AromAtom

AromAtom is a space-themed perfume house and science outreach project founded in 2017 by the perfumer and planetary scientist Marina Barcenilla. She makes perfume as well as research: she holds a degree in planetary science and astronomy and has worked on Mars biosignatures. AromAtom began as a way to share that science with children and adults, through the scents of planets and visual interpretations of aroma. It is run from the studio of her other house, Marina Barcenilla Parfums, in Glastonbury.

The perfumes follow a journey through space. Out of This World, launched in October 2018, combines what is known about planetary composition and astrochemistry with the perfumer's own imagination, and it was a finalist for a UK Fragrance Foundation award that year. After a break to focus on her research, Barcenilla added three more in 2021. Ground Control is an ode to Earth, with conifers, moss, vetiver and incense. Moon Walk is a powdery, mineral iris. We Are the Martians is a tribute to Mars, with saffron, black pepper, smoke and metal accords over resins. Jupiter, Saturn and the centre of the Milky Way are named as possible future additions.

The style is conceptual and story-led. The scents are interpretations of places, not attempts to copy the real smell of a planet, and the science-based smells are kept for talks and classroom sessions. The house describes its work as mixed-media perfumery, so it does not claim to be natural only.

AromAtom sits among independent British houses. It is a small, founder-led range sold through its own website and a few European stockists, and it suits wearers who like their perfume with a scientific idea behind it.