26. The Greek Classics: A Conversation with Angelos Balamis

In this episode of It's Just Perfume, Steven Gontarski and Susannah Melvoin talk with perfumer Angelos Balamis of Angelos Creations Olfactives. Having collected vintage perfumes throughout her life, Susannah immediately recognized the unmistakable, special qualities of Angelos' perfumes. Sure enough Angelos revealed his love for the classics of the venerable French perfume houses such as Guerlain and Caron.

They discuss how the economic crash in Greece led Angelos to reposition his career path, inspiring him to pursue his passions. He discusses his thorough process of evaluating raw materials and conversing with them as he builds highly intricate, sophisticated blends.

Together they all sniff Soma Panorama, a perfume developed in collaboration with Sebastian Jara, The Perfume Guy and debuted at the inaugural ScentFest SF earlier this year. The two friends live in sister cities, San Francisco and Thessaloniki, and wanted the perfume to reflect their physical and cultural similarities and differences. It's a perfect example of Angelos' distinctive approach to perfume making combining elements of storytelling, his biography, perfume history and a deep understanding and appreciation of the olfactory building blocks.

Perfumes discussed in this episode

00:03:41:04 Tabac Blond by Caron

00:03:43:03 Mitsouko by Guerlain

00:03:48:10 Vol de Nuit by Guerlain

00:03:56:26 Djedi by Guerlain

00:04:01:11 Iris Gris by Jacques Fath

00:04:27:02 Jazz by YSL

00:04:33:15 Havana by Aramis

00:04:36:14 Fahrenheit by Dior

00:08:06:02 Soma Panorama by Angelos Creations Olfactives

00:17:11:27 Narcisse Noir by Caron

00:17:16:08 Narkissos by Angelos Creations Olfactives

00:32:06:03 Eau de Vertu by Angelos Creations Olfactives

00:33:38:17 Figue de Vertu by Angelos Creations Olfactives

00:37:17:29 Pnoi by Angelos Creations Olfactives

00:41:05:27 Pothos by Angelos Creations Olfactives

00:51:17:07 Vetiveria Animalis by Angelos Creations Olfactives

00:53:48:16 Thebes by Sultan Pasha Perfumes

00:58:25:05 Karikia by Angelos Creations Olfactives

00:59:26:03 Tabac Libre by Angelos Creations Olfactives

01:07:26:21 Fougeriste by Angelos Creations Olfactives

Episode hosted by Steven Gontarski and Susannah Melvoin

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