Fear of anosmia, more natural fragrances… How has the coronavirus influenced the creation of perfumes?


The historic Fragonard factory in Grasse – Fragonard Perfumer

  • The perfumers continued to work, sometimes from a distance, despite the fear of losing “their working tool”.
  • Since the first containment, the most important customer requests concern “atmospheres”, scented candles and diffusers.
  • As far as smells are concerned, the successful fragrances are those that are close to natural and floral and not “complex things”, indicates the communications director of Fragonard Parfumeur.

The Covid-19 has given rise to unexpected fears in all sectors of activity, especially in the creation of perfumes. “The nose is the work tool of perfumers,” says Charlotte Urbain, culture and communication director at Fragonard Parfumeur. Many were afraid of catching this virus and losing their sense of smell, one of the symptoms of Covid-19. But it wasn’t just anosmia. They were also anxious to smell wrongly and not to have the same perception of smells as the rest of the population. “

In Grasse, the capital of perfume, fragrance creators have been experiencing changes in the way they work for a year. The manager explains: “In order not to take any risks, perfumers compose, from home, by computer, the formula that they send to the laboratory, where the mixture is made. Then the laboratory sends the sample back by mail ”.

“We tend to underestimate the role and the power of our nose”

Attractive Scent, a smaller company in the region, did it differently. “We cannot dematerialize meaning. The olfactory part, like the quality control of products, requires a presence in our factory. We then stepped up security measures and dedicated an office to our perfumers. We did not want to lose our skilled labor force who creates. It’s very difficult to replace, ”explains one of the creators, Marc Langasque.

“The perfumer’s organ” in a Fragonard Parfumeur factory – Fragonard Parfumeur

If the presence of the perfumer is preferable for the preparation of the product, for the purchase also the customers mainly move before making their choice. “It’s a shame not to have been considered” essential “, regrets Charlotte Urbain. Fortunately, we have a loyal customer base who orders online. But she needs advice and needs to come to the store to test. We tend to underestimate the role and power of our nose on our moods. We need good smells to feel good ”.

Go back to the natural and the essential

An observation made by the head of Attractive Scent as well. Since the health crisis, demands for “atmospheres” for the home have been significant. “But what works best is detergency because people wash their hands a lot more and want different things.”

At Fragonard too, trends in terms of tastes have stood out since the first confinement. “We have a lot of requests for candles or diffusers. And more natural and floral fragrances are more successful than complex things with 150 components. We feel that the population needs to get back to basics. “

The group therefore relies on its “Perfumer’s Flowers” ​​range to attract “city dwellers deprived of nature” to “sunny and fresh fragrances that represent the south of France”.



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