Cartier has got the perfect scented candles to accompany you through the new year. More than a treat for the olfactory senses, these Écrins Parfumés candles also serve as chic objets d’art that instantly elevate any living space. A celebration of the art of fine objects, which Cartier is most known for apart from its jewellery-making savoir-faire, the Maison also puts the spotlight on its perfumery division.
Created by Cartier’s in-house perfumer Mathilde Laurent, the quartet of scented candles aims to invoke a sense of relaxation, escapism and dreaminess. “Four candles designed by Cartier perfumer Mathilde Laurent that are capable of conjuring up a landscape and a sense of vastness, while also connecting us to nature,” Cartier shares in a press release.
“Through smoke, the origin of perfume, I wanted to offer the possibility to create amazing landscapes, real or imaginary, at home. By lighting the Écrins Parfumés, we can rediscover the joy of moments spent in nature and invite everyone to enter into this unexplored sensory world of fragrance,” explains Laurent on the intent behind the collection.
The wax component of the candle is housed in a porcelain casing and features Cartier’s emblematic red hue. Its shape is also modelled after its iconic gift boxes, and you will also see its garland motif surrounding the name of each candle. Coming in four scents: Pétales (Petals), Désert (Desert), Canopée (Canopy) and Neige (Snow); while each candle exudes a distinct fragrance, the through line of the collection is its nod to the beauty of nature.
Pétales
Captures a meadow filled with thousands of flowers, a floral explosion for the senses and a bouquet as vast as a field that has its scents wafted by the fresh morning ennoble the perfumes.
Désert
The image of endless dunes warmed by the sun’s rays. A sea of sand traversed by a slow, soft and warm amber breeze.
Canopée
The feeling of soaring high above the treetops. A fresh and vibrant expanse of green woodland with a rich, varied and complex aroma carried by the fresh wind.
Neige
The discovery of a snowy white immenseness atop which the sun diffracts its rays, bathing the landscape in a soft pinkish glow, shrouded with frosty, ozone, fresh, crystalline and musky notes.
When lighting each candle individually or in combination with the others, the aromatic notes blend flawlessly to conjure a poetic dreamscape. “Freshness, warmth, greenness, softness, lightness: everything blends together, everything is possible and new.”
XL matches, a panther lighter or Diabolo de Cartier candle holders complement this olfactory delight.
Canopée, Désert and Pétales will launch in February 2023 while Neige will be released at a later date. Get the candles in stores or online here.
Enriched by centuries of artistry and expertise, the world of perfumery is one immersed in secrecy, tradition and artisanal values. For those who love fine fragrances, discovering a perfume that speaks to your soul is a precious moment — such scents become extensions of the personality, capable of communicating so much about the wearer in myriad subtle and multisensory ways.
Despite its closely guarded heritage and illusions of old-fashioned luxury values, perfumery is subject to the same whims of fashion, changing trends and evolving landscape as any other industry. However, the past few years have seen perfumery trends transforming the scene like never before, with consumers worldwide driving forward new concepts which have been heard loud and clear by the world’s biggest fragrance brands, as well as a number of smaller boutique producers keen to ride the winds of change.
Maison 21G, the Parisian house of bespoke Haute couture perfumery, has built a unique business model upon this changing landscape. Reflecting profound new ideas of what the perfume industry should be for a new generation, it’s a fascinating time to explore the latest trends in the world of scent, and consider what they tell us about the demands and expectations of an awakened audience; those who are seeking more from their beloved brands.
Be bold and get inspired by the latest trends to make your own exclusive scent.
According to Maison 21G founder and visionary scent designer Johanna Monange, the perfume industry — while still imbued in the time-honoured values of luxury, opulence and sophistication — is rapidly embracing trends which put the individual and experience first.
She claims this is best exemplified by the rise of “Parfum d’Exception” — a highly dynamic segment of perfumery that is typified by an emphasis on the signature, the bespoke, the artisanal and the exclusive. Simply put, today’s savvy perfume consumers are increasingly disillusioned by the off-the-shelf brands created with mass appeal in mind. More so than ever before, individuals wish to purchase scents with a niche appeal, made from rare and precious ingredients in smaller or limited quantities.
The evidence for this sea of change in perfumery is everywhere. The world’s biggest perfume groups have invested considerably into acquiring or creating haute perfumery brands, formulating unique exclusive collections under labels designed to appeal to more selective audiences.
From Puig’s acquisition of Penhaligon’s, and more recently Byredo, to LVMH with Maison Francis Kurdjan, and from Manzanita Capital’s success with Diptyque to Estee Lauder with Tom Ford, Le Labo and Frederic Malle, the rise in these boutique labels and their rapidly-ascending popularity is far from insignificant. It speaks strongly of a new generation of perfume fans looking to make their mark via the scents they choose, and a willingness to develop their own individual “scent wardrobes” to reflect their changing moods, different sides of themselves, the exploration of new ingredients, and their attraction to the unique and experiential.
Storytelling Through Scent
It’s increasingly well-understood that millennial and Gen Z consumers value authenticity, sustainability and experience above all things, and this enthusiasm for unique ingredients, craftsmanship and personalisation informs so much of their consumer choices.
Perfumery has the power to weave stories through scent, revealing facets of personality and communicating moods, as well as showcasing the unique aspects of one’s individual tastes. More so than ever, consumers in the 21st century are selecting their perfumes based upon these criteria — seeking out fragrances that enhance aspects of themselves, mark them out from the crowd, and unveil their true spirits in ways that mass-produced, common denominator-baiting releases could never possibly achieve.
In many ways, this is perhaps the most significant of all the current perfumery trends across the globe today. Bringing experiential consumerism into the world of scent — either through selecting from limited-edition releases, artisan-made fragrances, or creating signature scents at personalised perfumery houses like Maison 21G — is separating millennial and Gen Z audiences from those who came before.
It also goes to explain how and why consumers today are selecting scents made from different — often unusual and rare — ingredients than those which came before. Market analysts in the world of perfume have noticed a significant uptick in the popularity of perfumes made to express the true nature of exotic woods (such as cedar, oud, vetiver and sandalwood), deeply sensual and mystical ingredients including incense, cannabis, myhrre and amber, and new floral notes such as osmanthus, frangipani or gardenia which have moved out of the niche and more into the public consciousness.
Goodbye, Gender Separation
It’s impossible to ignore or overlook the significance of the shift in attitudes towards gender, identity and sexuality in the 21st century — a revolution in self-expression is underway like never before, and it’s rapidly changing the perfumery landscape and the scents new audiences are drawn to.
Simply put, for a sizeable proportion of millennial and gen Z consumers, the gender separation in perfumery (the classic Pour Femme and Pour Homme divide) is obsolete. As in the world of fashion, boutique and bespoke perfumes have rid themselves of gendered divides, celebrating more gender-neutral and versatile ingredients beloved by every and all genders, as found at Maison21G with their innovative gender-fluid scent bar.
These are centred around aquatic and fluid, natural citrus green notes, sensual and florals that revel in sexual dynamism, exotic woods, intensely leathery or resinous ambery notes. Prized for their flexibility and capable of bringing out fascinating facets of men and women wearers alike, it’s an exciting time for so many precious ingredients to shine like never before.
The Asian Powerhouse of Change
Asian perfumery has a long and proud history, with artisans in China pioneering the use of countless ingredients throughout the ages that still form a cornerstone of fragrance today.
In the 21st century, Asian olfactive trends continue to play a key role in the way perfumery is changing worldwide, and the Chinese market, in particular, has awakened to a new age of scent… with bespoke, exclusive and unique ingredients taking centre stage.
The types of ingredients currently being selected by sophisticated consumers in China have revealed a fascinating — and trendsetting — insight into current perfumery trends in Asia. Chinese perfume fans are opting for perfumes that exude plenty of purity (typified by essences including vibrant citrus notes as well as ozonic characteristics, tea inflections, fluid floral extracts of gardenia, orris, muguet and white musk, and marine notes with plenty of minerality), simple natural characteristics of rose, peony and vegetal flourishes, and smoky and creamy woods and spices.
There are plenty of emerging notes coming to the foreground in contemporary Chinese perfumery too, signalling an innovative approach that sets these scents apart from the norm. Addictive new fragrances featuring notes of pine, fruits such as watermelon and peach, Cognac and other spirits, inky inflections, forest fragrances and soya are all becoming part of the modern Chinese perfumery palette.
A Sustainable Model for a Brighter Future
The other identifiable trend in contemporary perfumery? Sustainability, and perfume with a clearer conscience.
Today’s consumers are more aware than any that have come before when it comes to ecological issues, reducing one’s footprint, and selecting brands based upon their sustainable credentials. It’s a factor that many of the larger brands — so set in their ways, and with systems in place designed to cut corners, reduce costs, and mass produce — are struggling to keep up with.
Smaller boutique brands, on the other hand, have leapt at the opportunity to reshape their industry with transparency and sustainability at their core. From insisting on recyclable and reusable packaging and bottles, to setting up ethical supply chains with trusted producers of perfumery ingredients, these factors are far more than gestures or the adoption of a trend: they’re a new model for a brighter, cleaner and safer perfumery scene, protecting its most precious assets for the generations to come. This is the new vision of perfumery that Maison 21G has fought for since its first day of creation.
Hand in hand with this commitment to sustainability is a dedication to producing “cleaner” perfumes, too. Maison 21G, which is pioneering in its promise of CMR-free, phthalates-free, preservative-free, vegan and cruelty-free perfumes, are being enthusiastically embraced by a new generation of fragrance fans. It’s a key crossover point between the worlds of scent and wellness — consumers today demand the highest quality from their chosen brands, and a significant aspect of this comes down to feeling their safety and wellbeing is at the heart of a perfume brand’s promise.
New Trends Create New Futures
Trends — in the world of perfumery, as well as in all other industries — have a tendency to come and go. However, when a trend is based upon a greater good rather than on the frivolities, it has the power to transform industries and mindsets, forming a new world in its image.
By breaking down barriers that divide genders, by championing individuality and expression, and by insisting on safer, more sustainable practices and standards for quality and ecology, the nature of Parfum d’Exception signals a brighter perfumery industry for all.
The future isn’t just golden… It boasts the sweet scent of liberation and self-expression.
To get the latest updates on Maison 21G, do follow the Instagram @maison21g or Tiktok @maison21gparis.
The fragrance industry has always had a complicated relationship with climate change and sustainability. Microplastics from packaging and formulations pollute oceans and harm wildlife; palm oil plantations drive deforestation, decimating habitats and endangering species, and volatile organic compounds (VOGs) like ethanol play a devastating role in ozone pollution and the quality of our health.
As the clean beauty movement inspires more purpose-driven brands that focus on sustainability and inclusivity, luxury perfume houses are working to combat this issue by making eco-friendly fragrances a reality; either through biodegradable packaging, a focus on social responsibility or the increasing use of synthetic methods.
What Does It Mean To Be Sustainable?
Image: Mizu
As with defining sustainability in any area of consumerism, what constitutes a “sustainable perfume” is constantly evolving. There’s no legal definition of what makes a fragrance sustainable, so many factors come into consideration for producers of perfume and conscious shoppers.
“There’s no true, objective, quantitative assessment of sustainability that’s really standardised or universally accepted,” explains Neil Burns, CEO of P2 Science, a renewable speciality chemicals producer. “My conviction is that sustainability is a mindset that drives every single step of the creation of a fragrance,” master perfumer Aurélien Guichard tells us. As the nose behind countless celebrated fragrances — from Gucci Guilty to Narciso by Narciso Rodriguez — he emphasises how sustainability in perfumery is not just about the finished product.
Image: Aurelien Guichard
“By definition, our craft as perfumers is deeply linked with nature,” Guichard says. “It’s in our philosophy to preserve what inspires us and provides us with our ingredients.” He feels “it’s the perfumer’s responsibility to carefully source the ingredients that will enter formulas”. Ergo, Guichard both grows his own perfume plants using organic, cruelty-free and sustainable methods of production.
As well as accessing natural ingredients that are produced responsibly, the industry offers increasing access to new synthetic ingredients produced according to green chemistry principles (these include, “ingredients produced sustainable and upcycled from waste,” he explains)
Organic perfumes are made from 100 per cent naturally-sourced ingredients — usually plant-based — and extracted without chemical intervention. In general, they define organic as being physically obtained from plants using distillation, expression and extraction. These are usually free from toxins, pesticides and chemicals.
Today, there are more perfumes with natural formulations than ever. Acqua di Parma‘s Colonia Futura uses a composition made up of 99 per cent natural-origin ingredients. Hermetica, another perfume house, has completely replaced alcohol in its formulations with Innoscent, a hybrid compound that combines natural and nature-derived molecules to reveal the heart of the perfume more efficiently.
However, like anything else, organic perfumes have their downsides. Nature, as wonderful as it is, only has a finite amount of resources to give us in terms of beauty ingredients — these aren’t as sustainable, especially when you need large amounts of said plant to produce a product on an industrial scale. The resources it takes to produce them can have a devastating effect on the environment. For example, in order to produce a single pound of lavender essential oil, it takes roughly 250 pounds of lavender, while producing the same amount of rose can take roughly 10,000 pounds of rose petals.
Another natural ingredient that negatively impacts the environment is animal byproducts like ambergris — which comes from whales, and the sourcing results in untold numbers of creatures being hunted and killed.
Regardless of whether or not consumers fully understand what’s safe and what’s harmful, demand for natural ingredients continues to strong arm the beauty industry. Much like they want their skincare to be all-natural, consumers are now expecting the same of fragrances, calling on perfumers to create scents that are free of synthetics. But is the growing demand for natural fragrances a valid request in terms of safety? Or is it an extension of the established “clean” beauty marketing ploy, stoking fears and misunderstanding behind the product’s formulation?
Safety in Synthetics
Image: The 5th
Since the dawn of the eco-friendly beauty movement, we’ve been taught that natural and organic ingredients are better for us and the planet than synthetic ones. But, as we learn more about the impact our beauty choices have on the environment, we’re also learning that that isn’t always the case. In fact, sometimes, the most environmentally responsible option are ones that come from a lab.
“There is a tendency to believe that natural is safer than synthetic, and as much as I would love this to be true, it’s simply not,” says fragrance expert, Karen Gilbert. Natural materials are highly concentrated and packed full of allergens. Oakmoss, Rose Absolute, Jasmine and Ylang Ylang are all highly restricted in perfumery due to the skin sensitising effects. By using safe synthetics, brands are able to eliminate the most common allergens that would have been naturally present.
Hannah Lawrence, Co-founder of London-based fine fragrance studio, The 5th, hopes to help remove the stigma around synthetics and to raise awareness of its advantages as a more environmentally friendly alternative to natural ingredients. “Our use of safe synthetic ingredients helps prevent the over-farming of natural ingredients at risk of extinction due to their demand for use in fragrance,” she says.
Nevertheless, it’s worth noting that perfumers have been formulating with both synthetic and natural ingredients since the 18th century. Without synthetics, many scents that consumers have come to expect from their perfumes wouldn’t exist. Synthetics recreate the smell of natural ingredients when the natural raw materials are not available or cannot be extracted into an essential oil, such as florals like lilac and freesia.
Although synthetic perfume molecules tend to garner disapproving looks among purists, many forward-thinking brands are transforming waste materials into olfactory molecules that smell close to the real thing. Issey Miyake, for example, has found a way to create an extract of vanilla using renewable carbon methods featured in A Drop D’Issey; and Salvatore Ferragamo’s Storie di Seta quartet, created in collaboration with flavour and fragrance producer Symrise, uses the Lilybelle, a Symrise-exclusive molecule derived from orange peel, a waste product of the juice industry.
As much as it might appeal to the clean beauty industry’s push to demonise certain ingredients, the reality is that naturally-derived options in fragrance are not always safer. As we are on the cusp of an environmental revolution, it requires an upheaval of existing practices and mindsets to make a difference.
21 June marked the official start to the summer months with the passing of the Summer Solstice. As the days get longer, so does the party season. To help you kickstart the party season, we have picked 5 fragrances that are not only fresh but also sensual, so you can have an unforgettable summer.
Here are our top 5 picks for the best fragrance to wear this summer:
Dossier Aromatic Star Anise
Moncler Pour Femme
Louis Vuitton City of Stars
Le Labo Bergamote 22
Clean Reserve Rain
Dossier Aromatic Star Anise
Image: Dossier
The Dossier Aromatic Star Anise is a dupe of the iconic Dior Sauvage perfume, if you are looking for something similar, this would be your best choice. This highly masculine scent opens up with bergamot, pepper, and star anise as top notes. Following which, lavender, nutmeg and geranium take over before the scent grounds with Patchouli, amberwood and vetiver.
While the brand markets the Aromatic Star Anise as an outdoorsy and fresh scent, we reckon it will also be an excellent choice for a date night or late-night parties.
Get your own bottle of Dossier Aromatic Star Anise here.
Moncler Pour Femme
Image: Moncler
This is for the ones who enjoy floral musky scents. The Moncler Pour Femme is a powerhouse of white florals, vanilla and wood. The perfume’s top notes are a mélange of crisp, fresh Italian Bergamot with Powdery Snow accord — a reminiscence of the snowy Alps. The scent develops and gives way to a warm concoction of Jasmine Sambac and Heliotrope — sweet and everlasting throughout. The mountain wood accord has an earthy quality. However, it also offers a refined warmth as it mingles with hard-hitting vanilla in the base as the fragrance becomes one with your skin.
A spritz or two is all you need to enhance your feminine allure that will make heads turn.
City of Stars is Louis Vuitton‘s latest instalment of its LA-inspired perfume collection by perfumer Jacques Cavallier Belletrud. This olfactory masterpiece is a blend of blood orange, lemon, mandarin and lime as its top notes. The bright, citrusy notes intertwine beautifully with manoi — a gentle sweet scent made from soaking Tiare flowers in coconut oil — that creates an air of mystery. After a few hours, the essence of sandalwood and powdery musk take centre stage, giving the perfume more depth and sophistication.
“That magnetic combination is what lets this Evening Cologne bring on the night and exude sensuality — as if to say, ‘this is forever‘,” says Belletrud.
In the peak of summer, we would generally want something light, fresh and not too heavy on the senses. Hitting all the notes is the Le Labo Bergamote 22. This citrusy, woody scent smells just like freshly squeezed lemons, very refreshing and pleasant. At the top is a cocktail of bergamot and grapefruit. Also thrown into the mix is nutmeg; its piquancy adds a twist to the citrus notes then slowly soften into the warmer feel of the orange blossom with a green undercurrent. The fragrance dries out to a combination of vetiver, cedar, musk and amber.
The Le Labo Bergamote 22 is a fragrance with an unforgettable personality, making your summer days a little less fleeting.
Officially, the Clean Reserve Rain perfume has only three ingredients: Bergamot at the top, followed by Moist White Flowers at the heart and a base of Patchouli. But when these ingredients are mixed and sprayed, it is as though you were transported to a rainforest. Perhaps this is what the Amazon forest smells like: clean, fresh and floral. Rain is easy to wear, not too heavy and somewhat calming as well.
If you are looking to beat the warm summer slump, a spritz of the Clean Reserve Rain might just help!
In the quieter lifestyle that has resulted from long days spent at home, we now have ample time to be still and just being—free and unencumbered from the many activities that once distracted us from “me time”.
Indeed, this is a wonderful window of opportunity to establish a ritual of self-care indulging the senses and what better way than traipsing down the scented path to discover anew and awaken unearthed emotions, memories and inspirations.
Henry Jacques boutique, Kuala Lumpur
As Anne-Lise Cremona, daughter of the great perfumer Henry Jacques, once said, “If time is the new luxury, perfume is time for yourself.”
The Henry Jacques haute parfumerie, steeped in tradition yet resolutely avant-garde, draws on time-honoured codes to design contemporary elegance. Its greatest gift is that of pure perfume together with its rituals which are dissipating in a hyper modern world.
From the heart of Provence, time stands still in the laboratory and birthplace of Henry Jacques haute parfumerie, where perfumed dreams and creative impulses hold sway in a thousand scents, composed of premium natural essences gleaned from all over the world.
With the rebirth of the Essences, the Maison brings back the beauty of a gesture and time for oneself, time to find yourself. With peerless rigour, the crafting atelier selects the natural essences, weighing their nuances which are then allowed to interact, change and harmonise with each other to reach a perfect balance.
Henry Jacques boutique, Singapore
Think velvety rose; intoxicating tuberose; sunny lavender; sumptuous jasmine; soft, sensual, heady musk; subtle, hot, marine ambergris—a glimpse of the palette of essences making up its enchanted realm of fragrances. Great perfumery where memory and the senses converge, along with an alchemy of colours, textures and ideas to conjure and sublimate a personal journey.
Among Henry Jacques’ treasure trove is Les Classiques de HJ, whose 50 fragrances represent the Maison’s immense olfactive accomplishments as well as the gateway to its universe as an expression of the different facets of one’s personality and sartorial sense. A different scent profile for the mood and style of the day and night, so to speak.
Henry Jacques boutique, Hong Kong
The purity of the Essences defines the foundations of the perfumery, along with reviving the elegance of applying perfume to the skin. With just a few subtle drops, the fragrance is left lingering without pervading the physical space but the memory and soul.
To further personalise one’s olfactive odyssey of owning an intimate collection of Henry Jacques perfumes is the grandeur and nobility associated with the ancient notion ofperfume chests to store those precious bottles of essences. Available in configurations that can showcase up to 3, 6 or 10 crystal flacons and in four colours of choice: taupe, brown, beige and pink, these perfume boxes are complimentary with the purchase of 3, 6 or 10 bottles of Les Classiques or Les Brumes.
A private perfume ritual is a marvellous way to luxuriate in carving time out for oneself—simply by reaching for a personal selection of scents that speak with the power of a recollection or an impression of life and which is safely nestled in a refined perfume box gracing the alcove of a room, a bathroom vanity or a beautiful credenza.
Displaying one’s unique persona, the perfume box also holds the beautiful memories and important moments in one’s life. The simple, delicate allure of timeless perfumes elevated to an Art of Living leaves not only an enduring imprint as “companions of absence, mementos of the sublime” but they also perfectly narrate who we are or want to be.
Gucci unveils The Alchemist’s Garden, an haute perfumery collection that features a range of seven eaux de parfum, four acque profumate (scented water) and three perfumed oils. Named after the Italian house’s Fall Winter 2017 collection, Alessandro Michele transforms his garden of wonders into beautiful scents that ignite imagination and unlock memories.
“We imagined returning home from the summer. What is the smell when it starts raining in the city? It was fun to work like old perfumery experts, with scents and essences like alchemy, and to tell the story of atmospheres, spells, almost the idea that smelling or having that perfume transports to a time, which sometimes is a struggle to remember but it is a smell immediately leads to life experience”
– Alessandro Michele
Designed by Alessandro Michele and master perfumer Alberto Morillas, The Alchemist’s Garden allows you to refine and build your very own scent with the seven eaux de parfums as the base, each grounded with a hero ingredient – Oud, Amber, Violet, Iris, Mimosa, Rose and Woods – to reminisces a moment, a season, and a memory.
Then you can use the oils and acque profumate to layer and personalise your very own intimate, signature fragrance.
In the campaign shot by Colin Dodgson, sees the sophisticated packaging of The Alchemist’s Garden. The perfumery collection is housed in humble jars, finished with lacquer and gold lettering which exude the ancient magical spirit of a vintage apothecary.
Also included within The Alchemist’s Garden is a fantastic selection of scented candles that can further elevate your Gucci haute perfumery experience.
Swipe the gallery to take a look at Gucci The Alchemist’s Garden:
