Mid-week This and That
I thought this was an interesting comment in the latest Perfumer & Flavorist, saying that in these times of economic hardship people may start to favor richer, more potent scents:
“The [financial downturn] could also affect the way we create fragrances. In times of crisis, people tend to go back to basics. If we examine the example of the 1929 depression (knowing it will not be the same this time), we went into the 1930s with darker fragrances that were rich and deep (Vol de Nuit and Taboo). We will probably go in the same direction again. If you have money to buy only one perfume, you want it to be luxurious and rich, but also darker because your mood is darker. There will probably be more parfums and extraits (as opposed to simple eau de toilettes) for the same reasons.”
From Fragrances for Troubled Times by: Pierre Gueros, Delphine Jelk and Kevin Verspoor, drom, January 16, 2009. The complete article can be found here:
http://www.perfumerflavorist.com/fragrance/application/finefrag/37738329.html
I should be adding Lieu de Reves and Tabac Aurea to the scent list soon. I’m collecting feedback from testers now, and it’s exciting to be getting close to being done with those two.
Still need to get into my new oakmoss and other naturals that arrived recently. Hope to do that this weekend. Some of my Dad’s cousins from Sweden will be visiting tomorrow (my grandparents on my Dad’s side were both Swedish).
Thanks for the link to the article, and I have to say that I’m agreeing with the basic premise. I’ve been noticing that the shakier the economic outlook, the higher the demand for rich and multi-layered scents. People are losing their patience for the ephemeral and want something that gives at least the psychological/emotional feeling of stability.
I’ve also been noticing that cosmetics trends are mining the Hollywood Glam era. The new Fall/Winter 2009 shows are on in Paris and the rich blue-red lip color is back in full force. I would think this signals a consumer desire for intensity, fragrances included.
That’s interesting too! People may want scents that are rich and lasting right now, and also it could be partly a backlash from all the sweet fruity florals we’ve had for so long. Maybe that trend will be less dominant. We can hope. 🙂