Everything in connection with fine fragrances: eau de parfum, eau de toilette, eau de cologne
We have just published a new article about the olfactive family Fougere:
https://www.pairfum.com/about-fougere-the-evolution-meaning-of-fougere-in-perfumery/
Fougere is a very popular category of perfumes for men but not one that is widely known, apart from perfumery experts.
This is, however, a wonderful read for everybody that loves Perfumery.
Enjoy.
We would love your advice:
What is your single biggest frustration with Eau de Parfum?
We are asking to find out more about your experience with trying, buying and wearing Eau de Parfum, so that we can better serve and help you.
What is it that really frustrates you the most?
We would very much welcome your opinion.
Thank you for visiting Pairfum London.
It has always been a tradition in perfumery to offer various versions of a fragrance based on the perfume oil concentration. On the other hand, in room fragrance and skin care, the concept of different versions of the same product based on a variation of the perfume oil concentration does not exist and is totally alien.
These are the typical concentrations offered for sale in perfumes:
We see the increasing influence of the Middle East in Western Perfumery as one of the driving forces behind a desire for more intense fragrance.
Consequently, a variety of brands have launched an ‘intense’ or ‘essence’ version of a successful perfume for men and women. In most cases these are actually changed fragrance accords whereas in others it is simply a more intense version.
These new perfumes have a variety of names:
The question remains, whether ‘noir’ should be included in this list ?
All of the these have in common the concept of increased perfume strength and longevity on skin.
Similarly, this new intensity is also translated into different colours, ingredients and an altered, more suitable choice of words or terminology.
The next phase will see the ‘intense’ phenomenon appear in niche / boutique perfumery.
Thinking back through the 1980s, notes were intense in perfumery with “Opium” (Christian Dior) coming to mind. One could not miss a lady wearing Opium.
What sets the new ‘intense’ fragrance apart from their 80s cousins (Opium, Poison, …) is their complexity and richness, as we outline below.
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The fragrance market for women has seen a number of ‘intense’ fragrances being introduced over the past two years. We present and review a curated selection of them here:
“Georgio Armani Si Eau De Parfum Intense” is a richer flanker of the original chypre fragrance by using strong notes of cassis and blackcurrent in the top combined with a more intense base of patchouli, vanilla and woods.
“Fatale Intense Agent Provocateur for women” is spicy floriental with an unusual top note of licorice and chili pepper.
“Dolce & Gabbana Pour Femme Intense” is a more intensive version of the original fragrance.
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“La Vie Est Belle L’Eau de Parfum Intense” by Lancome is a more dense and deeper version of its best-selling fragrance with tuberose and gourmand notes.
“Dolce & Gabbana The One Essence” is being presented as the highest concentration of the original accord.
“L’Eau Kenzo Intense Pour Femme” promises to be an unusual ‘intense’ fragrance as it attempts to marry the translucency of the original “L’Eau par Kenzo” with a more sensual note. The opening is juicy red apple accord, around a floral heart of lily and peony, and a base of patchouli.
Jean Paul Gaultier launched a new version of his ‘classique’ signature perfume from 1993 in the form of “Classique Intense”, consisting of 40% of the original fragrance and 60% new components giving a modern ‘twist’ to its powdery-floral character.
“Roberto Cavalli Essenza” (Roberto Cavalli) is a new intense edition of his original eau de parfum. The top note has an unusual tonality of sweet almond essence. The heart of orange blossom leads into a base with vanilla absolute.
In “Boss Nuit Pour Femme Intense” very little differs from the original with only note gaining in intensity.
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The number of men’s ‘intense’ fragrances introduced in recent years has exploded ! Here we see the same pattern, as in the women’s fragrances, of altered or intensified accords being used.
Is there a reason behind the plethora of intense versions for men ?
We believe the driving force behind this trend for men is their demand for more powerful and longer-lasting scents. Increasingly, this ‘performance’ aspect of a fragrance becomes a buying criteria and a key success factor in men’s perfumery.
It also allows the brand owners to charge a premium, in an attempt to reduce the traditional price difference between female and male perfumes (with women being the more expensive).
Nowadays, men also seem to be prepared to pay more for increased ‘performance’. This is nothing new for women who traditionally aspired to and happily paid more to treat themselves to an ‘eau de parfum’. However, the term ‘intense’ appears to be a term that more clearly communicates the benefit for men.
The ‘intense’ trend is not just confined to richer or heavier men’s fragrances, but it also applies to ‘fresh’ notes. Here, the terms ‘sport’ or ‘extreme’ seem to be appropriate and notes such as oakmoss, amber and woods are being used to intensify such fresh fragrances.
For example, “L`Eau Kenzo Intense Pour Homme” promises a fresh aquatic fragrance with top notes of Japanese yuzu citrus and lime, a heart of sea water and black basil, with a fond of cedar and vetiver.
In “Gentlemen Only Intense” (by Givenchy) a touch of smooth leather, together with spices and an amber fond are added to the original, elegantly woody fragrance (cedar, vetiver, patchouli).
Victor & Rolf “Spicebomb Extreme” is an explosive presentation in the form of hand grenade and an accord that opens with a unique combination of aromatic lavender and hot spices (caraway, black pepper), leading into fond of tobacco and vanilla.
“JOOP! Home Extreme” (by JOOP!) is an oriental spicy fragrance based on an unexpected blend of velvety black cocoa, spices, luxurious woods (patchouli) and a secret ingredient, the ‘hot skin accord’.
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Hugo Boss launched “Boss Bottled Intense”, a refined interpretation of the original Boss Bottled, with a base of wood (sandalwood, cedar, vetiver) and powdery vanilla, a heart of spices (close, cinnamon) and a top of apple. It is less sweet than the original.
“Au Masculin Eau de Parfum Intense” (Lolita Lempika) is an accord dominated by star anise, iris and myrrh, with a top note of bergamot and woody fond of vetiver and oud (agarwood).
YSL presents with “La Nuit de L’Homme L’Intense” a more oriental twist of the original. The key ingredients are iris, violet, sage, patchouli and vanilla.
In “Acqua di Gio Profumo” by Armani, the term ‘profumo’ is used to highlight an ‘intense’ version of the original. The concept of the fragrance is a fusion of sea waves on black rocks. The composition’s heart is aromatic (geranium, sage, rosemary) with a fresh aquatic opening (incl. bergamot). The base is woody (patchouli, incense) and spicy,
With “Eau Sauvage Parfum” Christian Dior relaunched its classic with a stronger concentration ! The classic citrus aromatic composition was modernised: a smoky myrrh tonality, balsamic woods, dry vetiver and a bergamot top note.
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“Hervé Gambs Cologne Intense” is a new collection of 3 intense eau de colognes, for women and men, and the question remains whether these actually qualify as ‘intense’ perfumery.
There is no question, that “Intense Cafe” by Montale qualifies with it coffee and rose accord. It is an oriental vanilla fragrance for women and men.
“Jo Malone” offers an entire collection of “Cologne Intense” for men and women which all share the increased strength and longevity expected of these fragrances. For example, “Incense & Cedrat Limited Edition” by Jo Malone, is an oriental spicy fragrance with top notes of lemon and pepper, a heart of resin and incense on a more traditional fond of benzoin, olibanum and labdanum. This is definitely an accord inspired by the Middle East !
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Can this ‘intense’ fragrance trend be found in room fragrance ?
We think so, but, we believe one has to distinguish between this ‘trend’ and two of the ‘key success factors’ in home fragrance that have been recognised for a while now:
Let’s start with a quick outline of what we mean with this.
It does not matter whether it is a scented candle, reed diffuser, electric aroma diffuser or perfume room spray, consumers are disappointed if the scent cannot permeate their homes.
Some companies have perfectly refined how to promise an intense room fragrance. For example, in some glass jar candle ranges they will always insure an intense fragrance experience when their fragrance jars are opened in a store. The scent will literally jump out of the glass and present itself with an easily identifiable note. Less emphasis is placed on the fragrance performance when the candle is burning at home. It is the promise of an intense fragrance which is the focus.
Typically, to achieve this promise, strong fruity, citrusy or spicy ingredients are being used. This may not be to everybody liking, especially as these notes may sometimes come across as ‘chemical’, ‘harsh’ or ‘sharp’.
This is why the ‘luxury scented candle’ market was born, when an increasing number of customers tired of this approach and sought an alternative. This customer base appreciated highly fragrant candles infused with high quality or natural perfume oils. A true luxury scented candle presents a refined balance between the fragrance quality and intensity from the cold wax and when the candle is burning to release its perfume.
A ‘long-lasting’ fragrance is expected from a reed diffuser ! The same expectation applies to a wardrobe sachet, perfume room spray but also a supermarket air freshener.
Yet, there is unfortunately a trade-off between longevity and power: a certain amount of perfume oil can either evaporate quickly for a strong fragrance in the room or slowly for a long-lasting experience.
Simply speaking, the only solution is to put more perfume into the bottle or wax ! However, this increases the cost of a product, which suppliers of supermarket air fresheners cannot afford.
Another reason why the ‘luxury scented candle’ market was born and why ‘luxury reed diffusers’ are seeing continued popularity, is not surprisingly they have a higher concentration of Perfume in their make-up.
This is why we coined the phrase ‘eau de parfum’ reed diffusers here at PAIRFUM or should we call them ‘intense’ ?
In our view, the ‘intense’ trend manifests itself in room perfumes and skin care in a fashion more attuned to these two markets, through the use of perfume ‘ingredients’, ‘dosage’ and the product ‘size’.
We actually believe that the ‘intense’ trend we currently see in couture perfumery actually started in home fragrance !
‘Gourmand’ notes started in luxury home fragrance quite a while before they became popular in women’s & men’s perfumery. Next came ‘oud’ accords and tonalities of ‘myrrh’ or ‘frankinsence’ in room perfumery.
But the fine fragrances houses move fast and with the ingredients used for the ‘intense’ trend, they have overtaken room perfumes. Many of the notes we mention above in women’s and men’s perfumery have not yet been seen in candles or diffusers.
Room perfumes are, however, beginning to see an increasing popularity for ‘complex spices’, ‘balsamic woods’ and ‘richer fruits’.
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Fragrant candles with a perfume dosage higher than 12% have been tried many times and typically fail because too much solvent is required to prevent fragrance from oiling out of the wax (it also softens the wax too much). Additionally, the risk that the entire candle may catch fire increases.
PAIRFUM’s Flower Wax Candle operates at the limit of what is currently feasible through the use of a natural additive that keeps a high amount of perfume inside the natural wax without the use of solvents.
Another examples is PAIRFUM’s Snow Crystal Wax, which prevents the oiling out of perfume through its crystalline structure, i.e. it acts like a sponge keeping the perfume oil droplets in its cavities only to be released when the wax becomes fluid.
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Reed diffusers that are more intense and thereby suitable for bigger or large rooms are a more recent phenomenon. As an example, PAIRFUM offers the reed diffusers Bell Large and Tower Large.
Oversized multi-wick candles and large twin-wick candles are another form of an ‘intensified’ candle presence in the home.
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The question of “A Florist or a Chef as a Perfumer?” was posed in an article by Vogue, which highlighted “4 fragrance labels you need to know now“.
Fragrance brand creation has traditionally been the domain of fashion and lifestyle brands, but it has certainly changed. Nowadays, we see all types of artists using perfume as an additional (creative and business) outlet. Think of all the recent celebrity and musician’s (Pop/RnB/HipHop) perfume launches. Some might say it’s not “authentic”, I would argue that any artist can relate to the creative process of developing something as artistic as perfume.
A Florist is a more obvious choice as a perfumer, since she or he is exposed to the very essence of all perfumes. No matter what type or family of fragrance you prefer, all include floral notes and ingredients. Which leads me to another great example, very near and dear to my heart: Chefs.
Have you read about multi-Michelin-starred Jason Atheton’s new fragrance launch yet? A collaboration between Jason, FOUR magazine and Boadicea The Victorious. As Jason mentioned: “When FOUR first approached me to work on a fragrance I was surprised. My first thought was, ‘I’m a chef, what do I know about fragrances?’ But when Antioco [Piras, co-founder of FOUR magazine] explained the concept to me, I instantly knew I wanted to be involved,” (source). By the way, this wonderful scent has also been “Michelin-star” priced and can be found at Harrod’s London.
Why was Jason surprised? As a Chef you constantly work with all the wonderful aromatic ingredients: fruit, herbs, spices, sweet (dessert) notes and even edible flowers. Creating a recipe is very similar to the development process of a perfumer, you build “layers” which in perfumery terms translates to top/mid/bottom (the way a fragrance evolves on skin). Let’s also not forget that taste is more than 80% smell!
When Chef Roblé and I embarked on the creation of the first ever “Fragrance Recipe”, we were asked if a savory meat or seafood dish served as inspiration. Well, even though we love to eat savory dishes, you might not necessarily want to smell like it. The combination we ultimately incorporated includes edible notes like blood-orange, lime, a hint of spice (chipotle) and some amazing dessert notes; vanilla, chocolate, burnt-sugar and even a drizzle of toasted honey. (source)
Sounds delicious? The flavor and fragrance combinations are endless, which leaves the question for VOGUE: “Are Chefs The New Perfumers?”
Author: Bart Schmidt
The Rose in perfumery and home fragrance, is also known as the “Queen of Flowers”!
Roses in perfumery accords are coming back to prominence with new creations that are full of character, more daring, outlandish and less old-fashioned.
Few consumers will be aware but elements of rose are are at least to some extent in most fragrances. Roses lend charm to many of the fragrances we describe today as the classics, such as Joy de Patou. It evolved over time, especially in the form of the famous rose-violet accord, and can be found a powdery form in Paris by Yves Saint Laurent, a fruity version in Tresor by Lancôme and a woody variation in Stella McCartney. Burberry’s My Burberry presents roses with greener, more aqueous facettes, just like the “the essence of a London garden after the rain”.
In home fragrance, the classical ‘tea rose’ has been a most popular note due to its combination of performance (or strength) and its appreciation by consumers.
These fragrances all center around the themes of a ‘romantic rose’, a floral bouquet or a rose in a garden. In recent years however, some new creations managed to stand out and it feels like a change of tone.
The rose in perfumery is not the same anymore!
A few years back, a wave of dark rose perfumes came to the market in both perfumery and home fragrance that were inspired by Arabia with tonalities of amber, honey and typically associated with oud wood. These were modern evolutions appealing to a wider audience, rather than the classical rose-oud accord which still dominates in the Middle East.
Now a stronger and darker burgundy version of rose is gradually appearing as a fragrance theme in perfumeries and home fragrance.
It began in 2013, when Miller Harris chose to focus on spices when creating “Rose En Noir”, with added nuances of tobacco and patchouli.
Terry de Gunzburg enveloped his creation Rose Infernale (2014) in an elegant, sulphurous wave of incense and spicy nutmeg.
Nevermore (2014) by Frapin is a floral, woody and musky fragrance for women and men, dominated by a note of rose oxide to evokes roses on the grave of Edgar Allan Poe. It is this note which lends this creation its polarising character. Other ingredients in the fragrance include nutmeg, black pepper, amber, atlas cedar and saffron. Roses had hitherto rarely been treated in such a dark fashion, neither in perfumery nor in home fragrance.
Launched in 2014, Balenciaga’s Rosabotanica presents roses in a vegetal / green and spicy fashion. The green or vegetal nuances which are naturally present in rose oil, have been highlighted by this creation.
The Botanist (2014) by MiN New York, a green floral woody accord on a base of earthy vetiver, is also built around these lesser known olfactive facets of the “queen of flowers”.
Rose Cut by Ann Gerard (2014) introduces a ‘sharp rose’ through the metallic aspects of aldehyde in its formula.
The brand “Dear Rose” focuses entirely on the rose note by constructing each one of its perfumes around a different, lesser known aspect of this most versatile blossom.
Through the influence of niche perfumery brands and boutique home fragrance houses, perfumes created around rose are becoming more varied as they succeed in presenting the “queen of flowers’ in a new light and with a strong and unique character, after all a Queen should have many Princesses.
Here at PAIRFUM, we have always had a soft spot for Roses with their many different colours, scents and shapes. It is not surprising then, that we have numerous creations in which the Rose takes center stage. We enjoy working on discovering and re-discovering the rose and its multitude of wonderful facets that inspire us to new fragrances.
First, here is our ‘Burgundy Rose’ called ‘blush rose & amber’:
A sensuous, intensely feminine floral bouquet with regal rose in harmony with jasmine, lily of the valley and freesia, supported by an intoxicating base of powdery iris, musk, precious woods and crystal amber.
Here is our new, trendy ‘Pink Rose’ with a beautifully fresh green tonality called ‘pink powder & violet:
A sophisticated and sensual fusion of pink rose petals and violet leaf, that is soft and yet fresh ! It opens with mandarin and pink peppercorn, followed by a full and elegant floral heart (rose, violet, iris, jasmine, heliotrope, orris) that leads into a sumptuously powdery base of smooth patchouli, musks and soft vanilla.
We invite you to review our fragrance collection and when counting the number of perfumes that contain ‘rose’, we believe you will be surprised.
Just click here to go directly to Pairfum London’s Home Fragrance overview.
MY BURBERRY by Burberry (2014)
Gender: Female
Olfactive Group: FLORAL – ROSE VIOLET
Perfume Pyramid
Top Notes : Freesia, Bergamot, Sweet Pea
Heart Notes : Geranium, Rose, Quince, Aqueous Notes
Base Notes : Patchouli
Rose en Noir by Miller Harris (2013)
Gender: Female
Olfactive Group: FLORAL – ROSE SPICY
Perfume Pyramid
Top Notes : Lemon Leaf, Cumin, Coriander
Heart Notes : Rose, Fresh Spices, Aromatic
Base Notes : Tobacco, Patchouli, Musk
ROSE INFERNALE by Terry de Gunzburg (2014)
Gender: Female
Olfactive Group: ORIENTAL – FLORAL
Perfume Pyramid
Top Notes : Nutmeg
Heart Notes : Rose, Frankincense
Base Notes : Vetiver
NEVERMORE by Frapin (2014)
Gender: Unisex
Olfactive Group: FLORAL – ROSE SPICY
Perfume Pyramid
Top Notes : Nutmeg
Heart Notes : Rose, Aldehyde
Base Notes : Black Pepper, Amber, Atlas Cedar, Saffron, Musk
ROSABOTANICA by Balenciaga (2014)
Gender: Female
Olfactive Group: FLORAL – WOODY MUSK
Perfume Pyramid
Top Notes : Pepper, Fig Leaves, Citrusy Notes
Heart Notes : Rose, Cardamom seed, Hyacinth
Base Notes : Amber, Blond Wood
The Botanist by MiN New York (2014)
Gender: Unisex
Olfactive Group: FLORAL – WOODY MUSK
Perfume Pyramid
Top Notes : Citrus, Grapefruit, Peony
Heart Notes : Rose, Lily of the Valley, Aromatic
Base Notes : Woody, Earthy Vetiver
Rose Cut by Ann Gerard (2014)
Gender: Female
Olfactive Group: FLORAL – ROSE ALDEHYDE
Perfume Pyramid
Top Notes: Aldehydes, Rum, Pink Pepper
Middle Notes: Rose, Peony, Patchouli
Base Notes: Vanilla, Oakmoss, Benzoin
A Capella by Dear Rose (2014)
Gender: Female
Olfactive Group: FLORAL – ROSE
Perfume Pyramid
Top Notes: Ivy
Middle Notes: Rose, Ozonic
Base Notes: White Wood
We have the pleasure of drawing your attention to an interesting article in St George Magazine about perfumery, perfumers, natural fragrances, ‘making scents’ and trends in home fragrances and perfumes. PAIRFUM and Huib Maat were mentioned.
If you prefer to only read the section about perfumery, then please read it here.
To whet your appetite, this is the exact introduction to the article:
THE ART OF THE PERFUMER IS A SORT OF ALCHEMY . THERE IS SOMETHING TRULY MAGICAL IN THE SKILL AND CRAFTSMANSHIP OF THE ARTIST WHO FUSES THE ESSENCE OF FLOWERS AND HERBS INTO A FRAGRANT LIQUID THAT STIRS THE SENSES AND QUICKENS THE HEART.
Anybody that would like to find out more about “how to become a perfumer”, the world of fragrances or just ‘making scents’, ISIPCA in France is always worth investigating. Here is a link:
Alternatively, the ‘Fragrance Foundation‘ also offers a good starting point for your research into ‘making scents’ of the perfumery world.
We found two very interesting articles about the most expensive perfumes in the world.
Here are the links to these articles and enjoy reviewing:
It surely must be very tempting to test these fragrances on your next visit to a perfumery.
The presentation of some of these perfumes is literally amazing and they all seem to have in common:
It is sad that one actually has to use these perfumes ! Fragrance does have an expiry date and does not improve with age, unlike some fine wines or spirits.
At least the feeling when applying and wearing these perfumes will be very special and receiving one of them as a gift is a treat extraordinaire.
Welcome to the count down for the Top Ten best selling Men’s fragrances in France in 2014 or as we like to say “Top for the Pop’s”.
And the winner of the crown of the ‘best-selling male fragrance of 2014’ in France is … ‘Invictus’ by Paco Rabanne. Hermes, Chanel and Hugo Boss also enjoyed a successful year and achieved very good sales.
‘1 Million’ (Paco Rabanne) lost its place at the top to ‘Invictus’ by Paco Rabanne. It is surprising how quickly this fragrance entered the top 10 to become its best-seller, considering it was launched in 2013. Traditionally, the male fragrance market does not see such rapid changes.
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Overall, the sales value of male fragrances in France was roughly the same as the previous year, with a small decline of 0.6%. However, this was a much smaller decline than the male fragrance market by -1.7% in 2013. In terms of the quantity of perfume bottles sold, the decrease was more noticeable, i.e. – 4%. Essentially, this shows that loss in volume was offset for the majority through sales of higher value products or higher prices for existing fragrances.
In 2014, the crown for the most successful new launch went to ‘L’Homme Idéal’ (Guerlain), a woody, oriental and gourmand scent.
| 2014 | 2013 | |
| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 | Paco Rabanne : Invictus Chanel : Bleu de Chanel Hermès : Terre d’Hermès Paco Rabanne : 1 Million Hugo Boss : Boss Bottled Jean Paul Gaultier : Le Mâle Dior : Eau Sauvage YSL : La Nuit de l’Homme Giorgio Armani : Acqua di Gio Guerlain : Habit Rouge | Paco Rabanne : 1 Million Jean Paul Gaultier : Le Mâle Dior : Eau Sauvage Hermès : Terre d’Hermès Chanel : Bleu de Chanel YSL : La Nuit de l’Homme Dior : Dior Homme Hugo Boss : Boss Bottled Chanel : Allure Homme Sport YSL : L’Homme |
Please note, these figures exclude all flankers and fresh/intense editions, which is not usually the case when ranking the top 10 . If one had included these, then ‘Only the Brave’ (Diesel) would have joined the Top 10 at number 10.
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| 2014 | |
| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 | Paco Rabanne : Invictus Hugo Boss : Boss Bottled Paco Rabanne : 1 Million Jean Paul Gaultier : Le Mâle Chanel : Bleu de Chanel Hermès : Terre d’Hermès Dior : Eau Sauvage YSL : La Nuit de l’Homme Azzaro : Azzaro pour Homme Azzaro : Chrome |
Worthy of note is how Chanel and Hermes were able to achieve higher prices with their perfumes.
The sales of Dior Homme ‘Intense’ were nearly the equivalent of Dior ‘Homme’. Similarly, Hermes increased it sales thanks to the successful launch of ‘Terre d’Hermès Eau Très Fraîche’, a more citrussy version, presumably launched to compete with ‘Eau Sauvage’ (Dior), as both can be described as classic & fresh themes.
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Of the top 10 perfumes sold based on the number of bottles, it can clearly be seen that the most popular olfactory group amongst consumers is woody, with half of those on the list being of that variety. ‘Woody-Spicy’ were 3 of these 5. ‘Oriental’ were 2 of these 10 fragrances. Fragrances directions traditionally associated with male fragrances in France, ‘citrus’ and ‘aquatic’, were only represented by one fragrance each.
All of the male fragrances in France contain ‘citrus’ in their top notes, with ‘grapefruit’ and ‘bergamot’ dominating. Worthy of note is also the inclusion of ‘peppermint’ in a 3 top notes !
In the heart of the accords, dominate ‘woody’ and ‘spicy’ ingredients, with ‘cinnamon’ being present in 4 perfumes.
In terms of base notes, ‘patchouli’ can be found in 6 out of 10 accords and ‘cedar’ in 7 out of them.
Very few ingredients associated with the ‘gourmand’ trend, can be found within the Top 10 Male fragrances.
Even though one has traditionally associated the colour ‘blue’ with male fragrances, 6 out of 10 perfumes were a yellow or golden colour, whilst only 3 out of the 10 were blue.
The top two fragrances were launched within the last 5 years and the 3rd & 4th placed fragrances were brought to the market in the middle of the last decade. The fragrances in 5th and 6th place were launched approx. 10 years before that. The oldest two fragrances are both from the mid sixties, 1966 and 1965.
For 2015, ‘Invictus’ is in a strong position to maintain its leading position, simply because a large number of consumers have not yet discovered this fragrance, just as ‘Terre d’Hermès’ still has room for growth. ‘Bleu de Chanel’ increased its sales by over 18%, especially through the successful launch of its ‘eau de parfum’ version. Boss ‘Bottled’ expects that its new ‘Intense’ version will lead to success in 2015.
The above demonstrates that male fragrance market is nowadays more volatile and receptive to new product.
If you like these couture fragrances and would like your home to be inspired by these trends in France, then the PAIRFUM Collection is for you. We are a boutique perfumery house that specialises in bringing your favourite fragrances into the home environment.
Here at PAIRFUM we create perfume trends by bringing the outstanding fragrance ingredients in your home.
To experience this for yourself, you should discover one of our luxury scented candles, natural reed diffuser fragrances or room perfume sprays.
For example, PAIRFUM’s ‘Rich Spices’ was created around the ‘woody-spicy’ accord that is so dominat in French men’s fragrances. Equally, ‘Cedar Noir’ is based on the woody and ambery notes you find in ‘Invictus’. Alternatively, our ‘SPA’ perfume shares elements with the accord you find in ‘Acqua di Gio’. We developed ‘Bergamot & White Tea’ to be a modern interpretation of ‘Eau Sauvage’.
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Name: INVICTUS
By: Paco Rabanne
Year: 2013
Gender: Man
Olfactory group: Woody – Aquatic
Top Notes : Grapefruit, Marine
Heart Notes : Laurel, Gaiac Wood
Base Notes : Patchouli Note, Ambry Notes
Name: BLEU
By: Chanel
Year: 2010
Gender: Man
Olfactory group: Aromatic – Fresh
Top Notes : Nutmeg, Rose-bay, Peppermint, Lemon, Orange, Grapefruit
Heart Notes : Jasmine, Cedar, Vetiver, Ginger, Dry Notes
Base Notes : Labdanum Ciste, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Oliban
Name:TERRE D’HERMÈS
By: Hermès
Year: 2006
Gender: Man
Olfactory group: Woody – Spicy
Top Notes : Orange, Grapefruit, Flint
Heart Notes : Patchouli, Pepper, Rose-bay, Geranium Leaves
Base Notes : Benzoin, Vetiver, Atlas Cedar
Name: 1 MILLION
By: Paco Rabanne
Year: 2008
Gender: Man
Olfactory group: Woody – Spicy
Top Notes : Peppermint, Mandarin, Grapefruit
Heart Notes : Cinnamon, Rose Absolute, Spices
Base Notes : Patchouli, Amber, White Wood, Blond Leather
Name: BOSS Bottled
By: Hugo Boss
Year: 1998
Gender: Man
Olfactory group: Woody – Spicy
Top Notes : Apple, Plum, Bergamot, Lemon
Heart Notes : Carnation, Rosewood, Clove, Cinnamon
Base Notes : Vanilla, Cedar, Sandalwood, Vetiver
Name:LE MÂLE
By: Jean-Paul Gaultier
Year: 1995
Gender: Man
Olfactory group: Oriental (M) – Fougere
Top Notes : Lavender, Peppermint, Bergamot
Heart Notes : Orange Blossom, Cinnamon, Cumin
Base Notes : Vanilla, Cedar, Sandalwood, Tonka Bean
Name: EAU SAUVAGE
By: Dior
Year: 1966
Gender: Man
Olfactory group: Citrus (M) – Aromatic
Top Notes : Rosemary, Basil, Lemon, Petitgrain
Heart Notes : Jasmine, Carnation, Rose, Iris
Base Notes : Vetiver, Oakmoss, White Musks
Name: LA NUIT DE L’HOMME
By: Yves Saint Laurent
Year: 2009
Gender: Man
Olfactory group: Woody – Floral musk
Top Notes : Cardamom seed, Bergamot, Floral Notes
Heart Notes : Lavender, Virginia Cedar, Aromatic Notes
Base Notes : Vetiver, Coumarin
Name: ACQUA DI GIO POUR HOMME
By: Armani
Year: 1996
Gender: Man
Olfactory group: Aromatic – Aquatic
Top Notes : Bergamot, Lemon, Sweet Lime, Mandarin
Heart Notes : Cyclamen, Freesia, Coriander, Marine
Base Notes : Cedar, Patchouli, Oakmoss, White Musks
Name: HABIT ROUGE
By: Guerlain
Year: 1965
Gender: Man
Olfactory group: Oriental (M) – Woody
Top Notes : Rosewood, Bergamot, Lemon, Mandarin
Heart Notes : Carnation, Cedar, Patchouli, Cinnamon
Base Notes : Benzoin, Vanilla, Amber, Leather
Name: ALLURE HOMME SPORT
By: Chanel
Year: 2004
Gender: MAN
Olfactory group: WOODY – SPICY
Top Notes : Mandarin, Orange, Aquatic Note, Aldehydic
Heart Notes : Cedar, Pepper, Neroli
Base Notes : Vetiver, White Musks, Tonka Bean, Amber
Name: L’HOMME
By: Yves Saint Laurent
Year: 2006
Gender: MAN
Olfactory group: WOODY – FLORAL MUSK
Top Notes : Ozone, Ginger, Citrus
Heart Notes : Violet Blossom, Basil
Base Notes : Cedar, Sandalwood, Vetiver, Tonka Bean
Name: AZZARO POUR HOMME
By: Azzaro
Year: 1978
Gender: Man
Olfactory group: Aromatic – Fougere
Top Notes : Fennel, Lavender, Anise, Basil
Heart Notes : Patchouli, Sandalwood, Vetiver, Cardamom seed
Base Notes : Oakmoss, White Musks, Amber, Leather
Name: CHROME
By: Azzaro
Year: 1996
Gender: Man
Olfactory group: Citrus (M) – Aromatic
Top Notes : Rosemary, Ginger, Pineapple, Lemon, Petitgrain
Heart Notes : Jasmine, Cyclamen, Coriander, Iris
Base Notes : Cedar, Oakmoss, White Musks, Tonka Bean
Name: ONLY THE BRAVE
By: Diesel
Year: 2009
Gender: Man
Olfactory group: Oriental (M) – Woody
Top Notes : Lemon, Mandarin
Heart Notes : VIOLET Blossom, Cedar, Coriander
Base Notes : Labdanum Ciste, Styrax, Amber
Name: DIOR HOMME
By: Dior
Year: 2005
Gender: Man
Olfactory group: Woody – Floral Musk
Top Notes : Lavender, Sage, Bergamot
Heart Notes : Cocoa, Amber, Iris Concrète
Base Notes : Patchouli, Vetiver, Leather
Name: L’HOMME IDÉAL
By: Guerlain
Year: 2014
Gender: Man
Olfactory group: Oriental (M) – Woody
Top Notes : Orange Blossom, Rosemary, Citrusy Notes
Heart Notes : Tonka Bean, Almond
Base Notes : Vanilla, Cedar, Vetiver, Leather Accord
Name: TERRE D’HERMÈS EAU TRÈS FRAÎCHE
By: Hermès
Year: 2014
Gender: Man
Olfactory group: Citrus (M) – Aromatic
Top Notes : Aldehydic, Seville Orange
Heart Notes : Spicy Notes, Mineral Notes
Base Notes : Oakmoss, Woody Notes
Name: DIOR HOMME INTENSE
By: Dior
Year: 2007
Gender: Man
Olfactory group: Oriental (M) – Woody
Top Notes : Bergamot, Lavander Note
Heart Notes : Ambergris, Cocoa, Ambrette Seeds, Iris Concrète
Base Notes : Cedar, Patchouli, Vetiver, Leather
As the first of the sales figures for 2014 are coming in, we can see already in France that it brought a few surprises but equally that some trends are not disappearing yet. The market intelligence presented in this article originates from the ‘NPD Group’ and it was published by ChallengeS, a French magazine.
While in France the classic scents are suffering in the market, the Gourmand trend continues to charm female consumers and has not yet been overtaken by the ‘new woods’ and ‘chypres’, despite this being forecast.
The crown of the ‘best selling female fragrance’ in France goes to Lancôme’s ‘La Vie est Belle’, a sweet accord with caramel and cotton candy, with J’adore by Dior coming in second. And yet we also see a powdery floral note and a woody accords with hints of incense.
2014 was a better year for perfume than the previous ones. Indeed, after several years of decline, the market grew by 0.2%. Women’s fine fragrances fared the best, with a 0.6% rise in value. However, when analysing the volumes, the market shows a 3% decrease in the number of product units sold. Hence, the progress in the market can be attributed to higher prices.
Beyond the excellent results of La Vie est Belle (Guerlain), L’Oreal succeeded with the best launch of 2014 with Black Opium d’Yves Saint Laurent.
| 2014 | 2013 | |
| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 | Lancôme : La vie est belle Dior : J’adore Guerlain : La petite Robe noire Chanel : Coco Mademoiselle Chanel : N°5 Yves Saint Laurent : Opium Thierry Mugler : Angel Dior : Miss Dior Guerlain : Shalimar Kenzo : Flower by Kenzo | Dior : J’adore Guerlain : La petite Robe noire Lancôme : La vie est belle Chanel : N°5 Thierry Mugler : Angel Chanel : Coco Mademoiselle Dior : Miss Dior Guerlain : Shalimar Kenzo : Kenzo : Flower by Kenzo YSL : Parisienne |
In this list, the sales of Opium increased because the sales of Black Opium are included in the figure. La Petite Robe Noire by Guerlain retained its position in the top 3 thanks to the inclusion of La petite Robe Noire Couture in its figures proved to be the second most successful launch of the year. Miss Dior maintained its position in the top 10 due to the success of Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet.
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| 2014 | |
| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 | Lancôme : La vie est belle Dior : J’adore Chanel : Coco Mademoiselle Guerlain : La petite Robe noire Chanel : N°5 Thierry Mugler : Angel Yves Saint Laurent : Black Opium Guerlain : Shalimar Kenzo : Flower by Kenzo Armani : Si |
Black Opium made a remarkable entry into the top 10. This augurs well for an entry into the top 5, or even top 3 in 2015. Si d’Armani achieved the biggest progressed compared to the previous year, with an increase of more than 75%. The fragrance Repetto saw a noteworthy increase of more than 30% !
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These figures confirm that the Gourmand fragrances are still of the greatest interest to consumers. Despite the claims by forecasting agencies last year, there are few signs that the gourmand trend is giving way to Woody and Chypre Accords.
Another observation is that the classics are struggling. For example, despite a new advertising campaign Angel’s place in the market declined. Chanel No. 5 has been overtaken by Coco Mademoiselle. The new advertising campaign with Gisele Bündchen and the relaunching of l’Eau Première therefore had no real effect on the declining sales of Chanel No. 5.
The market is dominated by Oriental scents (1 perfume in 2 in value terms), followed by Floral scents, closely followed in third by Chypre. Of the top 10, 6 were Oriental, 2 were Floral and 2 were Chypre. The rise of Chypre-Fruity is noticeable.
Delving a little deeper into the notes themselves, Bergamot is the most popular top note, as it is included in half of the top 10 French perfumes of 2014. Top notes containing Red Fruits (in various forms) are worthy of note. Rose & Jasmin combination are not surprisingly, still very popular in the heart of accords. Vanilla can be found in 9 out of the 10 perfumes as a base note, which demonstrates its continuing popularity with consumers. Patchouli, a woody note, features heavily, with its inclusion in 7 out of the top 10 fragrances – most commonly as a base note.
In tough economic times, consumers continue to prefer new products. Whilst the number of fragrances launched continues to increase, the market generally remains stagnant with little or no growth. In a saturated market, the perfume houses are reviving their products, either in terms of products/fragrance, presentation/image or the purchase experience itself.
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If you love the latest couture fragrance trends in France, then you should definitely try the perfumes within the PAIRFUM Collection. It is the only boutique perfumery house that brings all of the fragrances trends into your home.
Here at PAIRFUM we interpret fine fragrance trends and adapt the outstanding perfume ingredients to work in your home. The expertise required is completely different to creating perfumes for your skin, which is one of the reasons why the couture perfume house do not offer room fragrances.
Try one of our luxury perfumes candles, natural reed diffusers or room perfume sprays and you will experience it for yourself.
One phrase we hear time and time again from our customers: “PAIRFUM’s perfumes do not smell like room fragrances , they smell like Couture Perfumes that you would love to wear”.
For example, PAIRFUM’s ‘Black Orchid’ shares a lot of ingredients with ‘La Vie Est Belle’. Equally, ‘Orangerie Blossoms’ has been created with the accord that ‘J’Adore’ is based on and our ‘White Sandalwood’ compares well with ‘Coco Mademoiselle’.
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Name: LA VIE EST BELLE
By: Lancôme
Year: 2012
Gender: Woman
Olfactory Groups: Oriental – Floral
Top Notes: Pear, Blackcurrant, Aldehyde
Heart Notes: Orange Blossom, Jasmine, Iris
Base Notes: Vanilla, Praline, Patchouli, Tonka Bean
Name: J’ADORE
By: Dior
Year: 1999
Gender: Woman
Olfactory Groups: Floral – Fruity
Top Notes: Violet Blossom, Champaca
Heart Notes: Rose, Orchid, Plum
Base Notes: Vanilla, Blackberry, White Musks, Amarath Wood
Name: LA PETITE ROBE NOIRE
By: Guerlain
Year: 2012
Gender: Woman
Olfactory Groups: Oriental – Floral
Top Notes: Almond, Cherry, Bergamot, Red Fruits
Heart Notes: Rose, Licorice, Lapsang Leaves, Black Tea
Base Notes: Vanilla, Patchouli, Iris, Tonka Bean
Name: COCO MADEMOISELLE
By: Chanel
Year: 2001
Gender: Woman
Olfactory Groups: Chypre – Floral
Top Notes: Bergamot, Orange
Heart Notes: Jasmine, Rose
Base Notes: Vanilla, Patchouli, Vetiver, White Musks
Name: N°5
By: Chanel
Year: 1921
Gender: Woman
Olfactory Groups: Floral – Aldehyde
Top Notes: Bergamot, Lemon, Aldehyde Notes, Neroli
Heart Notes: Jasmine, Rose, Ylang Ylang, Lily-of-the-Valley, Iris
Base Notes: Vanilla, Sandalwood, Vetiver, Amber
Name: OPIUM
By: Yves Saint Laurent
Year: 1977
Gender: Woman
Olfactory Groups: Oriental – Spicy
Top Notes: Cinnamon, Pimento, Pepper, Orange
Heart Notes: Jasmine, Carnation, Rose, Ylang Ylang
Base Notes: Benzoin, Vanilla, Oppoponax, Patchouli
Name: ANGEL
By: Thierry Mugler
Year: 1992
Gender: Woman
Olfactory Groups: Oriental – Vanilla
Top Notes: Bergamot, Mandarin
Heart Notes: Passion Fruit, Peach, Apricot
Base Notes: Vanilla, Caramel, Patchouli, Chocolate
Name: MISS DIOR
By: Dior
Year: 2005
Gender: Woman
Olfactory Groups: Chypre – Fruity
Top Notes: Violet leaves, Strawberry Leaves, Green Mandarin
Heart Notes: Wild Strawberry, Pink Jasmine, Pop-corn
Base Notes: Patchouli, Crystalline Musk
Name: SHALIMAR
By: Guerlain
Year: 1925
Gender: Woman
Olfactory Groups: Oriental – Vanilla
Top Notes: Cedar, Bergamot, Lemon, Mandarin
Heart Notes: Jasmine, Rose, Patchouli, Iris
Base Notes: Peru Balsam, Benzoin, Vanilla, Leather
Name: FLOWER BY KENZO
By: Kenzo
Year: 2000
Gender: Woman
Olfactory Groups: Oriental – Floral
Top Notes: Hawthorn, Blackcurrant
Heart Notes: Violet Blossom, Jasmine, Rose
Base Notes: Vanilla, Oppoponax, White Musks
Name: BLACK OPIUM
By: Yves Saint Laurent
Year: 2014
Gender: Woman
Olfactory Groups: Oriental – Spicy
Top Notes: Pink Pepper, Orange Blossom, Pear
Heart Notes: Jasmine, Coffee
Base Notes: Vanilla, Patchouli, Cedar
Name: SÌ
By: Armani
Year: 2013
Gender: Woman
Olfactory groups: Chypre – Fruity
Top Notes : Freesia, Blackcurrant
Heart Notes : Rose, Patchouli
Base Notes : Vanilla, Blond Wood, Orcanox
Name: LA PETITE ROBE NOIRE COUTURE
By: Guerlain
Year: 2014
Gender: Woman
Olfactory Groups: Chypre – Fruity
Top Notes : Raspberry, Bergamot
Heart Notes : Rose, Floral Notes
Base Notes : Patchouli, Vetiver, Oakmoss, Tonka Bean
Name: MISS DIOR BLOOMING BOUQUET
By: Dior
Year: 2014
Gender: Woman
Olfactory Groups: Floral – Fruity
Top Notes : Mandarin
Heart Notes : Rose, Peony, Peach, Apricot
Base Notes : White Musks
Name: PARISIENNE
by: Yves Saint Laurent
Year: 2009
Gender: WOMAN
Olfactory groups: Floral – Woody Musk
Top Notes : Blackberry, Vinyl Accord, Cranberry
Heart Notes : Violet Blossom, Rose, Peony, Leather, Powdery
Base Notes : Patchouli, Sandalwood, Vetiver, White Musks
Name: REPETTO
by: Repetto
Year: 2013
Gender: WOMAN
Olfactory groups: Floral – Fruity
Top Notes : Pear, Cherry blossom
Heart Notes : Rose, Orange Blossom Absolute
Base Notes : Vanilla, Amberwood
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