The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Finn was created by Swiss perfumer Brigitte Witschi and launched in 2017 with a clear subject in mind: Finn, the bear at Bern's Bear Park known for his strength, individuality, and fondness for swimming. The composition translates that presence into scent. Aquatic notes and seaweed evoke cool water, while pine, myrtle, and vetiver place him in a wooded setting. Woody notes and leather bring a rugged, animal-like edge. Against them, musk and amber reveal a softer side. The result feels less like a literal portrait than a study of contrast: powerful yet secretive, earthy yet aquatic, wild without becoming untidy.
What makes Finn interesting is the handoff between environments. Licorice darkens the opening without turning it sweet, seaweed brings mineral salt, and the conifer heart pulls the composition toward damp bark and woodland floor. Leather then supplies a tactile, animal-like warmth. Musk and amber keep the base from becoming stark or dry. The structure avoids a simple fresh-to-warm formula. It moves through water, vegetation, wood, hide, and skin, giving the fragrance a layered, uncrowded sense of place.
The evolution
Finn begins on cool, saline air, with aquatic notes and seaweed moving across the skin like water over stone. Licorice adds a darker thread, less candy than char, giving the opening a grown-up edge. Soon the watery brightness gives way to pine, myrtle, and vetiver. The forest arrives without losing the mineral coolness already established, while the green herbs bring out the aromatic side of the composition. As the hours pass, woody notes and leather settle in. The scent becomes drier, more tactile, and quietly close to the wearer. Musk softens that leathery finish, while amber leaves a warm shadow underneath. With moderate projection and a typical wear time, this is an intimate evolution, more trail than broadcast. By the final hours, it can feel like clean skin after a walk through damp pines, still wearing a faint trace of amber. The drydown holds a loyal following among wearers who prefer understated, close-range scents, and it is respected by enthusiasts for its unusual balance of marine freshness, green woods, and dry leather.
Cultural impact
Finn reflects Art of Scent's Swiss register: nature refined through restraint rather than spectacle. Its unisex appeal comes from a familiar modern tension between fresh and rugged, aquatic and leathery, cool and warm. It suits a wearer drawn to understated scent with a clear point of view, where personal character matters more than immediate impact.
The House
Art of Scent - Swiss PerfumesArt of Scent is a Swiss independent fragrance house founded and operated by perfumer Brigitte Witschi from her studio in Bern's historic old town. The brand specializes in original perfume creation, room fragrances, and personalized scent experiences. Witschi's work reflects a distinctly Swiss sensibility, drawing inspiration from the country's Alpine landscapes, lakes, and natural environments. The house has developed a collection of signature fragrances including Bergduft Alpine Rose and Bergduft No 1 Edelweiss (both 2008), Aarewasser, Jungfrau, and Finn (all 2010), alongside pieces like Sundust, La Rose de G., Edouard, Rosengarten, and Dazzling Magnolia. Unlike mass-market fragrance houses, Art of Scent operates on a boutique scale, with Witschi serving as both creator and nose behind every composition.
The Creator
Brigitte WitschiWitschi's signature draws heavily from her Alpine surroundings. She favors crisp, clean accords balanced against deep, resinous base notes, creating fragrances that feel simultaneously airy and grounded.


































