Perfume is Pleasure

“Are you teaching this morning?” I asked my husband, a sometimes Sunday school teacher,  when I heard the alarm clock. “Yes, and I really should have asked you to help me with this one.” Turns out, the book of Esther was up, and interactive scent exercises were part of the lesson plan. I scrambled about for frankincense and a variety of essentials. What would Esther do?

You know the story. Nice Jewish girl saves her people from persecution with good perfume. Highlights of this scriptural tale of redemption: “Before a girl’s turn came to go in to King Xerxes, she had to complete twelve months of beauty treatments prescribed for the women, six months with oil of myrrh and six with perfumes and cosmetics…and this is how she would go to the king…In the evening she would go there and in the morning return to another part of the harem…She would not return to the king unless he was pleased with her and summoned her by name…Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.”

The instructional catch was sketchy, but adequate justification for our guessing games with incense, fruity woody and floral scents on paper blotters. As it happens, nowhere in the Biblical account does the name of Yahweh explicitly appear but we know he is there, working behind the scenes. By the same token (play along here), all of our scent strips looked identical, but we know they are scented, and clearly unique. God and curriculum designers work in mysterious ways!

I’ve been trying to spit that out for over a year. This week as we sat around The Connecticut Forum, thinking of ways to juice-up Food for Thought, Sandy told us what just happened to food. Read what Mary Eberstadt has to say, or Prudes at Dinner, Gluttons in Bed, by George F. Will. This clears the way for my news.

Perfume culture isn’t just for those who spend their free time debating the virtues of Mysore sandalwood over the Austrailian variety. It is also for the 12 year old from North Carolina who wrote this to me:

“Dear Laura Donna,
My name is Christa. I live in North Carolina. In my science class we are doing a year long project. I chose my subject on perfumery. I know there aren’t really any one or two sentence answers to my questions but i was wondering… how does perfume have different fragrances? what are some main things mixed into it? Any information would really help. You don’t necessarily have to answer those specific questions. Thank You for taking your time into reading this… Christa”

It is also for the woman I called when a workshop was snowed out - you never know what burning questions a student might have. Her husband, when they courted, had warned her off “that smelly stuff you spray on,” and she abstained for 50 years. Now, in his honor, she wanted to know: “Do they make perfume in a lotion or cream?”

Avery Gilbert put it to me this way: It is time to bridge the gap between “perfume island and the rest of smell world.” Stay tuned for perfume edutainment! Start by thinking about all the good things you’ve smelled today, or plan to.

If you are still catching up on food, contact Sandy or any of my friends at the Forum for your tickets to hear Alice Waters, Duff Goldman and Anthony Bourdain with local Connecticut hero/radio personality/author/four-time Forum moderator Colin McEnroe.

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!

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!

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.

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.

The only thing I love better than smelling perfume is talking about perfume!

What bride does not want to smell wonderful on her wedding day? Artfully selected fragrance is a great way to start a new life and to share something personal with bridesmaids and wedding guests. Brides at the Grace Ormonde Grand Bridal Show loved the choice of fragrance matchmaking services for ready to wear scents, perfume parties and exquisite custom scents designed note by note, just for them. All-natural options, of course! Environmental scenting is another way to personalize a festive event - I scented the Grand Bridal Show with green tea and lemongrass.  See lauradonna.com on Grace Ormonde’s site for 2009 Platinum Vendors.

Official Grace Ormonde Grand Bridal Show photographer, the talented Matthew J. Wagner,  shared this photo with me.

Take a tour of the fragrance families. This is an excellent first step toward identification of the scents you are most likely to enjoy. Michael Edwards, creator of the wheel below and the world’s foremost expert on fragrance classification, generously invited me to share his work with you.

Click — it’s hot!