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ARCANUM

Editorial

From the Archive

Notes, obsessions and arguments about what smells worth wearing.

Shared DNA: what people get wrong about “dupes”
The Argument8 min

Shared DNA: what people get wrong about “dupes”

Most of these fragrances are not copies. They take the DNA of a well-known perfume and push it somewhere else — and knowing the difference changes what you buy.

5 perfumes that smell expensive
Guide4 min

5 perfumes that smell expensive

Price is a rumour. These five carry themselves like they cost triple.

Why everyone is suddenly wearing oud
Report6 min

Why everyone is suddenly wearing oud

The note that spent a decade being intimidating just became the default.

The best blind buys under $1,000
The List5 min

The best blind buys under $1,000

Bottles worth ordering without smelling first. We took the risk already.

If you like Byredo, start here
Adjacent3 min

If you like Byredo, start here

Same restraint, same strangeness, different names on the glass.

The houses nobody knows yet
Dispatch7 min

The houses nobody knows yet

Four perfumers who will be difficult to buy from in two years.

Know something others don't.

New discoveries. Obsessions. The occasional secret.