By the Tijon Perfumer
“There are people who have money, and people who are rich.” ~Coco Chanel
What is a nose? In the perfume world, it is a perfumer who creates perfumes, whose olfactory skill composes great fragrances, sublime harmonies whose notes haunt the imagination of men and women the world over. “To be a nose is not anything mysterious,” said the celebrated perfumer Edmond Roudnitska. “The thing you have to reach is not only the memory of a smell, but the memory of a smell in combination; otherwise, you are just mixing at random and that is not creating. The creation of a perfume is cerebral, not nasal.”
Roudnitska always insisted that “time is essential to a creative perfumer. It can take several years to come up with a great perfume. You can’t keep sniffing the scent you are working on day after day until you reach perfection ... often, you must leave the perfume for months and then come back.”
Perfume history: Around 1808, Napoleon’s other half, Empress Josephine Bonaparte, born in Martinique, created a fashion sensation by appearing at an imperial ball in a dress covered in fresh red rose petals that were sewn on. She was dubbed “Lady Musk” and spent a fortune on perfume.
FDA ruling: The FDA in the U.S. has recently ruled there is “not enough science” to show antibacterial soaps have a benefit, further ruling soap and water “more effective.”
Our sense of smell: To sharpen your sense of smell, imagine the colour of each fragrance, each smell. In a recent study, Dr. Avery Gilbert, the man behind National Geographic’s world-wide smell study, found that people tend to associate distinctive scents with different colours. In his study, people imagined patchouli to be a brown scent, while the spicy note of cinnamon was thought of as a red smell. Take time, too, to smell the fragrance of flowers, the green notes of leaves and the air on a rainy morning. The more you use your nose, the more sensitive your sense of smell will become.
Fragrance fact: According to Allure magazine, if you’re French, there is only one reason to wear perfume. And that reason is seduction.
Fragrance tip: Do you carry gum to chew to keep your breath fresh? If so, you should also carry a travel-sized perfume for instant freshness when you’re on the go!
Trends – women: Vibrant and bold, fruity characteristics with accents of cool mint and gentle florals will create signature scents with a twist.
Question: Is perfume an aphrodisiac? Perfume can certainly make you feel sexier, but there is no scientific evidence that it works as an aphrodisiac.
Perfume description: Named “Catwoman,” this perfume created at Tijon utilizing a hint of chocolate oil was described as a “chocolate trap to get a man.”
Cosmetic ingredients: Alpha Lipoic acid – a key ingredient in skin care products and found in Tijon’s creams – is called “the universal antioxidant” because it is one of the most powerful anti-aging, antioxidant, anti-inflammatories available. It is 400 times stronger than vitamins E and C combined. When put in an eye lotion, it will greatly decrease under eye circles and puffiness. ALA will also reduce swelling and puffiness in the face. Its anti-inflammatory effects reduce redness and blotchiness, resulting in an evening out of skin tone, often making foundation unnecessary.
Last thought: Happiness is not wanting what you don’t have, but wanting what you do have.
Located in Grand Case, Tijon Parfumerie is where there are 22 signature perfumes offered and a lab where guests can create their own fragrance.
