27 87: Perfumes for Wearing the Here and Now

“I wanted to break out of the existing framework and create something real, raw, and connected to the here and now.”
— Romy Kowalewski, founder of 27 87

Essential Information

• Founded: 2016
• Founder: Romy Kowalewski
• Based in: Barcelona, Spain
• Official website: https://2787perfumes.com/

The Founder and the Brand’s Origins

A Nose Trained as a Baker’s Daughter

Romy Kowalewski was born in Berlin, Germany, in 1987. Her family ran a bakery. Every day, whenever a new batch of bread came out of the bakery’s ovens, the whole family would take part in a blind tasting. It was a family custom to assess the bread through taste and smell alone, without being told beforehand which ingredients had been used.

“The tiniest nuances mattered. A love of detail, in other words, the smallest differences in flavor, was what determined whether a product succeeded or failed. The process of developing a perfume is exactly the same.”
— Romy Kowalewski

This training from an early age naturally sharpened Romy’s sense of smell. Her mother was also an avid collector of niche fragrances, so perfume had been “part of everyday life” for Kowalewski since childhood. By her school years, she was already wearing her own signature scent. She was deeply drawn to the feeling that “this scent belongs only to me and is associated with no one else.”

Barcelona and a Life-Changing Factory Visit

As a young adult, Romy moved to Barcelona to study business administration. While she was a student, a visit to a perfume production facility as part of her coursework became a turning point in her life. The moment she saw the production line, she became certain that she would create her own perfume brand.

The dream was now clear. But the road to making it happen was far from smooth.

At 26, Romy flew to Paris and began looking for investors. Convincing people to finance an “idea” that could neither be seen nor touched, and at that point could not even be smelled, demanded extraordinary powers of persuasion. Guided by the personal credo “Just do it, no risk, no fun,” she kept negotiating patiently for two years. During that time, she also took a marketing job to support herself while steadily laying the groundwork for her dream.

Born in Barcelona in 2016

With the necessary funding in place, design and production development began in earnest. Finally, in 2016, 27 87 launched.

The brand name 27 87 consists of intensely personal numbers drawn from Kowalewski’s date of birth: born in 1987, on the 27th day of the month. She adopted these numbers as “a symbol of my personality and uniqueness,” placing them at the heart of the brand’s identity. The choice of 27 ml and 87 ml bottle sizes was also deliberate, not coincidental. Departing from the industry’s standard 30, 50, and 90 ml formats, these sizes give tangible form to an attitude of “always standing outside convention.”

“The origins of 27 87 lie in the feeling of wearing a scent that is yours alone, a scent you feel belongs to no one but you.”
— Romy Kowalewski

From the very beginning, Romy also remained committed to working only with perfumers of the highest international caliber.

What Defines the Brand

A Philosophy of Giving the Present a Scent

27 87’s core philosophy is encapsulated in the brand’s tagline, “No Scent Like the Present.” For Kowalewski, perfume is not something that dresses the wearer in stories of the past or invented myths, but something that “translates the cultural and social reality of the present moment into an olfactory experience.”

“At 27 87, we believe in rewriting the rules of perfumery. Our philosophy is rooted in co-creation: inviting the person wearing the scent to become part of the process. Fragrance is not merely something you wear, but something you live, layer, and make your own.”
— Romy Kowalewski

The official website’s About page sets out 27 ideas, the “27 Mindset Rules,” including “Blank Canvas,” “Arhythmic,” “Ephemeral,” and “No Gender, No Age.” One passage quotes the German philosopher Byung-Chul Han, revealing an intellectual depth unusual for a perfume brand.

“Our sense of smell is the most powerful sense we possess. It connects directly to emotion and invisibly controls everything we do. In other words, smell does not obey reason.”
— 27 87 official website

Bottle and Packaging Design

The bottles were designed by Barcelona-based Ingrid Picanyol Studio. The studio was responsible for building a comprehensive, 360-degree brand identity, designing everything from the shape of the bottles to the packaging materials and website.

The bottle is a rectangle with softened corners, inspired by “contemporary technological devices.” Predominantly white, it is opaque to protect the liquid from light. This “blank canvas” also symbolizes an open space onto which users can freely project their own meanings.

Each fragrance’s outer box is individually created by an artist, serving as a tactile extension of the scent’s character. Genetic Bliss is an exception: its white bottle was turned black and enclosed in a monochrome, wood-grain box. Visually expressing its distinctive nature as a molecular perfume and the concept of “merging with the skin,” this packaging earned a nomination for the German Design Award.

“The design is intention itself. Clean, bold, pared back. It is designed to put the fragrance center stage. The simplicity of the bottle reflects our approach to scent: modern, impactful, and all about the experience itself.”
— Romy Kowalewski

A Commitment to Ingredients

All the perfumes are manufactured and bottled in Barcelona, with a strict commitment to formulas free of aluminum, formaldehyde, phthalates, gluten, mineral oils, parabens, silicones, SLS, sulfates, and toluene. Every product is vegan and cruelty-free. The natural agarwood oil used in rule of 72 is of the highest quality and comes from Thailand, while the Moroccan mint in Wandervogel is an ingredient tied to Kowalewski’s own childhood memories. New releases follow neither market trends nor seasonal demands, appearing only when the time feels right for the brand.

27 87 organizes fragrances into four lines: NOW for everyday life, GO for exploration, WILD for special occasions, and CALM for quieter moments. Per Sē stands separately as the brand’s Olfactive Logo, while Archive Edition brings together previously unreleased creations. In November 2026, the four lines listed eleven fragrances, Olfactive Logo one, and Archive Edition seven.

NOW: An Everyday Signature

NOW aims for fragrances that fit daily life while becoming a recognizable part of the wearer. Its November 2026 list includes #Hashtag, Genetic Bliss, and Lametta. #Hashtag combines incense and cedar with the metallic brightness of aldehydes, while Genetic Bliss layers woody materials.

Lametta is a musk fragrance evoking fine silver tinsel and metallic sheen. Modern musks form a linear composition intended to remain consistent rather than undergo a pronounced progression. Its imagery combines clean radiance with satin ribbons, velvety creaminess, and the warmth of skin. It is also suggested for layering with other 27 87 fragrances.

GO: Exploring Unfamiliar Places and Sensations

GO takes curiosity about travel and exploration as its theme. Its current lineup is Mosaïque, Flâneur, and Wandervogel. Mint, fennel, absinthe, sea and sand accords, cold smoke, and sweetness suggest places beyond the everyday. Exploration also includes Flâneur’s aimless walks through a city.

Wandervogel starts from the desire to encounter new things and unfamiliar places. Mint and shiso leaves meet a marine accord, followed by anise, fennel, and white flowers, then musk and a sand accord. Softly cooling Moroccan mint combines with impressions of sea air and sand to create an airy character.

Mosaïque brings old traditions and contemporary rhythms together through cold smoke and sweetness. Yellow mandarin, clary sage, and plum lead into ylang-ylang, tobacco, patchouli, and honey, with mate, roasted cacao, and oakmoss in the base. Leaves, cacao, and moss accompany the richness of fruit and flowers, with a leather-like texture adding another layer.

WILD: Presence for Special Occasions

WILD comprises Rule of 72, Elixir de Bombe, and Sónar. Designed for moments that call for a strong impression, the line explores combinations as different as red pepper and caramel, leather and oud, or beer and burnt rubber.

Elixir de Bombe gives confidence and sensuality to special moments and rare encounters. Tangerine, red pepper, and ginger open the fragrance, followed by ylang-ylang, rockrose, and raspberry. Caramel, leather, and amber support the fruit and spice with sweetness and a leathery texture. Fruit and caramel offer a different expression of WILD from Sónar’s beer and rubber.

CALM: Time to Slow Down

CALM explores stillness and a quiet presence through Hamaca and Hakuna Matata. Coconut, tonka, vanilla, banana, and honey evoke unhurried moments. Both use sweetness, but one suggests the seaside while the other brings tropical fruit and flowers together.

Hamaca moves from a cool, salty marine accord into sandalwood and coconut, settling on tonka bean and vanilla. Venezuelan tonka and Madagascan vanilla combine with sun-warmed coconut and earthy wood against the marine coolness. Salt and soft sweetness evoke taking a deep breath and relaxing.

Hakuna Matata centers on banana and honey. Bergamot, a green banana-peel accord, and broom flower lead into ripe banana, jasmine, and orange flower. Honey and labdanum surround the fruit and white flowers in the base. Jasmine from southern China accompanies the transition from green peel to ripe banana.

Olfactive Logo

Per Sē represents 27 87 itself through scent. The current shop places it alone in the Olfactive Logo category, separate from the four mood-based lines. It appears below alongside five other representative creations.

#Hashtag

Perfumer: Daniela Andrier / 2016

The digitization of everyday life provides the starting point for a clean, metallic fragrance with smoky depth. Somali incense, Moroccan cedarwood, and iris from the Landes region of France meet fresh aldehydes. It translates a life surrounded by screens and communication into something more than simple coolness.

Aldehydes and violet leaves form the top, iris and frankincense the heart, and cedarwood and musk the base. Wood and resin give tactile character to the abstract digital theme. Its social-media name and the contrast between natural materials and metallic sensations point to the same contemporary world.

Genetic Bliss

Perfumer: Jordi Fernández / 2018

The brand describes Genetic Bliss as a molecular perfume: a woody composition intended to sit comfortably with the wearer’s natural scent. Its listed notes evoke Akigalawood, Belambre, and creamy sandalwood. Romy Kowalewski says it uses five exclusive captive materials.

Its linear design sustains a single character rather than pursuing a strongly marked top, heart, and base. It can be worn alone or layered with other 27 87 fragrances, inviting the wearer to shape its expression through combinations.

Sónar

Perfumer: Jacques Huclier / 2019

Sónar translates the spirit of Barcelona’s electronic-music festival into fragrance. The brand asked Jacques Huclier to convey the vibrations of sound and crowds, togetherness, and freedom from everyday limits. Bright bergamot meets metallic woods and an ambery impression to suggest the intensity of immersion in music.

Tuberose, usually associated with rich sweetness, meets beer and burnt-rubber accords. The note list places Italian bergamot and pink pepper at the top; tuberose, beer accord, and saffron in the heart; and metallic woods and vanilla in the base. Kowalewski has also described Sónar as holding a special place among her fragrances.

Flâneur

Perfumer: Mark Buxton / 2021

Walking without a destination and noticing overlooked details gives Flâneur its subject. Kowalewski describes developing it during the pandemic, when movement was restricted and walking through the city remained possible. It steps away from speed and stimulation to find beauty and inspiration in familiar surroundings.

Green, bittersweet absinthe contrasts with the warmth of cashmere wood, linden, and almond blossom. Bergamot’s brightness meets orris butter and vetiver, building a dry warmth with a slight melancholy.

Rule of 72

Perfumer: Gaël Montero / 2023

The name comes from the calculation that estimates how many years an investment takes to double by dividing 72 by the annual interest rate expressed as a percentage. Against a rapidly changing economic and technological environment, Kowalewski made independent judgment and decisiveness the fragrance’s themes. Development took two and a half years; this time, a vision of the scent preceded the concept. Gaël Montero brought his understanding of oud’s different facets to the project.

Natural Thai oud combines with saffron, geranium, and creamy guaiac wood, supported by leather, vetiver, and patchouli. The intention is restrained confidence rather than loudly asserted strength. Kowalewski recalls: “For the first time, I had a vision of how the scent should smell like first”. The scent, unusually for her, was the starting point.

Per Sē

Perfumer: Shyamala Maisondieu / 2023

Created for the brand’s seventh anniversary, Per Sē carries 27 87’s olfactory identity. Its Latin name means “by itself,” and the brand calls it an olfactive logo. Shyamala Maisondieu explains: “In creating Per Sē, I aimed to capture the very essence of the present moment.”

Orris butter, violet leaves, and a floral bouquet meet clean aldehydes, while bamboo and pink and black pepper add contrasting facets. Angelica root, ambrette seed, and musk form the base. Iris and aldehydes are particularly central to the composition.

Archive Edition: Seven Creations Revealed with Time

Archive Edition is a limited collection of seven previously unreleased fragrances opened for 27 87’s tenth anniversary. Experiments, alternative formulas, and ideas accumulated during the brand’s first decade; Kowalewski selected the scents she now wanted to share. The numbers 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024, and 2025 record when the creations originated, not their public release years.

Explaining her selection, Kowalewski says: “It was about giving them the chance to exist now.” A white-floral counterpart to Hamaca and a rebalanced version of Genetic Bliss appear alongside explorations of lavender, herbs, vetiver, durian, and Waldmeister.

2017 FLOR DE TIARÉ

Conceived as a counterpart to Hamaca, Flor de Tiaré combines smooth white petals with suggestions of sunlight and cream. Tropical floral brightness and the intimacy of another person nearby shape its gentle, enveloping character.

Orange blossom and bergamot lead into tiaré, frangipani, and Mahonial, followed by vanilla and Akigalawood. Although it began in relation to Hamaca, it was selected as an independent fragrance centered on white flowers.

2018 GENETIC DRIFT

Genetic Drift changes the balance of materials shared with Genetic Bliss, which the brand describes as patented ingredients. It explores another direction within the same idea: soft, creamy woods that sit close to the skin and retain a subtle brightness.

The concise note list gives white chocolate at the top and Genetic Bliss as the base. The chocolate-like note adds a creamy facet to the original woody composition.

2020 LAVENDER

Developed in a year when calm was sought, Lavender creates tension between a clear herbal outline, bright flowers, and skin-like warmth. It builds on the material’s soothing associations while seeking an attractive, compelling character.

Lavender, clary sage, and Pomarose form the opening. Lavender remains in the heart with Petalia and lily of the valley, before tonka bean and ambrette seed carry the herbs towards softer depth.

2021 GIN MARE

Gin Mare asks how freshness might extend beyond citrus. Sharp herbs and a clear mineral impression evoke the Mediterranean, with the cool, sparkling image of tonic water garnished with rosemary.

Rosemary and grapefruit lead into juniper, basil, and davana, with olive and styrax in the base. Herbal and olive-like nuances give the crisp freshness substance rather than relying solely on citrus brightness.

2023 VETIVER

Vetiver takes a material loved by perfumers and by 27 87 and gives it a more sharply defined outline. Earthy depth meets metallic clarity, vivid bitterness, and a soft floral suggestion. A rooted material becomes a taut, mobile composition.

Pink grapefruit, rhubarb, and cassis lead into Sichuan pepper, clove, and metallic notes. Patchouli, vetiver, and moss support the base, connecting bright fruit and spice with earthy, mossy textures.

2024 DURIAN

This bold experiment centers on durian, exploring how something initially strange and challenging can become rich and sensual. It brings the apparently unapproachable closer to the attractive.

Durian, Pomarose, and Mahonial open the fragrance, followed by Nympheal and olibanum, then labdanum and tonka bean. Flowers and resins follow its fruit-led introduction, giving the sweetness a smooth, fuller texture.

2025 WALDMEISTER

Waldmeister, or sweet woodruff, grows in the shade of European forests. In Germany it flavors syrups, sweets, ice cream, and the spring wine punch Maibowle. 27 87 was interested in its elusive combination of greenness, soft sweetness, and a slightly powdery character.

Anise, freesia, and almond meet rose petals, Peru balsam, and orange blossom, followed by Waldmeister and musk. Airy freshness and creamy warmth contain both familiarity and a small surprise: what recalls a childhood flavor to one person may be an entirely new smell to another.

A Few More Details…

• Sónar is more than simply an homage to a music festival. On the philosophy page of its official website, the brand reveals that it created an accord called “Burned Wires” exclusively for this fragrance. Made up of “saffron, dry woody notes, and a hint of gasoline,” the accord is said to recreate the sensual experience of Sónar’s electronic music through scent.
• It is also worth noting that Per Sē was introduced through the concept of “the industry’s first olfactive logo.” Giving a fragrance the role of a corporate identity can be seen as a pioneering attempt in an age dominated by visual and sonic branding.
• Mark Buxton is a veteran perfumer who has worked with renowned brands including Givenchy, Versace, and Comme des Garçons. Shyamala Maisondieu is also an internationally recognized “nose,” known for working with cutting-edge brands such as Prada. Even as it collaborates with artisans of this global stature, the brand bases its decisions not on trends, but on whether a creation feels right for the present moment.