Ataraxia x Toskovat – When fragrance art becomes a figure of attraction
A Bucharest fragrance project between ambition and absurdity
What began as a bold collaboration between two independent fragrance brands quickly developed into a textbook example of how perfumery can devolve into a media mudslinging match. Conceived as a profound artistic extrait de parfum project, the Bucharest-based Ataraxia line, through its close association with the controversial niche fragrance label Toskovat, found itself at the center of a drama that had less to do with high-quality raw materials and more to do with bruised egos.
Instead of calm and olfactory serenity, the scene was suddenly dominated by a mixture of ownership disputes, copyright issues, and questionable social media comments. The original goal— ordering individual signature fragrances online —quickly gave way to an attempt to generate attention at any cost.
Contract, betrayal and virtual threats
According to posts that have become public, the escalation began with a simple dispute over sales rights. Toskovat founder David-Lev Jipa-Slivinschi accused his creative partner Tudor of selling without permission, while he himself wanted to abruptly change the revenue split to 70:30. The fact that both sides aired their differences not in private but publicly on Reddit and Instagram was, for many observers, a sign of a lack of professionalism.
While the website was all about long-lasting extrait de parfum , behind the scenes it was all about control, vanity, and narrative. Threatening comments like "lock your door" caused the discussion to tip over completely—a sad contrast to the original idea of an independent fragrance brand with a concept.
The perfect stage for digital perfume hype
Ironically, this very drama became a catalyst for reach. Suddenly, the fragrances were no longer simply "special"—they were infamous . Self-proclaimed experts on TikTok, YouTube, and perfume blogs used the controversy as a springboard for polarizing content.
Because for social media, a toxic niche project with a clunky name and a visually stunning bottle is a gift. Every argument, every statement, every comment generated clicks. The perfumes themselves—with their oriental-gourmand compositions—became secondary. The real goal: to generate discussion , generate traffic, and promote engagement.
This also reflects the overall negative impact within the fragrance scene: The brand—not least because of its staging—is becoming a welcome topic for content creators who exploit algorithmic mechanisms with exaggerated opinions, dramatic headlines, and emotional play. It's no longer about the perfume, but about the dispute.
Fragrance meets drama – and loses
Objectively speaking, some fragrances, such as Amaretto Jazz in the Melting Room, offer quite interesting accords—including amaretto, dark chocolate, hazelnut, and incense. Vestibule also scores with chili, pistachio, and smoky notes. However, as opulent as the intense fragrance composition with its precious raw materials may be, it remains overshadowed by the aftertaste of public debate.
Anyone who buys this kind of luxurious niche fragrance not only gets a creative perfume, but also a piece of crisis communication. In an industry that increasingly relies on transparency, quality, and authenticity , this collaboration serves as a reminder of missed opportunities.
Conclusion: When attention is the actual product
The collaboration between Ataraxia and Toskovat demonstrates how quickly fragrance art can transform into digital self-promotion. Instead of focusing on discovering handcrafted fragrances at scent amor , the project drifted into questions of control, self-promotion, and algorithmic calculation.
A fragrance is a promise. Despite the ambitious composition, this promise was further devalued with every post and every comment. Less would have been more.
A postscript with a question mark: When perfume becomes a performance
Sometimes the real story only begins where the perfume ends—or where it re-enacts itself. What if a brand not only provokes, but also co-invents its own echo? And what if studio names, fragrance discourses, and Instagram dramaturgies are part of a larger game? We took a closer look—and discovered a few things that smell, at least... interesting.
A critical follow-up to ATARAXIA, Toskovat and the possibility that olfactory irony continues backstage.
ATARAXIA & TOSKOVAT – A textbook fragrance relationship (for marketing)
Between Pact and Performance – or how to build a brand by destroying it
Once upon a time in Bucharest: Two friends, one idea, and a shared love of radical fragrance art. What began as an ambitious art project mutated into what was probably the first olfactory relationship drama with a guaranteed community trigger: TOSKOVAT meets ATARAXIA . One brand was loud, quirky, and extremely confrontational. The other: equally loud, quirky—and surprisingly quickly, highly visible in the media.
Whether ATARAXIA was truly intended as a perfume house or more of a meta-project designed to generate maximum buzz remains unclear to this day. According to community reports (including on Reddit and Parfumo), one of the people involved was more of an influencer than a fragrance developer. The other (David-Lev Jipa-Slivinschi, Toskovat) provided artistic vision and creation.
Then the rift: draft contracts, claims of ownership, mutual accusations – like something out of a media manual for viral crisis marketing. Suddenly, the conversation was no longer about fragrances, but about usage rights, credits, and content.
Anyone who thinks otherwise is a scoundrel. What followed was a controversy guaranteed to generate clicks: calls for boycotts, breakup videos, polarized fans. And in the middle of it all: a brand called ATARAXIA, whose main feature wasn't fragrance, but debate. Is this still an extrait de parfum , or already a performance?
One could almost think that the whole thing was staged – as an olfactory reality show with a limited shelf life and unlimited commentary potential.
TOSKOVAT provides the provocation – ATARAXIA the echo?
Whatever the case, the striking parallel existence of ATARAXIA and TOSKOVAT never seemed like a coincidence. More like a calculated mirror effect. If TOSKOVAT plays the avant-garde artist, ATARAXIA delivers the dissident ex-partner. The roles are clearly assigned, the dialogue is spot on.
Maybe it was never about a real fragrance brand. Maybe ATARAXIA was never more than a bottled hashtag. Maybe the true scent of this collaboration was never intended for the nose, but for the algorithm.
And scent amor?
We observe the spectacle with a mixture of fascination and distance. Because our curated brands represent true fragrance craftsmanship. With high-quality raw materials , uncompromising perfumery craftsmanship , and the authentic signature of perfumers . Not a dramatic distillery, but a lived passion.
Whether ATARAXIA was a serious attempt at branding or just a clever discussion tool with a shelf life: the world of fragrances is big enough for real substance. And that's exactly what you'll find here.
Georg R. Wuchsa, the soul of scent amor
Copyright by scent amor © 2025 (grw)
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