Affinessence

Affinessence is a French perfume house founded in 2015 by Sophie Bruneau, which takes a different approach to traditional perfume construction. With over twenty-five years of experience in olfactory analysis and an artistic background encompassing dance, music, and sculpture, Sophie Bruneau approaches perfume as a material to be worked and molded, rather than created according to an established formula. Her approach is based on a simple yet fundamental idea: to move beyond the traditional olfactory pyramid. Whereas perfumery typically organizes its creations into three stages—top, heart, and base notes—Affinessence chooses to isolate each level to make it the very core of the perfume. The first collection, Base Notes, explores deep and persistent materials such as woods, resins, musks, and spices. Each creation revolves around two main ingredients that interact and structure the entire composition. The Heart Notes collection focuses on more floral, gourmand, or spicy materials, treated with the same density and longevity as notes that are usually lighter. Finally, the Top Notes collection applies this approach to fresher and brighter accords, designed to maintain a real presence on the skin.