Page 32 - Sphere No.14 (Jul 2005)

ranks. Primarily a good Nose needs a keen
sense of smell, able to distinguish not only
between the fragrance of different flowers,
but also between oils of the same species
of plant cultivated in different countries.
A truly great perfume takes time and
plenty of patience. Surrounded by bottles
of precious essential oils, the perfumer
slowly builds the fragrance. During the
blending, he or she may dip long pieces
of blotting paper, known as mouillettes,
into the solution and put them aside to
dry. At intervals these strips are sniffed to
determine what should be added to the
final composition. A good fragrance
develops over time. Applied to the skin,
the fragrance has an initial impact of ‘top
notes’ which last 5-10 minutes. Then
comes the bouquet, the heart or middle
note. This is the scent that emerges once
the fragrance has blended with a person’s
unique skin chemistry and normally
takes up to 20 minutes to fully develop.
The final expression of a scent is the base
note, which is how the fragrance will
finally smell on a person.
As Grasse became the centre for raw
materials, so Paris became its commer-
cial counterpoint and the world centre
for perfume. Houses such as Houbigant,
Lubin, Roger & Gallet and Guerlain
were all based in Paris during this peri-
od. Changing tastes in the 19th century
laid the foundation of modern per-
fumery as alchemy gave way to chem-
istry and the end of the century herald-
ed the first real era of fragrance as we
know it. Synthetic perfume products
took the place of hard to find or expen-
sive ingredients. Single flower scents, so
popular at the turn of the century, were
replaced by floral bouquets, which in
turn gave way to the more abstract fra-
grances that we are familiar with today.
Perhaps the first truly modern per-
fume was Chanel’s No.5. Launched in
1921 and so named because it was the
fifth in a line of fragrances Ernest Beaux
DID YOU KNOW?
The French Emperor
Napoleon had two
quarts of violet cologne
delivered to him
every week and he
is said to have used 60
bottles of double extract of
jasmine every month.
“THE MAIN PURCHASERS of fragrance are men buying for women,” says Anne, a
frontline sales person for Nuance-Watson at Hong Kong International Airport.
“Generally they are buying fragrance as a present for their wives or girlfriends
and many buy gift sets that offer better savings.” While the image of a harried
businessman buying a last-minute gift may be stereotypical, Anne says that many
men are savvy shoppers, carefully choosing a fragrance for its scent, and paying
particular attention to the brand and – importantly – the price.
“Current fragrance favourites are Bvlgari Aqua for men, and Be Delicious by
DKNY for women” says Anne. “It is a fruity fragrance that appeals to younger
women. It’s been a big hit and has definitely benefited from lots of advertising sup-
port,” she explains. “Fashion is a huge influence in the fine fragrance marketplace.
Dior, Gucci, Bvlgari are all very popular. The appearance of the bottle is also cru-
cial,” she continues. “Many people collect fragrances for the bottles as much as for
the scent. And a big develop-
ment recently has been the
growth in celebrity endorse-
ments – a prime example
being Nicole Kidman’s recent
campaign for Chanel No.5.”
“At the end of the day,
some fragrances just have
longevity – scents like Chanel
No.5, Dior’s J'Adore and
Lancome’s Miracle just sell
and sell. It’s a magical combi-
nation of the scent, the brand
and the presentation that just
can't be bettered!”
PHOTO TOP LEFT: OTHK/MASTERFILE/RICK GOMEZ
CHOOSING THE PERFECT FRAGRANCE
S PHERE 30