overdose
A short post, as promised. I learned that Coco Channel tested the new trial versions of No. 19 on herself, applying too much of it, wandering around and waiting for responses. Those trials that people would not react to, where for the trash….Thus, I sit in the train, heavy dose of my orris trial version 2 on my skin and wait. And wait. And wait. Well, I guess
Orris number 2 is somewhat ethereal spicy in the start, the green pepper coming through directly (softening and broadening needed?), however, together with the cinnamon hint an interesting line. The orris accord is ok, the rose needs some work to be done not including the frankincense spirits which are fine for me, and I feel the background (sandalwood, agarwood, vetiver and some ambergris) needs nothing more and nothing less. The only thing to be seen: How long does it last. Overall, the composition is maybe a little bit too light, it may need some dirt, for instance my castoreum substitute that I got from Biolande,
# posted by andy : 8:52 AM
12 Comments:
A famous perfumer and teacher said many years ago that he stopped giving samples of his perfumes to his female friends and asking for their opinions, as all he would get back were frivolous, mundane comments.
Instead, he just would hand them a bottle and say "try this." If he heard nothing back, he dropped the scent, but if they returned saying they got many compliments, it was a go.
Of course, he didn't live in Switzerland, and I think you hit that nail right on the head, lol.
Me? I often have friends and customers over for a sniffathon, playing with raw ingredients, and I'll slip them a bottle, without a word, and if it gets a "wow! what is this"? with a smile, I figure my marketing study is done.
As an artist, I have no emotional investment in whether they like it or not, I just want the facts, the response. Every scent gets about 20 "tests" like that, and it works. You might want to try it.
Dear Anya
The maroc pour elle was tested on customers, for we were uncertain about things back then. But only on 4 or 5 individuals. We launched it when 3 asked us when they can buy it....
The L'air du désert marocain, I just gave it to friends, like you described, giving them a bottle and saying " I have something for you". One friend called me back the next day and asked me how to order... again: Limited marketing. This is a trouble for the big companies: They do too much testing and end up with the average of average taste.....
I worry about how commercially viable these perfumes are when we create them - like the Rose that I am still pondering - I have to keep it within sensible limits or else its no more than a personal folly - and I can't afford them at the minute!
Heather
My dear Heather
You speak out of my heart (sorry, I am not english native...) and today I was just thinking about this point:This rose and the Agarwood, isn't this far beyond the market and what people are willing to buy, but then:
I happened to make flyers today and there it says: "I create perfumes for the joy of scents." And this is at the very end what my endeavour is all about. I create scents for the joy of scents. And so far.... my joy is a joy of many people out there, too. And isn't this -at the very end- what it is all about? Pass on this joy....
Hugs and a fragrant wish to you.
I think Andy Tauer you could talk me out of a fortune - and of course bankrupt me wanting these joyous creations of yours!!
You naughty naughty man!
And of course on that other level - you are so so right!
Heather
And No. 19 is one of the triumphs of modern perfumery, something I will wear forever. I wonder, though, what kind of response Chanel was looking for? Was she specifically waiting for compliments, or would even a response such as somebody shouting, "Dear God, what is that?" be counted? Somehow, I would be even more charmed if she were counting the latter as well!
It does sound as if you are really putting the best stuff possible into your orris-based scent, and while it's true one can't base judgment on that (one can take expensive things and make a hot mess of trash with them — see: Paris Hilton), on your track record I have faith you're going to do these materials justice. High priced limited editions just encourage perfume fanatics. :) Look at L'Artisan's recent limited edition orange blossom release: hyped as a fragrance based on a one-time harvest, it was pretty and transparent but lacked substance or eye-opening wow, and it sold at $250 per 100 ml of EDT. Good luck with it!
Dear Tania
I checked "Parfums de Légendes",by Guy Robert again, there it says that she was expecting a " Oh! Mademoisselle sent bon!" (Oh, Madame smells good)
It does not say what she did if answers like "Oh, how strange, disgusting, weird... you smell"
For me, both kind of reactions would be valuabble. The later because every good perfume has a "shocking" quality in it, something new that people need to get used to.
And a final word on the "best things": 100% true. The best colours mixed still might give you a dull brown - grey! And one can draw a master piece on white paper with a stencil. It is not only the material.
Go for it! Make perfume for joy and don't think about the price. Don't hold yourself back to experience with the finest oils. After the perfume is finished it's always possible to compare it with cheaper versions and see(or smell) if it does make a big difference. I like the way you say:
The best colours mixed still might give you a dull brown - grey! That's so true. I try to make perfume for six years and in the beginning I thought when a perfume wasn't good enough I could add more Jasmine or Tuberose etc to make it better. But I found out that doesn't work. The structure of a perfume is so important. When the structure isn't right you can add the best and expensive oils you have but it doesn't will make the perfume better.
I love your blog and reed it always but never find something to say. So this is my first comment. My complements for your blog.
Jenny from Holland.
Wow, this sounds fascinating. You must package it specially and do an intense expensive scent, why not?
I was going to say "everybody else does," which is always the worst reason to do anything, but it might give us an idea of what "works" for the crowd, and with your "buzz," you can pull it off, do please!
he he
dear Wendy.... we will see
I thank you for your enthousiastic words
Dear Jenny
You speak out of my heart... if I think in some trials of mine: The best roses you can imagine and then.... horror. So what you do as ignorant perfumer: You add more, but the problem is burried all the way down in the initial structure.
And this structural break is sometimes sooooo hard to find out. It may be just a twist wrong and everything built on it will ultimately fail.
Dear Moon_Fish
There is no reason to be worried... for two reasons: It will still take a while until I will be in a position to sell you the leather because it will be mixed and has to mature first for weeks (months...).
Secondly: I will make it possible by western union or however...
Bottomline: Don't worry and please give us some time to get it done wright.
I wish you a good, successful business trip. By the way: my e-mail is tauer.a(at)freesurf.ch or perfumer(at)tauerperfumes.com
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