That’s me right in the middle!
Pissara Umavijani, the self-taught perfumer and creator of Parfums Dusita, hosted a raw material event at Paris Perfume Week, and there’s nothing a perfume lover likes more than smelling raw materials. It’s an opportunity to train your nose, and the capacity to remember smells and place them is one that anyone can build.
Umavijani shared some of the raw materials that she uses herself in her perfumes, and followed up each raw material with the perfume that featured it. I loved the freshness of Jasmine Sambac, the creaminess of the Orris Butter, but what surprised me was how animalic the Sandalwood was. There was a funk to it that I wasn’t expecting.That funk goes away when the sandalwood gets blended into a formula – like the way you can’t taste the eggs when you eat a piece of cake, or a black outline can highlight whatever it’s around without drawing attention to itself.
I had been waiting to smell the latest Dusita creation: Light of Bangkok, a scent made for the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Bangkok. This perfume is the hotel lobby with a twist: it features lemongrass in the opening, which seems to be rare in perfumery. The sharp, zesty Lemongrass is an apt replacement for the usual citrus top notes. It feels surprising and refreshing while reminding us that we are in Thailand. Clary Sage lends a mentholated note, giving way to a gentle jasmine and ylang ylang. At the base, there’s sandalwood, but also fig. That mainstay that reminds us that we are still in a hotel lobby.
What is it about fig that gives us a hotel lobby? In 2026, it feels niche but still familiar. Overall, it might just be my favourite hotel scent that I’ve tried. What I like about Dusita perfumes is that there’s always a strong connection to smells we find in nature, a classical way of using structure, and ultimately beautiful perfumes. 
