I often hear, “Why do we need to judge perfumes or artwork? Each is wonderful in its own way!” Especially in these days where it's fashionable to bash experts and “elites”. Everyone is an expert on something and elite to someone. But in the days of Trump, we're all too aware of the limitations of these sentiments. However, despite the limitations, like democracy, awards serve a purpose. “It has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms.” Similarly, awards are the worst system for highlighting great achievements, “except for all those other forms”. Sometimes we the judges often don't agree amongst ourselves, and some of the submissions we were cheering for don't make the cut. But even when I don't agree with the evaluations of my fellow judges, I respect their opinions because it makes me see an aspect I missed in other projects. And that is the value of awards. I know that to applicants who don't make it it may feel like “your work isn't good enough”; but believe us, this is not the aim. The aim is to highlight and applaud wonderful perfumes and art projects from the previous year. #Repost @esxenceofficial with @get_repost ・・・ Announcement of the Finalists of the @ArtandOlfaction Awards- Saskia Wilson-Brown #esxenceten #esxence2018 #thescentofexcellence #artisticperfumery #esxence10 #esxence #esxkin (at Milan, Italy)