Welcome to the perfume room.

I don't know how I am recording this episode.

My brain is mush right now.

It is Sunday after Sent Explorer.

And on Thursday, I was on a content creator panel.

And on Friday, we had Hot Takes Live.

And today, we had the Smell Club Q&A with Gays Ashun.

And now I'm sitting on my couch in my living room trying to figure out if I am still capable of forming complete sentences.

But I do want to get you this episode because what this episode is supposed to be is a look back

on 2025 and a look ahead on 26. So first, I must share my scent of the day. This was my

favorite discovery of scent explore. I have to also give the caveat that I only was able to walk the floor for like an hour

and a half.

So I blatantly missed multiple booths, multiple brands.

I was not able to smell everything.

That said, of everything I smelled, oh my God, this was an instant love for me.

And I know I'm not alone because I just keep seeing this brand pop up everywhere on my Instagram feed. Clearly this was a darling of the entire convention. And that is

the mandala from Param Serra. And what I learned during Cent Explorer is the founder of this brand,

Ankita Gill, was born and raised in India, but now lives in China in Shanghai. And so the

idea of the mandala was one to sort of disrupt the traditional fragrance pyramid and create

something that almost feels like a mandala in the way that you experience it, but to also celebrate

both Chinese asmanthus and Indian marigolds.

So here is why this perfume won my heart. Okay. One, the marigold note, I have been seeking

...