Un Jeu D’échecs: Meet Founder and Natural Perfumer Josh Onysko

Have you heard of Alpine Provisions? Or Pangea Organics? You know, those nourishing, beyond-clean beauty brands (before it was even trendy) that smell like the most luxurious elements of our natural world? Well, Josh Onysko is behind them all, and now he’s graced us with a 100% natural perfume line, Un Jeu De’echecs, that smells like the very best things in the world, all wrapped up in one bottle. We’re beyond excited to introduce our subscribers to such a beast in the business and the fruits of two decades of work.

Let’s Meet Josh Onysko!

You’ve got quite the résumé. Can you let us in on all you’ve done up until making your own fragrance line?

I’ve spent the last 25 years building brands rooted in plant-based wellness, sustainability, and global ingredient sourcing—from founding Pangea Organics to launching Alpine Provisions and now Firmora. I’ve traveled to 47 countries building direct relationships with farmers and distillers, always chasing purity, quality, and integrity. Fragrance has always played a role in everything I’ve done—but Un Jeu D’échecs is the first time I’ve approached it as art, not function.

Were you always into fragrance, or have you always wanted to be a perfumer?

Fragrance has always been part of my creative vocabulary—whether through sourcing oils, formulating skincare, or living close to the land. But no, I never set out to be a “perfumer.” It was more of a natural evolution. Un Jeu D’échecs came from a desire to tell stories through scent that are both raw and refined, ancient and modern.

Where did you learn how to formulate, and how long did it take before you felt you had a finished fragrance and were ready to make more?

My education came from 20+ years of hands-on work with essential oils, resins, distillation methods, and global ingredient suppliers. I’ve formulated everything from soaps to serums—but perfume required a different kind of restraint and discipline. The first UJD scent took over a year to get right. Once that foundation was set, the others unfolded more fluidly—but never easily.

Why a 100% natural line? Doesn’t that make things harder?  

Absolutely. It makes everything harder—less predictable, more expensive, more limiting. But it also makes everything more honest. Natural materials have soul. They evolve on the skin. They tell the truth. I didn’t want to chase the market—I wanted to create something timeless, and that meant going all in on naturals.  

What does the name mean and why did you pick it?

Un Jeu D’échecs means “A Game of Chess” in French. For me, each fragrance is a move—strategic, layered, unexpected. The name speaks to the intellectual and emotional nature of scent: it’s memory, instinct, tension, resolution. It’s art and strategy in motion.

What makes a Un Jeu D’échecs scent stand out?

They’re natural, yes—but they’re also architectural. I treat naturals like raw pigments: layered, sculpted, aged. These aren’t essential oil blends. They’re complex, character-driven compositions with evolution, throw, and soul. Each one is meant to wear like a chapter of a story, not just a “note.”

What was the hardest fragrance in the line to make and why?

Smoked Rose, easily. It had to balance light and shadow in a way that felt human—almost flawed. The natural materials kept shifting with temperature, air, time. I reformulated it nearly 40 times. It taught me a lot about patience, ego, and when to stop adjusting.

What is the thing about UJD that’s different from mass or designer fragrances that you’re most proud of?

It respects the wearer’s chemistry. It doesn’t overpower—it evolves. It’s also built without compromise: no synthetics, no fillers, no gimmicks. Just beautiful, wild materials. It’s not for everyone, but it’s for someone. And I’m proud of that.

How have all the things you’ve done so far affected how you see and make fragrance?

Traveling, building brands, healing from life’s collisions—it’s all in the bottle. Fragrance is memory and emotion, and I’ve lived a lot of both. The way I see it: if a scent doesn’t move you, what’s the point?