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Browsing by tag: naturals vs synthetics

Very close to natural sandalwood

Posted by Robin on 6 November 2023 Leave a Comment

“Consumers are more conscious and concerned about the impact of what they buy and how products are produced,” says François-Raphaël Balestra, perfumer and director of new-ingredients discovery at DSM-Firmenich. One of the house’s ingredients is Dreamwood, a lab-grown iteration of sandalwood that has made its way into popular scents like Jean Paul Gaultier Scandal Le Parfum and Rabanne Fame. “Olfactorily speaking, Dreamwood is very close to natural sandalwood oil,” he says. “It is less smoky and thus more creamy, but it has the same long-lasting effect as sandalwood and is of course more sustainable.”

— Read more in These New Perfumes are Pushing the Boundaries of Scent Science at Harper's Bazaar.

The complete language between the botanicals and our body

Posted by Robin on 25 May 2021 4 Comments

I’m a true believer in the complexity of natural ingredients. I feel that if I do not use them, people will not like my scents. When I smell synthetic molecules—and some are fascinating—I believe that you get an idea that you are smelling something beautiful or magnetic but the pheromones are not being released and time is not being altered. You are missing the complete language between the botanicals and our body.

— Julian Bedel talks to Cool Hunting about his brand, Fueguia 1833. Read more in Fragrance Brand Fueguia 1833 Founder Julian Bedel On The Inspiring Science Behind Scent.

They don’t smell like the true flower

Posted by Robin on 13 September 2018 2 Comments

What she wants in her perfume instead is the smell of fresh, living flowers – in nature, not ones that have been cut and cooked. She explains: “this is why I work with the molecular, with what we call in perfumery ‘head space technology’. It’s living technology which allows the perfumer to work with the true living smell of nature. I don’t work with oils or absolutes that, at the end – what are they? I don’t see why I should work with said ‘natural ingredients’ because if they don’t smell like the true flower, why should I work with them?"

— Cartier perfumer Mathilde Laurent on preferring synthetic over natural. Read more at Cartier’s perfumer on creating “a ray of fragrance” at Harpers Bazaar.

Our Modern Lives Red, Alpha & Beta ~ fragrance reviews

Posted by Jessica on 16 March 2018 6 Comments

If you’re a fan of indie perfumer Sarah McCartney, creator of 4160 Tuesdays, you may already know that she recently introduced a new collection called Our Modern Lives. The collection includes seven all-natural botanical perfumes named for colors and moods, plus two synthetic, hypoallergenic fragrances that can be worn alone or layered with the naturals. It’s an ingenious concept. With this collection, we’re able to choose or combine at will.

I’m slowly working my way through Our Modern Lives’ spectrum of natural fragrances; at the moment, Red (whose mood is “Gratitude” and theme is “Harvest”) is my favorite…

Read the rest of this article »

A million arguments for and against a real rose

Posted by Robin on 18 January 2018 Leave a Comment

When you’re a novice, you presume that every ingredient comes from a flower or a field, but some are now bio-mimicry. My reaction to that type of thing is, “Oh, my God, it’s terrible. It’s the devil. What is that? Synthetic?”

But when you consider water sourcing or shipping halfway across the world, there are a million arguments for and against a real rose and a bio-mimicked rose being better for the planet. So you try to make the more mindful decision.

— From Stella McCartney on scents, responsibility and the relaunch of her Peony fragrance at the Los Angeles Times.

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