26 MAY | The International Perfumery Contest reveals its winners

  • The International Perfumery Contest, Mouillette d’Argent, has held its annual prize-giving gala in Teià. The event is part of the Maridatge del Sentits and the Barcelona Perfumery Week (BOW).
  • In addition, from May 21 to 26, dozens of activities and presentations have been developed around perfumery, olfactory science and beauty culture in a week expected by the sector, highlighting an international round table with the prestigious NEZ magazine and the V Barcelona Perfumery Congress, which this year has been developed within the framework of the Hispack fair.
  • Both the congress and the contest have had the support and sponsorship of companies in the sector such as Iberchem, Eurofragance, Lluch Essence, Rafesa, Quadpack, Cosmo International Fragrances and CPL Aromas.

Barcelona, May 26, 2022. Industry and fragrance professionals have been able to share knowledge and enjoy another year in Barcelona and Teià. The development of the third edition of the Barcelona Olfaction Week, a set of international events to promote innovation in the perfumery industry, the science of smell and the culture of beauty in general, together with the Maridatge dels Sentits has allowed the sector to meet again after two years in which the international perfumery competition has been the only international face-to-face activity of the perfumery industry in Spain due to the pandemic. Always promoted by the Beauty Cluster, the perfumery week has the collaboration of entities such as the Beauty Business School, Ainea Perfums or the Teià City Council, as well as sponsors such as Iberchem, Eurofragance, Lluch Essence, Rafesa, Quadpack, Cosmo International Fragrances and CPL Aromas.

The annual event is already taking center stage in the sector and is eagerly awaited since “it places Barcelona as a world reference place for perfume”, says Eva Lluch, president of the Beauty Cluster and CEO at Lluch Essence, one of the sponsors of the cycle. “Perfume Week in Barcelona is a great annual opportunity to promote the perfume industry and project it internationally”, says the president.

Perfumery Week, like every year, includes different activities, among which the IV edition of the Perfumery Congress stands out, which already took place in person within the framework of the Hispack fair on May 25. It is a scientific and technical meeting that combines olfactory science, innovation in the fragrance industry and research in perfumery. Trends, market evolution and digitization in the sector were discussed with different proposals and launches of great value and interest to the public.

Perfumery Week also includes the 5th edition of the International Perfumery Contest – Mouillette d’Argent-, which took place on Thursday 26 for yet another year in an idyllic location such as Ca l’Antiga in Teià (Maresme), an event framed the V Maridatge dels Sentits which is also part of the annual program of informative and cultural activities all around the universe of perfume and the fragrance industry.

The great absence of Rosendo Mateu

This year’s gala became a well-deserved tribute to the president of the jury, D. Rosendo Mateu, who had recently passed away. Once again, the organization of the contest showed him his support and affection by giving an institutional present to his son, Joan Mateu.

The International Perfumery Contest is already known in the industry as an international benchmark event within the world of perfumery for all those professionals who want to make their creative capacity known. Once again all expectations were exceeded and in this 2022 edition a total of 85 participants from 25 countries and 5 continents registered, from which 12 finalists were selected to win 3 individual awards.

The General Category Jury Prize went to Alexandre Vire with his perfume “A Touch of Rose”, the Independent Category Jury Prize went to Francesco Vidilli with his perfume “At 7:00 am” and the Audience Award went to María Gil Villaescusa with her perfume “Nuit Envoûtante.

The Jury, made up of a group of experts in the world of perfume, design, gastronomy and art, awarded the «Mouillette d’Argent» to the best perfume in these categories, general, public and freelance. This year the cast of professionals included master perfumers such as Ramón Monegal, the Sommelier César Cánovas or the interior designer Susana Cots. Rosendo Mateu, a member of the jury and recently deceased, was the great absence and part of his speech, which he had prepared, had a voice thanks to Irene Gisbert’s reading.

This year the protagonist of the olfactory production to be elaborated by the participants revolved around the rose and “we have had great creations that included the essence or the olfactory note selected for this edition and as always it has been a difficult choice”, commented Irene Gibert, CEO of Ainea Perfums, organizers of the event. The 12 finalists could vote for a few weeks in various perfumeries enabled for this distributed by perfumeries in Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia, Bilbao and Andorra.

Also this year, students from design and art schools in Catalonia participated in the creation of the Contest poster and the packaging of the winning perfumes from previous editions.