Mark Behnke

Chemist and perfume critic Mark Behnke started his perfume writing career on Basenotes - "a daily presence who reviewed perfume and composed [...] humorous poems to amuse his fellow readers." (Fragrantica)

Since 2009 Mark has been invited to write for some of the most influential independent and artisan perfume blogs, including Fragrantica and Cafleurebon - where he ascended to Managing Editor before deciding that the time was right to start his own blog:  Colognoisseur.

In concert with writing for Colognoisseur, Mark maintains a career as a research chemist - what he humorously refers to as his 'day job' - tackling rare and neglected diseases in the public sector. His chemistry training combines with his aesthetic love of perfume to compound his interest in all the materials that go into the bottle, both synthetic and natural.

A beloved figure in the independent and artisan perfume world, Mark's other pursuits include serving as the on-air personality for Esxence Milan's video content, and spending countless hours corresponding with and encouraging emerging perfumers. Indeed, he has been an ardent supporter of the independent perfume community through his writing over the last ten years.