Perfume is Pleasure

Some wear fragrance as a private conversation with self and those close by. Leaning in for a kiss, that’s the time another should detect your fragrance, according to Anya McCoy, who created cult favorite scents Kaffir, Pan and Fairchild and heads the Natural Perfumers Guild. Many are frustrated, however, when their scent goes unnoticed by a broader audience. They expect those compliments to keep flowing even after they’re gone. “Wasn’t it nice when Mona was here? Too bad she left, but at least we have her perfume in the air to remember her by…”

I have close friends in both camps.

Some perfumes that won’t let us forget you:

Addict
Agent Provocateur
Alliage
Aromatics Elixir
Calandre
Coco
Estée
Eternity
Farnesiana
Fracas
Habitana
Opium
Paloma Picasso
Youth Dew
Yvresse

Sillage (pronounced see-yaaaj) is the French word for wake. To see additional recommendations for “great sillage” read Perfume of Life, a playful and informative blog.

Photo by Sara Zarrella, my neighbor at the Grace Ormonde Grand Bridal Show. Sara’s photos make a cameo on this bridal show video by Bruce Cullen at Dream Images - look for a wire cage sporting her great shots. You’ll enjoy the gorgeous runway show, jazzy music and may even catch a glimpse of my home page banner, 16 feet tall!

Unless you do your part and comment, this post will generate more heat than light. While waiting for the experts to show up, I shall attempt to compensate with intrigue for what I lack in knowledge.

I want to know: Why do so many people not look at you like you’re crazy when you say that something smells “green?” Galbanum, cut grass, vetiver, oakmoss, lavender and basil have fragrances we consider to be green.

Color and scent, what’s up with that?

Grass is green, but does that make its smell, when freshly cut, green indeed? Cool, fresh and airy, the sky, the sea, blue, of course. Dry wood, brown; moister, mossy varieties, add a touch of yellow.

Estée Lauder’s Cinnabar and Yves Saint Laurent’s Opium were packaged very effectively with touches of a warm brick red, evocative of an item you might find somewhere more exotic than New York.

Are we simply reinforcing sensory associations linguistically, or is there an intrinsic physical color to the smells?

Forgive me, the reference to synesthesia was a red herring; I am not above pandering to search engines.  Richard E Cytowic, author of The Man Who Tasted Shapes, in his online article: Synesthesia: Phenomenology and Neuropsychology, admits:  “It is rare for smell and taste to be either the trigger or the synesthetic response…I have found no other in which sight evokes smell; and…I have found none in which smell itself is the trigger.”

But maybe I will stumble onto some truth about scent and color by accident. In the worst case, the fiction is a pleasant diversion.

Robert Tisserand, in the classic tome, The Art of Aromatherapy, asks: “What are scents if not invisible colours? In Krippner and Rubin’s The Kirlian Aura it is suggested that if the sense of smell is connected with electromagnetic waves, one might expect the skin to be sensitive to odors. This is not as farfetched as it may sound. We know that the skin is especially responsive to essential oils, but much more impressive is the fact that some people can see with their skin.” He goes on to talk about Rosa Kleshova, whom the Soviet Academy of Science certified as capable of reading newsprint with her hands and elbows, and describes the ordinary Russians who are trained to distinguish colors by touch, with red being sticky and yellow, slippery.

How does this relate to our conversations about perfume? I covet your thoughts.

What a riot! Just when we were supposed to fade from a long day of lectures, out comes the exuberant Jeanine Recckio, founder of Mirror Mirror Imagination Group. She’s a double espresso, the world’s only beauty futurologist. Jeanine brought us Jessica Simpson’s lick-able scents based on her work in the porn industry. That’s Recckio’s work, not Simpsons’. And by work, I mean…oh dear! Hope you are OK with all of this. Too late to leave the room and no time for seatbelt fastening.

Virtual air, augmented reality, clouds, non-moments, fresh air for sale in fragrance-free zones. Bubble-ologists. Anti-aging flavors. Time-release fragrance injected under the skin and programmed for future delivery. Emotional engineering, sexology, digital pheromones, heterosexual and homosexual fragrances now in clinical trial. Scents to extend the benefits of a three-hour nap so you get the eight-hours of rest you wanted. Living, breathing and scented wall-space. Fragranced germ warfare. Fabrics with ceramic polyesters to generate emotion while regulating sweat. iPod scent play lists. Endorphin-branding.

We all knew the developments mentioned above were on their way before attending Fragrance Business 2008, didn’t we? Oh wait, Jeanine corrects us, we are not talking futures; many of these unbelievable technologies are already in use. Tell us more, Jeanine. A guest post on Perfume is Pleasure?

Just Axe! Women will tell you that men who smell good look better too. Axe is the American name for a popular deodorant called Lynx in Europe.

The Economist reported that women find men who alter their natural scent with fragrance more attractive than those who do not. Interestingly, it is not the direct effect of scent on women, but rather, the body language of scented men’s increased self-confidence that drives women wild. The December 18, 2008 issue detailed findings of Unilever’s collaboration with University of Liverpool researcher Craig Roberts and his team.

Here’s how the study went. Two groups of men were given identical-looking spray containers, one with a scented deodorant, while the other was devoid of scent and deodorant properties, a dummy. Researchers did not know which containers were which, double-blinding the study to eliminate potential bias. No research subjects knew the purpose of the experiment, so participants with the deodorant dummy did not question its impotence.

Psychological tests conducted over several days showed that self-confidence of the men with real deodorant had increased by their own report. And here comes the “Lynx effect” – this occurred to the point that women watching short videos of deodorized and scented men, without smell-o-vision, found them more attractive. The operating explanation is that these men carried themselves in a visibly more appealing way and female observers caught the vibe. Still photographs of men in the scented and unscented groups did not provoke differing reactions in the women.

The Economist concludes: “To attract a woman by wearing scent, a man must first attract himself.” Cool cats are onto the Lynx effect.

Because Raffaele Ruberto’s products and skin care advice have taken at least a decade off my looks? Maybe on account of the bio-active organic ingredients so richly concentrated that high-end celebrity skin care types want to buy him out, dilute the formulas and Still make money? No. Because he sources organically and generously donates profits to reforestation and other environmental efforts? Try again. Do we care because mod.skin products deliver premium results at prices you would never expect? True, but not the answer I was looking for. Tired of guessing why mod.skin products are news here at Perfume is Pleasure?

Because they smell good, silly!

I love the Samurai Scrub. Forget the complexion enlivening enzymatic effects, turbo charged by spherical jojoba beads that do not micro-gouge your face like other harsh abrasives. Focus simply on the transporting essence of geranium, long known to aromatherapists for its anti-depressant effects. Geranium is a soothing gift to our nerves and emotions.

Another favorite is the Alchemist’s Mask. Yes, I watched a woman complaining of roseacea transformed from ruddy to sallow by her facial with the mask. Though becoming “sallow” is not a big sell for olive-skinned types, is comes as great news for the unwillingly pink. What I love most about the mask is being transported to the great outdoors. Linden, birch, lavender, rose hips, chamomile, wheat grass. When the mask is activated and applied, you are in a sunny field of wheat. Richly vegetal, earthy and clean, nutritious. You know it is good skin nutrition by the smell.

While the Daily Re-Vital Cleanser (a cedar, lavender, white grape and chamomile treat), Samurai Scrub and Alchemist’s Mask deliberately create spa experiences with their scent. The mod.skin moisturizer and face and eye serums are very low-key in the fragrance department but not on functional benefits. Mod.skin founder and developer Raffaele Ruberto is too mod.est (so I should leave the puns to my father-in-law?) to advertise the serums as an instant face-lift in a jar - but just listen to his clients rave. Models hip to the serums would not think of doing a photo shoot without first sculpting the look. Mod.skin adds no scent for its own sake - you just get the glorious smell of natural ingredients chosen for their skin treatment benefits. My olfactory delight is an accidental by-product!

Most people don’t know that much about perfume and cologne. Combine basic ignorance with any of the following:

• A scent that once thrilled, but now annoys
• A discontinued favorite
• Confusion morphing to outrage as we accept the reality that manufacturers tamper with the formula and eau de wonderful is now eau de just ok
• Discomfort with the department store scene
• The search for one’s very first fragrance — a potentially joyful but intimidating rite of passage at any age

Goodness knows Adonis and Aphrodite in the glossy perfume advertisement (you know, the three pager with no scent strip) are not spilling the juice in the bottle. Her face says, “You bore me to tears, but I can’t live without Brand X perfume.” His face says: “It’s the body, stupid, and Brand Y cologne.” A picture is worth one thousand words and precisely zero smells.

Actually, the words don’t help much either. Perfume Advertising Bingo (scroll down the page, you won’t miss it) spoofs the futility of seeking guidance from industry promotions. At any moment in time, a fragrance manufacturer, advertiser or retailer may not be motivated to promote the scent that is Perfect for You. You suspect that it exists. But how to find it…

Perfume is Pleasure: Raymond, you have been the force behind some hugely successful commercial fragrances including Happy by Clinique. Now Happy is one of those scents I will invariably stop a woman to compliment. What are the names of some of the others?

Raymond: The first fine fragrance I ever worked on was White Diamonds. As of lately, I have been designing all the new Abercrombie, Abercrombie and Fitch and Ruehl fragrances. I have designed the IZOD fragrance as well. In my prior position I was responsible for all the Clinique fragrances, Tommy Hilfiger, Origins and Aramis fragrances. Fragrances like Happy, Happy for Men, Happy Heart, Happy to Be, Happy in Bloom are all my designs. I was fortunate to design some of the more creative fragrances for Tommy Hilfiger including True Star for Him and Her. There have been many but a portion of the credit belongs to the greatest perfumers in the world I work with. What we do together is a true collaboration. I enjoy bringing them to where they would not think to go …

Perfume is Pleasure: Would you tell me a bit more about your new theory on fragrance marketing? The other day, you mentioned that you don’t think fragrance families and ingredient marketing are the right answer. These are tools I use as the point of departure in my fragrance matchmaking process. I am seriously provoked! So what can you tell me?

Raymond: Not sure I would refer to it as fragrance marketing… I see it more or less as an evolving way of communicating scent and what we smell. A language, which enables the user to better communicate their needs or desires from a scent. The tools that you use are excellent tools. I would prefer we taking it one step further. I do believe in fragrance families, and it is always important to know why it falls under the classification. However, I blur those lines in my work and therefore need an additional method. I believe that Michael Edwards is a nice modern approach and I too use his books. However, as a person who designs fragrances I need to go further and this is what I will share in seminars and training clinics.

Perfume is Pleasure: Ahhh. So we’ll all have to stay tuned. Of course, Raymond, as a fragrance matchmaker, I consider the mood of the scent and the style of a woman in addition to the families and ingredients, but it is clear that you have some fascinating twists on this. I am impatient to learn more! In the meantime, how do you think the industry will respond to your approach?

Raymond: If there are companies, retail establishments, beauty advisors or merely our consumers who are interested in the world of perfumery and a method that is use to design and explain a fragrance based on the journey used to create… than I feel it will be embraced with open arms. My method has worked at certain Clinique counters and they experienced incremental sales increases. My approach and style is different in this industry, my fragrances represent a modern approach to perfumery. I’m not say it is better, I’m merely looking to offer the consumer another option that doesn’t exist.

Perfume is Pleasure: We’re beginning to see more informed consumers demanding greater transparency about the contents of the juice. How do you feel perfume shoppers will respond to your approach? Will it truly help them find a scent they will love?

Raymond: Interesting question, when one visits a museum I don’t ever recall a key explaining each color that was used from the palette. When I see an ad for an automobile I do not recall ever reading about the components and the production process. When I buy wine, an experience is always parlayed to me that helps me to understand what I will taste. When I buy clothing, I care about fit, style and I how I feel wearing it. Fragrances are liquid emotion, I design fragrance based upon sensations, emotions and experiences we come in touch with every day. So yes, I can and have helped one find what they desire. Plus, my fragrances are enveloping; how could one not fall in love with them…once they understand them. The time has come for the fluff to disappear in this industry! I have to ask those that recite ingredients, does the consumer really care…I have done many in-store events… I’m not convinced!

Perfume is Pleasure: Any other new projects of note?

Raymond: I hope so…We are in tough times…and bringing a new sensorial journey is always on my mind… to caress a woman…touching her through scent is my pleasure in life… allowing men to dream, to move them beyond what their father wore is always a challenge I accept. I also have a strong desire to bring the same creativity to branding a space with scent.

Perfume is Pleasure. Thanks so much for this interview, Raymond! Will you promise to keep me informed?

Raymond: Absolutely, I look forward to chatting with you again… Good luck my friend…It has been a pleasure.

Self indulgence has its limits. So when you’ve reached yours, think of others less fortunate. Those furry and hairy individuals lacking the means to obtain perfume and cosmetics you take for granted.

I remember my amusement over last year’s launch of Juicy Criture. OK, my horror, but tinged with amusement. A friend who promotes Liz Claiborne scents including sister Juicy Couture line said she had just put on a Nordstrom event for cats and dogs. Creativity kudos to whomever first cooked up the notion of “dog nail pawlish.”

Until quite recently, I assumed the beauty industry’s interest in four-legged consumers was limited to household pets. But no! Fragrance is coming on strong in the large animal community. Sniffapalooza magazine now features Brandy and its creator Patricia Namm. Patricia’s muse in designing the scent? A palomino horse by the same name. “Horses don’t usually like perfume,” Patricia told a group of fragrance enthusiasts at Sniffapalooza’s New York Fall Ball. But this scent, “with its suggestion of distant fields, rolling aromatic meadows, apple and peach top notes and herbaceous heart notes” appeals to the horsey set, and most importantly, to Brandy himself.

Perfume for pooches. Perfume for ponies. Why didn’t I think of that?

The discerning dog above is reticent about top notes of the L’Artisan Parfumeur scent presented for his approval at New York’s exquisite Aedes de Venustas boutique. Attends le drydown, mon petit chien.

Kymrie and I spent two delicious mornings and an afternoon at the mall to find her perfect scent.

She laughed, swooned, occasionally turned up her nose and finally fell in love… Her recap: “Thanks so much for such a great experience.  It was so great to learn a little more about myself and to have the benefit of your expertise.  Now the broad world of fragrance has been opened up and I can see why you have such a passion for it.  Many thanks.”

The Fragrance Foundation is the non-profit educational arm of the international fragrance industry. Rochelle Bloom has been President of Foundation since 2001. Before that, she had a rich corporate career in beauty and fragrance. In 1979, she launched Prescriptives and served as its Vice President and General Manager for seven years, building it into a major cosmetics brand. In 1986, Rochelle was promoted to Senior Vice President and General Manager of Estée Lauder International, where she tripled sales and quadrupled profit in her 13-year tenure. Under the Lauder umbrella, Rochelle also served as President of Bobbi Brown Professional Cosmetics, Inc., ushered the brand to its position of global prestige.

Perfume is Pleasure: What makes you most proud about the fragrance industry?

Rochelle:  I think the collaborative nature of the industry, which are strong competitors, but always think of themselves as an extended family and reach out to each other very often. It is not cut throat!

Perfume is Pleasure:  How are you seeing the industry innovate to assure that consumers continue to enjoy scent even in today’s challenging economic climate?

Rochelle:  Right now, the industry is in the mode of learning as much as possible about the (new) consumer, their desires and needs, and how they can remain relevant during these times. We realize that sampling takes on new meaning and smaller sizes are also important. It is a new business model that we all have to understand and accept before forging ahead.

Perfume is Pleasure:  What has given you most hope for the industry?

Rochelle:  Companies’ willingness to change. They are more willing to listen and learn from the consumer. In the past, the marketers thought they knew all of the answers. In this environment, the rules are broken and they are willing to start again. What is hopeful is that out of bad times comes good…even brilliant ideas. I am hopeful this will be the case in the Fragrance Industry.

Perfume is Pleasure:  For a long time, we’ve seen consumers behind the scenes with movies and into the kitchen with celebrity chefs. We would never buy a car before consulting Consumer Reports. But perfume has traditionally been clothed in mystique. Now, knowledgeable bloggers, critics like Luca Turin and Chandler Burr and even the perfume-lovers’ group Sniffapalooza are shining bright lights on the inner world of fragrance development and marketing. Have we lost something in the process? Though it is difficult to get the genie back in the bottle, does the industry yearn for days of a little more allure and a little less information?

Rochelle:  No. Informative and knowledgeable consumers are good. I think that is not the problem. The problem is that there are too many fragrances introduced, confused consumers and the aspiration and emotional connection has been lost. It’s not about critics and knowledgeable consumers, it’s about raising fragrance from a commodity as it is today back to being mysterious, sexy, and alluring. I also want to add that there is a lot of bad information out there. Fragrance gets a bad rap…..not good for the environment, can’t wear to work or school, causes allergies, etc. Consumers are asking for natural or organic fragrance without really knowing what that means. An educated customer is our best customer as Syms used to say. It applies to the fragrance industry as well. We need to stop giving incentives to get people to buy, making it a commodity and not a luxury, sample more, offer more affordable sizes and teach people what fragrance does for their psyche. It will do wonders for the business!!!

Perfume is Pleasure:  Wars about synthetics vs. naturals have erupted. The rhetoric gets pretty hot at times. What do we need to keep clear? Should we focus less on ingredients and more on the spirit of a scent?

Rochelle: It’s all about education. There are very practical reasons why you need both. In some cases, you cannot capture a scent in its natural form. Natural fragrances don’t last long which is a negative to some, etc. Synthetics are not good or bad and the same for naturals. It is just that the words ” natural” or “organic” seem to be the buzzwords for the consumer without knowing why. So I say, we need to educate and not focus less!!!!!

Perfume is Pleasure:  What tips do you have for consumers to get the most pleasure from their perfume?

Rochelle: Apply it correctly. You can go to our website to get all types of tips on how to wear fragrance. Also, find a certified fragrance expert at your local store and work with them on finding fragrance that will complement your current taste in fragrance or try a different form to add to your wardrobe such as a body lotion or shower gel. Also fragrant candles enhance your home life and relax you after a tough day.

Perfume is Pleasure:  Some of us enjoy scent on ourselves and on those around us, while individuals and even lobbying groups who stand for the right for a scent-free environment are increasingly vocal. How did we get to this point? How do we strike the balance?

Rochelle:  It’s about educating the consumer…..and the environmentalists on the facts. There is no reason why people cannot wear fragrance, if they wear it properly and it will not disturb anyone or anything. We have all been assaulted by people who wear too much fragrance, fragrance on their clothes and hair. There is the correct way to wear fragrance in the daytime and in the evening and, again, the better educated the consumer, the less flack the industry will get.

Perfume is Pleasure:  I have done work with youth education on scent and believe this is tremendously important. The Foundation has also taken action in this area. What can you share about your goals and progress?

Rochelle:  I think our efforts working with Weekly Reader to bring the appreciation of scent to our school children. We are just completing a project which will go out to over 5,000 public school teachers as a class lesson about scent which encompasses spelling, reading and writing. There are scratch and sniff elements to the program as well as games etc. This is in addition to our annual career day which is for high school students to learn about the opportunities in our industry.

Perfume is Pleasure: How are you seeing the industry innovate to assure that consumers continue to enjoy scent even in today’s challenging economic climate?

Rochelle:  Right now, the industry is in the mode of learning as much as possible about the new consumer, their desires and needs, and how they can remain relevant during these times. We realize that sampling takes on new meaning and smaller sizes are also important. It is a new business model that we all have to understand and accept before forging ahead.

Perfume is Pleasure: What has personally been most satisfying to you as President of the Fragrance Foundation?

Rochelle:  Bringing The Fragrance Foundation into the 21st Century.

Perfume is Pleasure:  Thank you, Rochelle, for sharing your passion for perfume with us. And thank you for your work to promote the health of this great industry.