CPL Aromas Debuts Forest, Tang Scents at Notes Shanghai 2026
The fragrance house presented collections inspired by Japanese forest bathing and China's Tang Dynasty, alongside expanded AromaSpace™ technology.
CPL Aromas Explores "Another Way" in Shanghai
CPL Aromas participated in Notes Shanghai 2026 Autumn Edition, held from October 14 to 17 at the West Bund International Convention and Exhibition Center. The global fragrance house addressed the event's central theme, "Another Way," by demonstrating how nature, cultural heritage, and advanced technology can inspire novel approaches to scent creation.
Notes Shanghai 2026AW gathered over 200 brands from more than 30 countries and regions, encouraging the industry to move beyond conventional trends and definitions in perfumery. CPL Aromas responded with an olfactive exploration that drew inspiration from diverse sources, including places, rituals, memories, and cultural narratives, in addition to traditional ingredients.
Nature-Inspired Scent Experiences
A key presentation from CPL Aromas featured its Shinrin-yoku collection, which takes inspiration from the Japanese practice of "forest bathing." This collection aims to capture the sensory experience of immersing oneself in nature. It integrates three of CPL Aromas’ proprietary technologies: AromaHydro™, AromaWellness™, and AromaSpace™.
The goal is to combine various methods of fragrance innovation into a unified, immersive olfactive story. The exhibit extended the forest concept into its physical space with botanical greenery, moving beyond simple green notes to evoke the textures, atmosphere, and emotional sensations of a forest. This reflects a growing consumer interest in fragrances that create a sense of place, mood, or specific moment.
Cultural Narratives and Advanced Scent Technology
Perfumer Chung from CPL Aromas developed a collection inspired by China's Tang Dynasty, aligning with the "Another Way" theme. This creative process translated distinctive symbols and stories of the era—such as peonies, Silk Road wines, mythical murals, moon poetry, and lychees—into modern fragrance narratives.
The collection reinterprets history through a contemporary sensory language, highlighting cultural exchange and imagination. Additionally, Perfumer Elise Pierre introduced new additions to CPL Aromas’ AromaSpace™ technology. This system combines headspace analysis with perfumer expertise to recreate authentic olfactive experiences.
Recent expansions include Pink Guava AromaSpace™ and Champagne AromaSpace™, designed to capture the full sensory profile of fresh guava and the effervescent moment of opening a champagne bottle.
Implications for Asia's Fragrance Market
CPL Aromas’ presentations at Notes Shanghai 2026AW illustrate a strategic shift in fragrance development, moving beyond conventional ingredient-focused approaches towards experiential and culturally rich narratives.
For brands operating in Asia, this signals a need to consider broader inspiration sources, including local cultural heritage and specific emotional states, when developing new scents. The integration of advanced technologies like AromaSpace™ also shows a path for recreating complex, true-to-nature aromas that resonate with consumers seeking unique and immersive experiences.
This trend suggests that successful product innovation in the Asian beauty market will increasingly depend on combining technological sophistication with deep cultural understanding and storytelling, offering new avenues for consumer engagement.
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