THE OTHER ROOM: EP. 143 - CLUE PERFUMERY

Clue Perfumery's Laura Oberwetter on her fav perfumer, products, music, and more!

The Other Room is the official Perfume Room companion post-show. Every Tuesday, hear from guests on their episode of Perfume Room podcast, and on Fridays, enjoy bonus content from those same guests exclusively on Substack!

Clue Perfumery perfumer and co-founder Laura Oberwetter joined me in the Perfume Room earlier this week and today she’s in The Other Room.

Laura is primarily self-taught, which is even more impressive when you factor in that she only began her perfumery journey in 2021. But Laura possesses something that can’t be taught; she has an innate sensibility and ability to unearth buried universal scent memories. Those things, moments, and feelings we didn’t even know we associated with a particular smell—Clue makes us forget a time before we knew them any other way. Her sources of inspiration are unconventional but accessible, and her scents, while not necessarily made to be ‘pretty,’ are indeed very wearable. One year in, Clue has already been nominated for an IAO award, and it’s clear the future holds even more.

I caught up with Laura after our interview to discuss her ~*most prized possessions, current obsessions, and biggest life lessons*~ Enjoy <3

(Some links may be eligible for affiliate commission. Find my affiliate discount code(s) at the end of the interview.)

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Have you ever complimented a stranger on the street on their scent? If so, what was it and/or what did they smell like?

I have stopped multiple people who I think are wearing Diptyque's Fleur de Peau and I am wrong every single time. It's usually that powdery, sweet, soft, hard-to-pin-down muskiness that stops me in my tracks. 

What is the best smell in the world?

my forearm after a day of wearing a clean shirt in the sun or a lifejacket

Who’s your favorite perfumer?

It just has to be Frank Voelkl. I don't care if everyone is over it—Glossier You is astonishing. I love comparing it to the Chicago city-exclusive he made for Le Labo, Baie Rose 26. Two radically different and equally stunning uses of pink pepper.

What’s your favorite note in your organ?

I am so painfully in love with ambroxan. Achingly beautiful.  

A non-perfume holy grail you need people to know:

This sauce. I put this in egg salad and it goes absolutely crazy. 

Something that’s not perfume that you could talk about for hours:

Paranormal experiences; Spring Green, WI; what makes a good dive bar, Sweden's global impact on music and scent...

What’s been the biggest learning curve of being a founder?

Definitely Quickbooks. And, coming to terms with the amount of time I have to spend navigating the shipping restrictions around perfume.

What culture have you been consuming recently?

I just saw Kinds of Kindness and it was so freaky, I loved it. 

Also, I haven't been able to stop listening to the Cindy Lee and Jessica Pratt albums that came out earlier this year. Both fall into my favorite category of music, which I can only describe as songs that feel like they were cosmically unearthed rather than made. 

We had a really special Dry Idea moment on the pod. Any other ‘unscented’ scents you love?

Cetaphil gentle skin cleanser — a couple people have told me this reminds them of Warm Bulb.

Not unscented but I love Arm and Hammer’s Rosemary Lavender deodorant. And it smell nothing like either.

Malibu C Swimmer’s Wellness shampoo! The locker room reeeeeeked of this when i was on swim team, and it’s so good, especially alongside a little chlorine.

And the dryer after doing a load of laundry with unscented detergent and no dryer sheets :-)

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For your entertainment, please enjoy video footage of Laura and I discovering our mutual love of Dry Idea.

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