Perfume retail is experiencing a new upsurge – consumer interest in new fragrances is growing. L’Oreal noted that in the fourth quarter of 2020, sales increased by 4.8% compared to the same period in 2019 and reached 7.88 billion euros. The brand’s management predicts a boom in the beauty market after the pandemic, as it was at the beginning of the 20th century, during the Spanish flu. “I am confident that when we fully emerge from this pandemic crisis, the situation will be reminiscent of the 1920s,” said L’Oreal CEO Jean-Paul Agon in an interview with the Financial Times. “We will again have a feeling of freedom, a desire to have fun, go out, communicate, use cosmetics and perfumes, just like a century ago.”
A hundred years ago, there really was a surge in mass olfactory hobby. In particular, it was in 1921 that the main fragrance of the 20th century appeared. – “Chanel No. 5”. “The twenties of the last century were the time of great perfumery discoveries. Chypre, fruity, aldehyde, woody, rough leather, alcoholic aromas have appeared, – says Elina Arsenyeva, perfume art critic, collector, founder of the St. Petersburg Museum of Perfumery and the School of Perfumers. – In addition to the Chanel Five, other great compositions have seen the light, for example Mitsouko Guerlain and Tabac Blond Caron. Hundreds of fragrances were counted – fashion houses entered the perfume industry, and everyone considered it his duty to release at least one fragrance. Even Irina and Felix Yusupov founded the Irfe fashion house and also took up perfumery. Crises always contribute to the growth of perfumery sales – there is not enough money for a dress, but just remains for perfumes and cosmetics. They are the last refuge of the image, the opportunity to be a person from peacetime, a way to survive difficult times with joy and hope. “
Many market players speak about the increased interest of buyers in fragrances today. Moreover, this interest arose immediately with the beginning of the quarantine. Thus, a study by the online store Lamoda says that in the period from March 21 to April 31, 2020, purchases in the “beauty” category increased by 60%, and perfumery showed the greatest dynamics (the increase in orders in the fragrance sector in April 2020 increased by 60%). was 70% compared to March of the same year). In January 2021, the Lamoda beauty product category showed an increase of 121% over the same period last year. Clients were most actively interested in niche brands Byredo, Mancera, Juliette Has a Gun, Escentric Molecules, as well as such popular brands as Calvin Klein, Hugo Boss, Dolce & Gabbana. On this wave, Lamoda at the end of February announced the start of cooperation with the LVMH concern and the appearance in its portfolio of Kenzo fragrances, one of the brands belonging to the French concern.
In addition to perfumes, during the quarantine and the pandemic, interest in home fragrances – diffusers, scented candles has increased. “The bestsellers are deep complex aromas with notes of pepper, tobacco, oriental compositions,” says Olga Krasnova, owner of the fragrance shop for the house FragranceLife. – Gradually, the tendency to cult at home is gaining momentum, we began to think more about what scents surround us. There are fewer trips to different countries, and travel is always new impressions through aromas ”.
Smells of emotion
Fragrances do have a profound effect on our perception of the world, and during the quarantine they served as a kind of soothing for many people. “Aromatherapy has been used since ancient times, all the ancient civilizations of the world used aromas to change the physical and emotional state of a person, to influence other people. Over the past century, science has brought a lot of data into the study of fragrances that was expected to take it to the next level. But, oddly enough, they did not give practically anything new, but only conclusively confirmed everything that aromology has studied and done for millennia, – says the court master of composing the aromas of the King of Morocco, aromatherapist of the Royal Mansour Marrakech hotel Siid (his real name was not disclosed ). – Each aroma component has its own properties. For example, thyme helps to get rid of fatigue, sandalwood removes insomnia and relieves neuroses, and vanilla is an antidepressant. ” Psychologist Lee Chambers, a participant in the OnBuy study on scented candles, continues to analyze the relationship between emotions and smells. “Research has shown that citrus notes are energizing and lavender brings a relaxed sense of serenity. As you continue to work from home, consider having scented candles in your home office. If you want to be more productive, use a citrus or mint candle. If you’re looking forward to a busy day, jasmine can help relieve stress and stay calm, ”says Chambers.
“Aroma images” have a stronger effect on the brain than visual ones, says Valery Mikhalitsyn, perfumer, founder of the Hedonist brand and creator of the Inquisitio Odoramentorum Telegram channel. “It is well known that smells can influence a person’s emotions. At the same time, the sense of smell is one of the most poorly studied areas of the human sensory system, says Mikhalitsyn. – The role of smells in memories is also huge. Visual images are rarely reminiscent of the scents and smells that accompanied them, but once you smell the scent, the detailed images will immediately pop up in your memory. This inextricable link is sometimes used in the treatment of patients who have experienced memory loss due to various diseases. “
Other smells
The bitter irony is that as a result of infection with the coronavirus, many people stop smelling and sometimes feel them differently after recovery. This leads to the curiosities of consumption. In particular, at the end of 2020, Amazon’s American customers began to leave angry reviews on the store’s website for scented candles, claiming that they “did not smell like that.” “We have also encountered such a phenomenon – several times customers have returned to us bottles with a very popular, what is called proven, fragrance with the wording“ the fragrance has changed, ”says Krasnova.
And if for an ordinary person, changing the sense of smell is a relatively easy misunderstanding, then for professionals in the field of perfumery it is a problem. “Over the past year, colleagues have often shared similar stories. This is a new reality, says Mikhalitsyn. – Creative directors of perfume brands, evaluators, and focus group participants can return to work only when they honestly admit to themselves that familiar scents again smell like they did before the illness. After all, a violation of the sense of smell can persist for quite a long time. “
Now all over the world there is a mass vaccination against COVID-19, so one can hope that the epidemic, like the olfactory embarrassment caused by it, will remain in the past. In anticipation of this, during the quarantine, the fragrance brand Demeter released Crowd Leap, Oh My Rave and Let’s Go to the Concert with the online concert platform Stay. Apparently, so that we do not forget how fun it can be.
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