Three Favourite Noses, Part 3: Max Perttula

Last but most certainly not least in my favourite noses blog post series: the national olfactory hero of my home country, Max Perttula, the mastermind of Max Joacim Cosmetics!

Finland is not the most perfume friendly country in the world. In fact, according to a study even one third of Finns identify themselves as fragrance sensitive, and also another study has shown that the average European spends three times as much money on perfumes as Finns. In Finland there are even whole cities that profile themselves as fragrance free. Those cities have banned using all fragrances in most public offices, theatres, concert halls etc. and their public employees aren't allowed to use anything fragranced. According to my own experience, perfumes aren't culturally accepted in most parts of Finland, even wearing a scented roll-on deodorant or a shirt that's washed with scented detergent might be perceived as "overspraying a fragrance", and perfume shaming is sometimes daily. So no wonder why we have only one professional perfumer in the whole country.

This all explains why Max Perttula's fragrances aren't widely known even in his home country. Major Finnish perfume stores sell mostly only well known mainstream designer perfumes, Perttula's fragrances are sold online at Max Joacim Cosmetics website and in some small salons. Perttula is still probably more known of his career as a singer than as a perfumer. On the other hand I think it's super cool that we have a singing perfumer! He is a true artist and I adore his style.

Everything that Max Perttula does could be described with these adjectives: uncompromised, genuine, artistic, rebellious, unique. His style, his music, his fragrances. I truly admire him for that.

The way how Perttula captures the authentic essence of Finnish nature in his creations is something exceptional. Bigger companies like Scent of Finland or Nakuna Helsinki sell their so called Finnish fragrances mainly for tourists but I personally haven't managed to perceive anything particularly Finnish in the offerings of those companies. In my honest opinion, they are just ordinary overpriced fragrances made by foreign perfumers who haven't probably even visited Finland. Pleasant wearable creations but the actual smells have nothing to do with Finland. Perttula's fragrances instead are affordable but nothing fashionable or crowd-pleasing, though all Finns can recognize the familiar natural smells that he has managed to recreate so skillfully. Those smells might be even perceived as polarizing but definitely unique.

Finlandeol is probably the most Finnish fragrance that I own. I wrote in my Parfumo statement: "The authentic smell of a bath broom made of birch branches in the humid air of a lakeside sauna. The true essence of Finland at its best."

Koitere is the truest possible description of Finnish forests in an olfactory form. My Parfumo statement says: "A misty autumn morning on the lakeshore surrounded by a dense Nordic coniferous forest. Photorealistic damp moss, ripe berries, mushrooms."

Aqua 358 Thunderball is the smell of Finnish thunderstorm. I wrote in my review that it's "super unique and rare like a ball lightning. Ionized, electric, ozonic, cool, clean, rainy."

Philadelphus Sensual is an extraordinary but classy floral fragrance. According to my Parfumo statement: "Heady bird cherry & mock-orange flowers, later revealing olfactory surprises: fruity facets, whiffs of hay fields... Elegant and addictive!"

From my collection of Max Joacim fragrances +358 Prestigiste No. 2 is the easiest one to wear and probably least polarizing. It's the one that I would recommend for people who are looking for a pleasant everyday fragrance with some interesting twists. I love it how Perttula's creations aren't linear and have a great "dramatic arc" on skin - real art! In his more floral fragrances like +358 Prestigiste No. 2 I find it especially beautiful. It's something that not too many modern perfumes have anymore.

Is anyone else at Parfumo familiar with Max Perttula's perfumes? I'd love to hear your thoughts!