Welcome to Sensei. In Japanese, Sensei translates to teacher, which is exactly what we intend to do—teach you about the immaculate monde des senteurs, the world of scents, in all of its manifestations. But Sensei also represents a unique double entrendre, a conjunction of one of our most powerful senses and i, one’s defined sense of self. Sensei is your resource to understand and find the scents that enhance your sensoral experience through heightened definition of your personality, space, and livelihood.

Christian Dior, one of the forefathers of mass perfumication, once said “Long after one has forgotten what someone wore, the memory of his or her perfume lingers.” Our olfactory systems are 100x more sensitive than other senses, activating our piriform cortex and key elements of our cognition that trigger the emotional brain. In essence, whether or not we are cognizant of it, smell dictates many of our actions and more importantly, the memories and the associations we hold dear to us. Scents can morph our spatial awareness, how we take in a space or person, and in this way, scents greatly aid us in painting our life’s canvas. Despite its power, scents remain somewhat elusive to many — the decision of what to buy, how much to spend, and what works for you are top of mind. 

My goal for you in joining Sensei is multifold. At baseline, I want to democratize your comprehension of scents so that you too can develop your own scent vernacular. Secondarily, as humans we constantly seek additional methods in which we can better explain ourselves. Here, I hope Sensei allows you to uncover a new pathway to reach Maslow’s self-actualization through discovering a new way to define yourself that feels authentic and inarguably you. Next, I hope Sensei enables you with a set of modular heuristics in which you can build upon this self-actualization — layering scents, developing a smell identity for your home, and updating your apothecary wardrobe to meet where you are in life. Lastly, in a world where we’re inundated by consumerism, cynicism, and clamour, I hope Sensei can help you find renewed  beauty in a place you may have previously discounted. And through valuing scents’ dual simplicity and complexity, you find comfort in a newfound joie de vivre.

Whether you are looking for your signature scent or simply to learn about the basics of perfumery, Sensei is here to be your right hand.