We Are the Martians

We Are the Martians: a tribute to Mars.

Once upon a time, there was a young planet called Mars. It had rivers and lakes and valleys, but no trees or animals to be seen. It had an atmosphere, maybe even clouds and a blue sky, but did it ever have life? Microscopic Martians, visible Martians, Martians from Earth, Terrans from Mars – did they come from here, or did we come from there? If there was ever life on Mars, was it made of the same stardust as we are?

As an astrobiologist, the search for signs of ancient life on Mars is at the heart of my research. As a perfumer who researches the chemistry of space, the idea of ​​the smell of Mars fascinates me. Warm, wet and geologically active in its infancy, Mars went from a potentially habitable planet to a frozen, dry one, inhospitable to life. The first humans to visit Mars will face an arid desert bathed in radiation and covered in rust.

While I imagine the smell of Mars would be pungent and suffocating - a combination of dusty, rusty, acidic, sulfuric, and chlorine notes - this is intended to be a perfume, so I've relegated science-based scents to the classroom and education sessions. We Are the Martians is my homage to the planet that takes up half my time. It takes the strange, metallic, dusty smell of Mars, and combines it with the warm, comforting smells of home that astronauts might take with them on their journey to Mars.

Top notes: saffron, cardamom, black pepper.

Middle notes: smoky accord, cold metal accord, guaiac wood.

Base notes: incense resinoid, cashmere wood, amber musk.