Perfume touches us in a very special way, and what makes it truly wonderful is the fact that one’s appreciation is so personal.
The increasingly popular trend known as “Niche Brands” tries to depart from the norms of traditional perfumery, both in olfactory identity of the products and by the distribution channel it utilizes to reach lovers of fine fragrances. Many new perfume companies are created to expand already large businesses, but in our segment, most brands are still fortunately created by love of fragrance rather than for economic motivation.
Concentration
A fragrance is made by blending perfume concentrate, distilled water and alcohol. Fragrances are categorized as Eau de Cologne (commonly referred to as Cologne), Eau de Toilette (EDT), Eau de Parfum (EDP), and Parfum. These categories are mainly differenciated by the fragrance concentration, although formulation within the various concentrations may also vary. A Cologne is the lightest, most volatile scent, and its concentration is low, usually around 3 percent (in a 100 ml bottle, 3 ml is pure fragrance, the rest is alcohol and distilled water). A EDP features roughly 4 to 8 percent fragrance, and EDP is stronger with 10 to 15 percent fragrance, and a Parfum is the most powerfull with more than 15 percent of fragrance concentrate. A particular fragrance can vary depending on where it is distributed. For instance, a US fragrance is typically stronger than its European counterpart. The fragrance concentration accounts only partly for the drastic price difference between a cologne and a Parfum, as a very well formulated Cologne, manufactured with very fine and expensive raw materials could retail for as much as -or more than- a Parfum of lesser quality.
Natural or synthetic?
As most people in touch with the environment and close to nature, we have an affinity to raw materials. There are, however, advantages to using synthetic products in perfumery. They allow the manufacture of stable and consistent fragrances that better resist damage caused by UV rays, oxygen and temperature variations -light, air and heat denature, discolor and oxidize perfume. Natural products, while truly wonderful, often lack stability and have a tendency to degenerate faster. An issue specific to perfumery involves the replication of a scent year after year. Suppliers of raw materials change, which means seeking alternate sources of often diverging quality. Also, one same supplier’s raw materials can vary in color and smell with each harvest, depending on the amount of sun, precipitation and temperature fluctuations.
Consumers are familiar with their favorite fragrance, and will notice any changes that result from the use of different raw materials. By using synthetic products and not just natural essences, perfumers can better control their formulation and its outcome. Consistence and quality are both essential, and a perfect balance of natural essences and man-made products is therefore used to produce our fine fragrances. Lentisque, Feuille de Réglisse and Lierre Rose are almost entirely natural, built with concretes, absolutes and essential oils, and using the minimum amount of synthetic products required to ensure stability. Designing these fragrances was an exercise in style for Perfumer Jacques Chabert.
Just like cooking
Perfumer Claude Chabert once compared creating a fragrance to cooking. The analogy is quite accurate. When cooking, you gradually blend and taste your ingredients' evolution in their new form as a whole. You add salt, spices, olive oil and anything your creativity calls for. Then you taste again, and continue adding ingredients to your liking. The same principle applies to the creation of perfume. When conceptualizing a fragrance, you write your primary formula based on an initial idea. As you evaluate your product, you dose and remove or add components, until you -or your client- are entirely satisfied. Each time a perfumer wishes to make a modification to his fragrance, he must alter his formula, rigorously documenting the evolution of the scent and validating his changes.
Perfume touches us in a very special way, and what makes it truly wonderful is the fact that one’s appreciation is so personal.
A fragrance is made by blending perfume concentrate, distilled water and alcohol. Fragrances are categorized as Eau de Cologne (commonly referred to as Cologne), Eau de Toilette (EDT), Eau de Parfum (EDP), and Parfum. These categories are mainly differenciated by the fragrance concentration, although formulation within the various concentrations may also vary. A Cologne is the lightest, most volatile scent, and its concentration is low, usually around 3 percent (in a 100 ml bottle, 3 ml is pure fragrance, the rest is alcohol and distilled water). A EDP features roughly 4 to 8 percent fragrance, and EDP is stronger with 10 to 15 percent fragrance, and a Parfum is the most powerfull with more than 15 percent of fragrance concentrate. A particular fragrance can vary depending on where it is distributed. For instance, a US fragrance is typically stronger than its European counterpart. The fragrance concentration accounts only partly for the drastic price difference between a cologne and a Parfum, as a very well formulated Cologne, manufactured with very fine and expensive raw materials could retail for as much as -or more than- a Parfum of lesser quality.
As most people in touch with the environment and close to nature, we have an affinity to raw materials. There are, however, advantages to using synthetic products in perfumery. They allow the manufacture of stable and consistent fragrances that better resist damage caused by UV rays, oxygen and temperature variations -light, air and heat denature, discolor and oxidize perfume. Natural products, while truly wonderful, often lack stability and have a tendency to degenerate faster. An issue specific to perfumery involves the replication of a scent year after year. Suppliers of raw materials change, which means seeking alternate sources of often diverging quality. Also, one same supplier’s raw materials can vary in color and smell with each harvest, depending on the amount of sun, precipitation and temperature fluctuations.
Perfumer Claude Chabert once compared creating a fragrance to cooking. The analogy is quite accurate. When cooking, you gradually blend and taste your ingredients' evolution in their new form as a whole. You add salt, spices, olive oil and anything your creativity calls for. Then you taste again, and continue adding ingredients to your liking. The same principle applies to the creation of perfume. When conceptualizing a fragrance, you write your primary formula based on an initial idea. As you evaluate your product, you dose and remove or add components, until you -or your client- are entirely satisfied. Each time a perfumer wishes to make a modification to his fragrance, he must alter his formula, rigorously documenting the evolution of the scent and validating his changes.