These ethical principles seek to set high standards in the creation and trade of fragrances, laying the foundation for professional practice that reflects core values.

As a perfumery professional and newly accepted member of PCE (Perfumers’ Code of Ethics), I wish to share these principles with you.

This movement was born in the early 1920s of our current millennium, when Christophe Laudamiel decided to promote some seemingly basic but fundamental principles in the hostile world of fragrance creation and reviews. Despite the lack of security that comes with being listed in the Perfumery Code of Ethics, it’s a good sign that many brands, divinely inspired fragrance explorers (I honestly panic at the incessant hordes of “experts” swarming Instagram, YouTube, blogs, etc., who have no other mission in their lives than to create fragrances) and fragrance reviews are now in the process of being listed in the Perfumery Code of Ethics, who have no other mission in their lives than to get their hands on free perfumes and then drop their impressions submitted to the giveaway, and lest they let those perfumes go bad, and stop sending them the brands or shops that feed them…), perfumers, shops (Daring Light is here), institutions and digital platforms promoting fragrances join the movement.

For a long time, I had in my mind to create something like this, symbolic of good customer treatment and business ethics in Spain, but my good friend Pedro Gil, creator of the blog Bakkaris, a portal of reviews, history and news about the exciting world of perfumery, told me about this initiative and I thought it was great to find someone like Christophe Laudamiel with the same initiative as me in this field. After almost four years in the industry, I have come across all kinds of people, many of them incredibly cool and others I wish I could send to Mars with their greedy and angry peers.

I have had bad experiences in this sector, but they don’t cloud all the good things about it. Because one thing I always apply in my life is that those who harass and mistreat should be cast aside into oblivion, because they are scum who don’t deserve anything.

One of the biggest problems of this PCE is that it is difficult to check anything, anyone can apply for membership and thereby feel that their sins are forgiven. And it removes what little judgement the initiative may have.

For my part, the only way to eliminate this problem is to leave the initiative if I am not interested or if I notice the lack of filters.

Many reviewers are never going to tell the truth about what they think of a certain new fragrance they have received for free at home, but will say whatever suits the brand or shop that feeds them on the awesomeness and novelty of the new perfume they have received. Although there are exceptions, such as the aforementioned blog, Bakkaris, and another blog by my friend Gema, called Gmparfums. And there will be many more, but it hurts my eyes to scour social media when I see so many accounts continuously opening perfume boxes and finding that they are all great.

Or, for example, who guarantees that a perfumer or brand is committed to all the principles of the code that I will explore below and is not corrupt? Will anyone who does not comply with the commandments of PCE have to be singled out from within? Joking and supposition aside, it is laudable that this initiative, cemented by the support of a few people and publicly funded by its members, is alive and growing. That’s why I decided to join and belong to the movement, because there is a need for new paths to be created within the industry, and it all starts like this, as a few crude ideas.

Principle I Originality

Commitment to create or promote original scent forms. Original creators and owners of borrowed olfactory formulas are recognised and rewarded. Plagiarism is not tolerated.

It is good that originality and individuality of creations are discussed, but there is one point in this principle that is controversial for me. The part about borrowing olfactory forms I almost liken it to plagiarism, even though it is not. Any perfumer should go out of the ordinary and create his original creations without ending up copying the successes of others.

Principle II Art and Design

The belief is held that olfactory forms are works of the mind and fragrances are pieces of art and design. Composers are considered artists and designers.

Nothing to object, we sell art, pure and simple. Compositions that recreate sensations, feelings, shapes, places, moments, memories and many, many evocations of the mind.

Principle III Respect

It seeks to ensure that chemists, farmers and perfumers around the world receive the respect they deserve.

Another uncontroversial point, to each his due with fair and ethical dealings, and without agricultural and human exploitation. If everyone who joins PCE abides by this principle, the world will be a better place.

Principle IV Anti-Fog

Commitment to write reliable and truly descriptive descriptions of fragrances. What is stated will be perceptible.

The term Anti-Fog is funny because it is well worn. I have dealt with this before, and I have nothing more to say.

Principle V Samples

Commitment not to resell free samples received. Instead, they may be donated to non-profit or educational organisations that serve the public good.

Daring Light, as a retailer, does not resell the free samples it receives, but gives them as gifts to customers, along with our 0.3ml mini samples. We only sell samples that we generate ourselves, after purchasing the bottles for this purpose. Many reviewers can be found on sales platforms reselling the free bottles or creating samples to sell from them.

Principle VI: Disclosure

When reviewing a fragrance, any monetary or in-kind contribution from the composer, owner, brand or distributor of the fragrance will be acknowledged.

This is a good point. While many will say that such a fragrance comes from a certain place for free, that does not oblige them to tell the truth about the opinion expressed. I believe that fragrance journalists should exist, just as culinary journalists exist, on an educational and legal basis, and thus isolate all those people who spew out opinions solely for the leitmotiv of gaining followers and caresses from their suppliers. Daring Light does not send or offer anything to anyone for free to get anything; we are a business and we believe in personal and business ethics. What we sell, it is left to the customer to review if they have bought it from us, with opinions verified by a third party component which is CusRev.

Principle VII: Reporting

Reporting any perceived problems is encouraged. Promise to be scrupulous about facts and omissions.

As I mentioned earlier, from within, you seek to point out anyone who does not comply with these premises or principles. That’s fine, it’s the only way to safeguard against corruption. For my part, I will never accept that a certain person or shop will agree to this movement, if they have harmed me.

Principle VIII: Clean Slate

It is stated that all fragrances created before signing the pledge are exempt from these rules.

“I want to belong to PCE, but in the past I did wrong things… can I? Can I?”

I don’t know. Will this principle be fulfilled? I don’t have the knowledge to know, but if you think any brand, person or whatever breaks it, I’d like to read you in the comments of this post.

So much for the principles that drive this movement. I would have added some more, such as:

Principle IX: Business Ethics

We are the people behind our brands and shops; we will take care of the competition and we will not harm them with lies or attacks.

My idea to create something like this was governed by this principle, because for the past two years, a shop anchored in the 16th century in its belief that they alone must exist, with ideas similar to the then prevailing belief that the Earth was the centre of the universe. This view, known as the geocentric model, was developed primarily by the Greek astronomer Claudius Ptolemy in his work Almagest in the second century A.D. According to this model, the Earth occupied the centre of the solar system, and the heavenly bodies, including the Sun, orbited around the Earth. So they must think, when they attack every shop that is not them. This principle should exist in PCE, I will promote it.

So far, a summary of this movement. I encourage those who empathise with it and are not hyenas in this world to interfere. If you are a hyena, I will have the VII principle to point out to you (wry laughter).

See you in a later post, and remember, we are the people behind it all; let’s take care of ourselves.

Away and cheers.

Sergio Martínez Anaya.