance or a lasting human connection—takes time.”

  • The inevitable conclusion of his musings on an ever-ticking clock is the Amouage Essences, an entirely new range of scents that hold time at the core of their existence and, by virtue of how they’re made, revolutionise the entire process of olfactory composition.

  • “Because I knew I wanted to create perfumes that would encapsulate all my concerns about time, it didn’t take me long to realise that this meant conceiving fragrances that have to be formed extremely slowly. The defiance of time pressures would have to be integral to their construction.”

  • As Salmon explains, every perfume, no matter who it’s made by, has to undergo a process of ageing. Once all its scented ingredients have been put together into a form called the ‘concentrate’, they have to be allowed a period of rest—or maturation, to use the technical term—in order to blend into each other and reveal the fullness of their complexity. In the case of most commercially available perfumes, maturation lasts a few weeks. “Since I joined Amouage,” Salmon says, “I’ve experimented with the effects of different lengths of maturation. In fact, that’s what led to the creation of our range of Exceptional Extraits. It’s an absolutely fascinating, under-appreciated part of perfume creation—and that’s partly why I decided it was what I wanted to pursue further with the Essences.”

  • However, Salmon’s innovation did not stop at ageing. Wouldn’t it be fascinating, he wondered, if maturation was coupled with infusion: adding an additional material to the mix and allowing its personality to seep slowly into the whole.

  • Renaud Salmon is a man with time on his mind. This isn’t entirely surprising, considering that he doesn’t have a great deal of the precious commodity available to him. When he isn’t giving interviews, or flying half-way across the world, or keeping up with the output of the globe’s most cutting-edge artists, he’s meeting perfumers to discuss upcoming creations, smelling and evaluating the large number of ‘work in progress’ fragrances in his office and even indulging his architectural leanings by designing new boutiques. All par for the course for the Chief Creative Officer of one of the most revered and successful perfume houses on the planet: Amouage, founded and based in Muscat, Oman.

  • But Salmon’s preoccupation with time is related to more than just the reality of his day-to-day busy-ness. For him, it’s at the crux of understanding how the 21st century world operates. “At the moment,” he says, in his characteristically soft-spoken tones, with an accent that reflects his French-speaking, Belgian origins, “we seem to have an obsession with racing ahead, with instant gratification, with fleeting experiences. We seem to have forgotten that creating something of true value—whether it’s a meaningful fragrance or a lasting human connection—takes time.”

  • The inevitable conclusion of his musings on an ever-ticking clock is the Amouage Essences, an entirely new range of scents that hold time at the core of their existence and, by virtue of how they’re made, revolutionise the entire process of olfactory composition.

  • “Because I knew I wanted to create perfumes that would encapsulate all my concerns about time, it didn’t take me long to realise that this meant conceiving fragrances that have to be formed extremely slowly. The defiance of time pressures would have to be integral to their construction.”

  • As Salmon explains, every perfume, no matter who it’s made by, has to undergo a process of ageing. Once all its scented ingredients have been put together into a form called the ‘concentrate’, they have to be allowed a period of rest—or maturation, to use the technical term—in order to blend into each other and reveal the fullness of their complexity. In the case of most commercially available perfumes, maturation lasts a few weeks. “Since I joined Amouage,” Salmon says, “I’ve experimented with the effects of different lengths of maturation. In fact, that’s what led to the creation of our range of Exceptional Extraits. It’s an absolutely fascinating, under-appreciated part of perfume creation—and that’s partly why I decided it was what I wanted to pursue further with the Essences.”

  • However, Salmon’s innovation did not stop at ageing. Wouldn’t it be fascinating, he wondered, if maturation was coupled with infusion: adding an additional material to the mix and allowing its personality to seep slowly into the whole.

  • After several trials and false starts, the basic structure of the Essences was decided. Sandalwood chips obtained from ancient trees growing in Australia’s Western Desert were added to the maturing concentrate, imbuing it with their smooth, creamy, meditative personality. At the same time, the alcohol in which the concentrate would be diluted was stored in oakwood barrels—handmade by exceptionally skilled artisans in France—and would end up taking on the woody, roasted character of its housing. A truly innovative double-infusion process that pushes the art of perfumery into uncharted territories.

  • The debut of the Essences range is comprised of three striking pieces of work, each of which, appropriately enough, represents a different temporal dimension. Evoking the far-reaching, all-encompassing power of the past is Reasons, composed by renowned perfumer, Bertrand Duchaufour. Using the strength of davana and palo santo, it resonates in much the same way as the past ripples through the ages.

  • The duo of Julien Rasquinet and Paul Guerlain was tasked with creating Lustre: an olfactory expression of the incomprehensible endlessness of ‘the now’. Taking their inspiration from the paradox at the heart of light—which appears to be both still and travelling at the same time—they used orris and vanilla to lend their scent a rich, radiant sheen of elegance.

  • Finally, the free-thinking, independent perfumer Cecile Zarokian tackled the future in Outlands: a magnetic, haunting meditation on journeys into the unknown. Here, patchouli and a resinous amber accord pull the intrepid traveller into a landscape where nature is untamed and boundaries have no meaning.

  • Containing these extraordinary scents is the first new bottle Amouage has created in over 15 years. Designed by Salmon in collaboration with Jerome Faillant-Dumas of L.O.V.E Paris, when the new flacon is viewed head-on, it calls to mind bottles used by apothecaries centuries ago. However, when it’s seen from above, the vertical ridges on its body take on the shape of the twelve-pointed solar sign that has been Amouage’s emblem since its birth in 1983. In keeping with the House’s commitment to contemporary tastes and concerns, the flacon has a tactile, understated feel—its external surface has been left unvarnished—and it is also refillable. In addition, its base sports a handmade medal featuring key information about each scent, as well as a geometric pattern designed to reflect the perfume’s personality.

  • The aim of all these details is to prompt people to stop and take note. “Each bottle,” says Salmon, “is an invitation to slow down.” And the ultimate intention? Nothing less than casting a spell.

  • “When I was a kid watching cartoons with my brother,” he says, a wistful expression crossing his face, “one of the things that made a powerful impression on me was the perfume ads during the breaks. Each one felt like a portal into a world of magic. Those commercials didn’t just sell perfumes — they created dreams. And that’s exactly what I’m hoping to capture with the Essences. For me, they are about shaping a magical future for the olfactory world. They embody Amouage’s commitment to continuously reinvent, elevate and redefine what perfumery can be. They are about forging new paths and inspiring future generations of fragrance lovers.” He pauses and looks into the distance for a moment before continuing. “To put it simply: they are our essence.”

  • After several trials and false starts, the basic structure of the Essences was decided. Sandalwood chips obtained from ancient trees growing in Australia’s Western Desert were added to the maturing concentrate, imbuing it with their smooth, creamy, meditative personality. At the same time, the alcohol in which the concentrate would be diluted was stored in oakwood barrels—handmade by exceptionally skilled artisans in France—and would end up taking on the woody, roasted character of its housing. A truly innovative double-infusion process that pushes the art of perfumery into uncharted territories.

  • The debut of the Essences range is comprised of three striking pieces of work, each of which, appropriately enough, represents a different temporal dimension. Evoking the far-reaching, all-encompassing power of the past is Reasons, composed by renowned perfumer, Bertrand Duchaufour. Using the strength of davana and palo santo, it resonates in much the same way as the past ripples through the ages.

  • The duo of Julien Rasquinet and Paul Guerlain was tasked with creating Lustre: an olfactory expression of the incomprehensible endlessness of ‘the now’. Taking their inspiration from the paradox at the heart of light—which appears to be both still and travelling at the same time—they used orris and vanilla to lend their scent a rich, radiant sheen of elegance.

  • Finally, the free-thinking, independent perfumer Cecile Zarokian tackled the future in Outlands: a magnetic, haunting meditation on journeys into the unknown. Here, patchouli and a resinous amber accord pull the intrepid traveller into a landscape where nature is untamed and boundaries have no meaning.

  • Containing these extraordinary scents is the first new bottle Amouage has created in over 15 years. Designed by Salmon in collaboration with Jerome Faillant-Dumas of L.O.V.E Paris, when the new flacon is viewed head-on, it calls to mind bottles used by apothecaries centuries ago. However, when it’s seen from above, the vertical ridges on its body take on the shape of the twelve-pointed solar sign that has been Amouage’s emblem since its birth in 1983. In keeping with the House’s commitment to contemporary tastes and concerns, the flacon has a tactile, understated feel—its external surface has been left unvarnished—and it is also refillable. In addition, its base sports a handmade medal featuring key information about each scent, as well as a geometric pattern designed to reflect the perfume’s personality.

  • The aim of all these details is to prompt people to stop and take note. “Each bottle,” says Salmon, “is an invitation to slow down.” And the ultimate intention? Nothing less than casting a spell.

  • “When I was a kid watching cartoons with my brother,” he says, a wistful expression crossing his face, “one of the things that made a powerful impression on me was the perfume ads during the breaks. Each one felt like a portal into a world of magic. Those commercials didn’t just sell perfumes — they created dreams. And that’s exactly what I’m hoping to capture with the Essences. For me, they are about shaping a magical future for the olfactory world. They embody Amouage’s commitment to continuously reinvent, elevate and redefine what perfumery can be. They are about forging new paths and inspiring future generations of fragrance lovers.” He pauses and looks into the distance for a moment before continuing. “To put it simply: they are our essence.”