Colour, shapes sell scents
WHAT-TO-DO - NASSAU, CABLE BEACH & PARADISE ISLAND - JULY 2007
Colour, shapes sell scents
Exciting flacons tempt buyers
Perfumers in biblical times kept their scents in elaborate and luxurious containers, according to historians. Just as it is today, attractive and eye-catching packaging was an integral part of the luxury perfume trade in ancient Egypt.
Now, as then, more than just the aroma is taken into account by the perfume buyer, whether it's a choice for oneself or a gift for another.
Claudine Butler, perfume and cosmetics buyer for John Bull on Bay Street, says the shape of perfume bottles, or flacons, and the colour of a perfume, are important to buyers.
Classic scents such as Chanel No 5 are presented in clean-line bottles filled with light brown or clear liquids. But the old favourites are outnumbered today by extravagantly shaped bottles and a kaleidoscope of colours.
How the bottle looks "definitely plays a big part in the choice of a fragrance," says Butler. "Designers are finding innovative ways of presenting their products. If there's something unique about the bottle and it stands out, then people are drawn to it in the store."
Butterflies and leopards
This season, Salvatore Ferragamo, an Italian house best known for its fine leather goods, introduced Incanto Shine, its newest fragrance for women.
Ferragamo's shimmering pink and purple bottle, shaped like a ring, is as popular as its pineapple and passion fruit scent. Other designers offer bottles shaped like butterflies or adorned with feathers.
Brand recognition is also important. "If I'm familiar with the designer name attached to a perfume label then I'll be more inclined to try a new fragrance," says one buyer.
Celebrity sells, too. Among those who have allowed perfume makers to use their names are Michael Jordan, Britney Spears, David Beckham and Paris Hilton.
Feminine appeal
Flowers incorporated into the design indicate feminine aromas. Pastel colours also suggest light and airy scents that many women enjoy for daytime use.
I avoid brown or darker liquids. I automatically assume the fragrance has more of a musk scent and that it has a more masculine smell," said one buyer.
The makers of scents for men are also using designer bottles. Fleur du Male, created by Francis Kurkdjian, comes in a white bottle in the shape of a muscular male torso, designed by Jean Paul Gaultier. Fleur du Male is said to have an orange blossom scent with notes of petigrain leaf andcoumarin that is clean, fresh and masculine.
Lalique, known for its gorgeous crystal creations, also offers perfumes and colognes in exquisite containers.
Many of these are collector's items, says Rochelle Walker of Solomon's Mines, adding that the etched crystal masterpieces "remain as showpieces long after the fragrance is gone."
A crystal warrior holds the Lalique for Men scent but it also comes in eagle- and leopard-shaped flacons. "People are pleasantly surprised to find the variety that we have in the Lalique line," says Walker.
Today, as in ancient times, the buyers of fragrances follow more than their noses when searching for a favourite scent. But even the pharaohs of ancient Egypt would be amazed by the variety and beauty of today's fragrance containers.
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