Art or a cruel industry?
There's a dual nature in this world. For each perfume launched, we're talking about a form of art, a lenghty process of creation. The magicians are the artists or rather, scientists that go by the name "Nose", or parfumeurs. They can be self-taught or trained in Grasse, France, the centre of the Europen perfume world. They are seen as genuine creative artists at the same time as scientists working with formulae, measuring tiny proportions of rare natural or human-made materials, and basically experimenting for the final result, "the juice".
It is not all fun and games, though! Behind this naive scene there is a huge industry: the Flavour and Fragrance industry. With only a few top players in this field such as Givaudan, Firmenich, IFF, Symrise and Takasago, we can easily feel overwhelmed and "tricked". Are we taling about art of an industrial production? The same perfumeurs lend their skills to the same few large enterprises, they create designer fragrances as well as the perfume ingredient for FMCG products. You never know, your fabric softener's easy-breezy scent could have been concocted by one of the perfume industry's stars!
The "niche" or indie companies are multiplying every year to bring something individual, where the creators promise to bring us a genuine product of art, born from their thoughts and dreams. Many fragheads prefer these houses as what a smaller business means is less mass marketing, no mass production, a slower creative process. I would say, niche houses launching new perfumes at a steadier pace are almost "slow perfumes" as opposed to the fast paced FF industry world.
Some niche perfumeurs, such as the very approachable and down-to-earth Andy Tauer at his Tauer Perfumes, add a hand-written note to the order. Andy Tauer also does most of the phases of the production himself, to keep costs down - I believe, also because he enjoys doing it. We will never feel so special when buying a bottle of designer perfume in a Sephora, right?
Should we all go for the nice brands then? I don't think so. Remember, the same perfumers are working for the big ones - as well as the newest niche house. Sometimes the Nose has signed a contract where the identity of the creator will always be handled business confidential.
What else shall we consider then? There's the old debate of natural versus synthetic notes. Do niche houses use only natural ingredients? Are naturals better than synthetic ones? Are synthetic notes evil? No, no and no. Some natural materials are much more complex than what we could ever create. There are synthetic scents being born every day though, so you never know! Some synthetic notes were invented to replace a natural note in order to protect the natural environment (flora and fauna alike). Some synthetic notes are making us less prone to the allergic reactions that we often hear about when talking about perfumes. This is a long story that I will deal with in more depth - what is clear is there is no right or wrong here.
The speedy industrial players launching "designer" perfumes and their new versions - "flankers" - faster each year - they still create masterpieces. At the same time, not all niche fragrances are outstanding and perhaps only a few will charm you as you wish them to. As always, the best is to go with your follow your heart, or perhaps even more, your nose. You are not going to wear the price tag or the label, just the fragrance. One piece of advice though - always steer clear of fake perfumes. You never know what cheap, harmful or contaminated liquid you spray on your skin.
