It’s apt that a company named Nautica (a Coty brand) is releasing a water-based, “aquatic” perfume called Oceans; however, the big story is not the smell of Nautica Oceans, but the way the fragrance is made. Nautica Oceans uses a patent-pending micro-emulsion technology developed by perfumer Michel Mane (Mane USA) that “allows for a concentrated oil load of up to 20 percent to be built into water-based fragrances” (water-based scents usually only have 2-3 percent oil in the formulation).1 Nautica Oceans uses a 10 percent oil load and Nautica has exclusive use of the Mane technology for two years.
Nautica Oceans has impeccable green credentials: its ingredients and packaging are biodegradable (the fully recyclable outer carton is made from 30 percent post consumer recycled fibers and is produced with wind energy in a carbon neutral facility) and Nautica supports Oceana.2 (The only non-green aspect to Nautica Oceans is its two-year exclusive rights agreement with Mane — why not let as many perfumers and fragrance companies as possible use this “cleaner” perfume technology?)3
Nautica Oceans contains ocean air, lemon tonic, sea salt rose, lavender reef, geranium, amber crystals, teak and Regatta Accord. What does Nautica Oceans smell like? I could respond in two ways…
Several online sources today indicate that Catherine Zeta-Jones will launch a signature perfume, although it appears that all that has happened so far is that she has applied for a trademark for a line of beauty products in her own name…