To choose “your” perfume means to try to convey our essence without words, to express our individuality. Our fragrance is able to tell a lot: about childhood memories, about how we see ourselves or want to appear to others, about our desires and mood.
The sense of smell is one of those secret sources that nourish our memory. Some smells affect us much more than the brightest images, words or sounds of music. Any fragrance – created by a perfumer and placed in an elegant bottle or accidentally flown to us – can evoke in us a whole range of feelings, associations, memories, happy or sad, sometimes barely perceptible or suddenly flooded over us from oblivion. As if by magic, the fragrance returns to us someone’s faces, pictures from travels, emotions of meetings. Everything is subjective here: for some, tart French lavender will remind you of last year’s vacation in Provence, and for others – stacks of clean linen that were once kept in the grandmother’s closet. One will call this smell lively and sunny, the other – calm and cozy … and both will be right.
Resurrect the past
The legendary perfumer Jean-Paul Guerlain (Jean-Paul Guerlain) admitted that the smell of flowering lavender fields always made him remember his grandfather, with whom he spent long hours as a child, comprehending the secrets of distillation. It is these memories that he captured in his Aqua Allegoria Lavande Velours fragrance.
Each perfume composition has a bit of personal history of its creator – and its images may turn out to be consonant with us. When Francois Demachy, perfumer at LVMH, author of the iconic Dior perfumes, was asked why he added a strange note of tomato leaves to one of Pucci’s fragrances, he replied that this particular smell seemed to him the embodiment of summer happiness. “Remember how on a hot day you come to the market, buy juicy tomatoes, cut them into a salad – and this tart, slightly bitter, recognizable summer smell of tomato leaves remains on your fingers.” Another great nose, Chanel perfumer Jacques Polge, has a soft spot for vetiver, the dry, earthy ingredient in elegant masculine fragrances such as his iconic Egoiste. “When I learned to memorize smells, the most difficult thing for me was just with vetiver. But one day he suddenly reminded me of a forgotten image of childhood: smoldering sycamore leaves in a fine autumn rain in the courtyard of our house … “
Get closer to the ideal
Our first impressions and experiments, our first olfactory pleasures… From them we build our ideas about the alluring and exquisite world of perfumes. Then, growing up, we strive to declare our individuality, choosing a perfume that “first of all speaks of the image that we want to have – in our own eyes or in the eyes of others,” says Pierre Bourdon, head of the international company Fragrance Resources, creating fragrances for leading fashion houses. “Nina Ricci is my mother’s fragrance, which I recognize in the crowd unmistakably,” says 32-year-old Alina. – Throughout my childhood, she wore L’air du Temps, which was fashionable in those years. For some reason, I myself could not decide on the perfume of this brand, until the perky “red apple” Nina appeared – a new, modern fragrance … which at the same time connects me with something dear, beloved. That’s what I now wear with pleasure.”
“For me, only Chanel No. 5 existed for a long time,” admits 30-year-old Karina. – It was always used by my aunt, whom I admired and dreamed of being like. True, one day I was puzzled by my friend, who said that for me this perfume is too “adult”. I decided to try their lighter version of Eau Premiere… and yet I still wear both of these fragrances, changing them according to my mood.” The strength of the charm of the image associated for us with certain perfumes has long been known to perfume companies. They are trying to offer us similar “images of dreams”. Here is actress Charlize Theron, taking off her diamonds, aiming for the golden glow of J’Adore, Dior. Emma Watson in love chooses the touching fragrance Tresor Midnight Rose, Lancome for her first date. Natalia Vodianova gets naked, obeying the languid oriental bliss of Shalimar. UScarlett Johansson, the muses of Dolce & Gabbana, sexuality of a different kind – uncompromising, bright, like the new version of The One fragrance … When sorting through perfumes, we not only try on different bouquets of perfume notes – we listen to our desires.
express yourself
Sometimes a favorite fragrance can tell about us something that we ourselves do not dare to express. “I have a friend, very beautiful, with oriental roots, who for some reason was always embarrassed by her bright appearance, dressed modestly and hardly used perfume,” says 27-year-old Daria. “Once I gave her Kenzo Amour, a sweet, exciting, spicy fragrance. I, and most importantly, she herself was incredibly struck by how much these perfumes suited her. She suddenly had a lot of fans – she seemed to be transformed! She chose the next perfume herself – Poison by Dior, another bright oriental fragrance. “Once upon a time, a woman taught me in Greek language courses,” recalls perfumer Jacques Polge. – She was rather closed in appearance, it was not easy to communicate with her. But at the same time, she aroused universal admiration for her luxurious and always unusual aromas. But in this seemingly incredible combination, I did not feel any contradiction. It just seemed to me that behind her outwardly harsh shell was a delicate flower woman who allowed herself to be herself only by choosing the next perfume.
Send a message
The creation of a perfumer with the first drop applied to our skin, already on our behalf, is able to convey many messages. “We compose a composition based only on our own imagination and experience,” Pierre Bourdon reflects. “With its help, we communicate our images, associations, values to others, which then, if we are lucky, will be accepted and become universal.”
So, fashion designer Donna Karan goes to Africa, where they collect vanilla for the Pure DKNY fragrance, thereby giving work and income to local women, then pours the fragrance into environmentally friendly glass and applies inscriptions on packaging with organic ink … For those who are close to environmental motifs, perhaps, this fragrance will be in tune – clean, transparent, weightless. Another striking example: the American avant-garde perfumer Christopher Brosius created his collection of fragrances I Hate the Parfum (“I hate perfume”) contrary to all the laws of high perfumery. His works smell of forest dampness (Wild Hunt), melt water (Black March) or even old books (In the Library)… But is he alone in our era of eternal bustle lacking clear and simple sensations?
follow the mood
Once upon a time, loyalty to the only spirits was considered good form. But in the modern rhythm of life, we manage to try on many images. It is not surprising that there are more and more fragrances that we wear in parallel. “When I feel like easing tension, I put on herbaceous, piercingly fresh Un Jardin sur le toit, Hermes,” says 43-year-old Maria. “For me, it’s a guarantee of good health. For an evening option, I like the sensual Chloe, and if there is an important meeting, I choose the strict but not boring Kelly Caleche, Hermes. “In summer, I want to wear the carefree, cheerful Gucci Flora, and in winter, the more viscous and seductive Guilty of the same brand,” says 47-year-old Anzhelika about her preferences. The English perfumer Jo Malone, the creator of her own brand, believes that it is better to mix fragrances depending on the mood. And he gives an example: the sparkling and at the same time quite simple Lime Basil & Mandarin cologne can serve as a base – like a little black dress that you want to decorate with accessories. In combination with Pomegranate noir, this fragrance will become more languid, evening, and if you add a drop of Vetiver, you will get a feeling of warmth and comfort…
Bringing back memories, evoking the imagination, reaching out to our deepest desires, the scents we choose hold a lot of power. And besides, they invite us to take part in the game: it is easy to try on different roles, change, recognizing ourselves from unexpected sides, exploring the shades of mood.