skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Despite the rise of sophisticated notes like leather, sage, geranium and white tea in our ambient aromas, the gourmands reign supreme. Make no mistake, vanilla is here to stay! Home scent developers are expanding the dessert palate with fruit salad, marshmallow, crème brulée and butter cream. I was all nose, er, ears, as Karen Young from The Young Group shared her outlook on the smell of my house, and yours, at Fragrance Business 2008, an industry conference held last month.
How did Karen know I'm not spending as much time cleaning as I used to? She was ready with solutions. There are some home scenting jobs too tough for even the butteriest, creamiest vanilla. Bring the outside in to cover the smell of pets and children. That’s what purchasers of candles, diffusers and plug-ins are doing these days. Greener, less floral scents, clean and ozone notes fill the air. And for that touch of "haute candle-ture," expect new combinations of sweet and sour, fruits harvested from remote global locations, spice, wood and wine.
I recently heard François Duquesne of L'Artisan Parfumeur speak on the urgent need for aromatic reforms of all sorts. He urged a revival of authenticity, artistry and genuine personal engagement with fragrance consumers. What is the best way to develop and market scent? Kill the focus group, he commanded, and live with a few flops to staunch the flow of scents that are "too perfect to make a difference." Down with newness for its own sake. Stop training sales clerks and asking them to recall and recite marketing literature. Instead, forget the party line and take them to the fields where ingredients are grown, have them meet the perfumers and tell their own personal stories. Some distinctions that we make today may not be helpful. What is "niche?" In his native France, Franç
ois explained: "niche is where the dog sleeps."
These days, grown women gleefully adorn themselves with eau de cotton candy. Perhaps this does not conform to your standards for olfactory refinement. Still, there's that urge to pig out without gaining weight. Fear not, Sephora can outfit you with dozens of vanilla variations in a choic of eau de toilette, bath gel or lotion. Decisions, decisions. Do you want your vanilla with a side of mocha, apricot, coconut or grapefruit? My theory on our love affair with vanilla: and the other yummy smells: Name one friend or relative who was ever mugged in a dark alley by a chocolate chip cookie.
Last night at Connecticut's Bee and Thistle Inn, peerless for comfort, cuisine, arts and culture, I met a dashing man who shared his love for Aromatics Elixir. He got that faraway look as he spoke of the perfume, and confessed to foisting it on his wife, though she is not a fan.
I recalled hounding a woman in a tropical climate, only to learn that the complex but ethereal scent attracting me was the very same. It smelled just right, even in the hot sun. Yet many who try this Clinique scent initially act like they've just gotten a whiff of some heavy like Youth Dew or Opium. The furrowed brow, the pursed lips and the inevitable comment about old ladies and/or my grandmother.
On another occasion when I asked a stranger about the marvelous fragrance, it had a funkier, hippie-vibe. Hint: patchouli, but hush-hush, the very mention of that leaf, despite its refreshing mint-family connections, clears any room.
This story has a purpose beyond perfume critique. Back to my new friend at the Inn. He was enjoying an evening at the rugby club with friends, all male. In burst a woman in trauma, just attacked on the street outside. She was emotionally out of control and no one could get her to talk. This went on. Finally one of the men, a burly police officer off-duty, commented: "You're wearing Aromatics." Immediately the assault victim snapped-to, and became herself.
So much talk about the personal memories triggered by scent and the places they take us. Now the idea that scent memories of another can foster healing in someone so in need. How strong is our desire to be known, to be recognized and remembered! This is the attraction of a "signature scent."
Following a playful scuffle over sniffing-rights to my "x-rated" jasmine oil, Kyron, Nate and Jasmine had finally agreed to share when this shot was taken. Along with Yonka, Marnise and Roxie, they almost beat me in an exuberant smell-athon at the Connecticut Youth Forum. It was thrilling to observe the stamina of young people choosing favorites from a large menu of woody, fresh, oriental and floral scents.
Introducing my new friends to the essentials of perfumery was great fun, especially after the jasmine riot ended. The group quickly abandoned my innocuous, sweet-smelling jasmine for a "love it or hate it" version, rich in indoles. Indoles have a decaying animal smell that attracts insects to flowers. Don't get squeamish; I will spare you further details on indoles. Just promise that you will try to understand as well as these young people how gorgeous they can be as part of a well-constructed perfume.
I delight in conducting sessions like this to help people find scents that bring exquisite pleasure.
Sandy smelled something funny. Everyone knows that fragrance can bring back memories, stir emotions and project style. But sometimes a scent is just fun, and funny! Sandy is Ticket Empress at The Connecticut Forum and participated in an fragrance event held there for mature youth.
We were headed to Montreal for a look at McGill University, since my son David has shown an interest in that school. On the way, we stopped downtown for an errand and got into a parking lot conversation with some friends we hadn't seen for a while. After we covered college (not my very favorite subject), Helena brought up perfume (my very favorite subject). She had read about my business in the local paper. Naturally, I asked if she wears perfume. "I'm lucky if I floss," came the reply.
