Tried capturing a fragrance? It sure must have escaped you. That whiff has travelled from pulse points to candles to essential bath oils and beyond. Enter any of the Sheraton hotels and you?ll get enveloped by the smells of jasmine, clove and fig in their lobbies; step into the famed Jimmy Choo shoe stores, you?ll catch the wafts of cardamom and ivy, not leather. And the upper crust car company Cadillac infuses interiors with a custom scent called Nuance to ensure that its models don?t smell like any new car.
Even as marketeers reap benefits of scent marketing, people are trying hard to find fragrances to define themselves. ?In the ?80s, people preferred strong fragrances? the ?90s witnessed an inclination for more personal fragrances. The principle was ? You wore the fragrance. The fragrance didn?t wear you. Presently, people are demanding a fragrance to define their individuality,? explains fragrance consultant Danny Ventura. With the Jean Paul Gaultier, Isse Miyake and Narciso Rodriguez lines of fragrances to boast of on his CV, Ventura himself has a little over 10 personal favouritefragrances.
That he knows his subject well is an easy guess. ?Interestingly, not many people know how to select perfumes,? he says. ?You need to wear a perfume for at least 45 minutes before figuring out what it really smells like. And instead of smelling it on the card, always apply it on your body to check.? The Top Note of the perfume is what you smell first. The Base Note comes into play only later on. That is what gives character and soul to the fragrance. Ever opened the cupboard to be pleasantly surprised by a nice fragrance? Well, if you remember, that?s the perfume you were wearing for dinner last weekend. Thank the pullover you took off and kept there then!
The curative properties of fragrances are well known. For herbal queen Shahnaz Husain ?fragrance is the most luxurious aid that can be used in grooming.? Husain prefers only fragrant essential oils like sandalwood oil, rose oil, neroli and lavender in her products. ?They are extremely effective for inducing relaxation of both body and mind. Before you realise it, they have calmed your nerves, have reduced your stress level and lifted up your spirits,? she says, confessing her weakness for ?Angel Innocent by Thierry Mugler.?
Husain isn?t alone. International brands are conveniently making space for themselves on the Indian shelves. MKP, the sole distributors of international brands like Police, Van Gils, Pal Zileri, Hugo, Dunhill, Mont Blanc, has been keeping well in pace with the 20% year on year industry growth. And if estimates are to be believed, ?out of the 250 million Indian middle class, only 30 million use fragrances,? says Ventura. Need one add that the market potential is clearly big?
?The Indian consumer is steadily getting more brandcentric. They understand that quality comes at a price. I feel the time is just ripe for the international fragrance brands to enter the Indian market. Today, India is a priority market for the beauty business and most fragrances are being launched in India simultaneously. Moreover, organised retail is moving out of the metros to Tier II and Tier III cities,? says Naresh Gurnani, GM, MKP Distributors.
Yatan Ahluwalia can?t agree more. The director and head, operations, Y & E Style that markets Susan?s Soaps and More in India is buoyant with the warm welcome his niche products have received here. He is ?convinced that good fragrances compel people to spend.? In a market where most perfumes are a concoction of alcohol, distilled water and essential oils, he decided to take the purist way. The completely natural and hand-made tag served as the USP of Susan?s solid perfumes. ?Unlike the other fragrances, these solid perfumes can be applied all over the body and can easily stay up to 16 hours. We are planning to get in more fragrances soon,? he shares.
While you wait for more to come from the international stable, find out how best to keep your favourite perfumes. In case you are wondering which is the best place to keep your fragrances, allow Ventura to give away the little secret ? ?where else but your refrigerator ? that?s the coolest place you can find in Indian homes.?
There are other lesser-known secrets as well that he willingly shares. ?Most people wear perfumes on their necks. That?s just not the right place and neither are your armpits. You should wear it lower down ? behind the knees, on your thighs? It then gradually envelops you.?
Also, note that heat, light, air and age are the biggest enemies of a fragrance. So, use yours within 24 months of opening.
Considering the feel-good factor fragrances promise, need one make it last that long? Certainly not!
