Quite a few people have expressed interest in knowing how our judging process works. In the interest of transparency, we thought we'd share this process with you! Here, then, is a play-by-play break-down.

When the packages come in, we open them, process the payment, and separate the statement from the application information. We label both the statement and the application form with an assigned internal tracking number: A-### for artisan and I-### for independent.

We then take the perfume vials, remove any existing labels, and replace them with a label marked with the tracking number. If the perfume has arrived in a sales bottle we decant the perfume into four generic vials. Likewise, if there is any reference to the perfume name, perfume house or perfumer on the statement, we black it out with a sharpie.

We put the vials and the statement in a plastic bag marked with the tracking number and file it in the appropriate box. We then put the application forms in a big binder that the judges cannot access.

During the judging sessions, we set the vials out with the statement on the table. We provide the judges with a form listing the submission tracking number, and the five categories the judges are assessing. The judges give scores from one to ten on these categories: First impression, wear-down, overall impression, artistry and 'x factor' (the latter being a place where they can really advocate for a perfume they particularly adore, or recognize a scent that maybe is technically challenged but nonetheless has something special about it). We also encourage the judges not to influence one another: The belief is that each judge will bring their unique perspective to the experience of smelling a perfume, and we want to make sure this unique perspective is reflected in the scoring.

The judges are encouraged to spend time with each perfume. Mostly, the perfumes are smelled on scent strips, but the judges sometimes put the scents on their skin, as well.

We've only had two judging sessions so far, but typically each judge spends around 3 hours smelling the submissions, per session! It's a lot of work, and it's a testament to their passion for the art form that each judge so far has exhibited a profound amount of respect for the submissions, and patience with the process.

When the judges have finished filling out their forms, Ilene or Saskia add the numbers up for each submission, and enter the cumulative score into an Excel spreadsheet.

Once the preliminary judging process is over (our last session is on Feb 15), we will average the scores for each perfume, and establish the top ten in each category based on average scores. We will then send vials, scent strips, and score sheets to the final judges around the world.

Hope that helps explain how we do it. As always, please contact us with any questions at hello[@]artandolaction.com