raymond matts

Fragrance Bloggers..... You Have to Love Them!

noreply@blogger.com (raymond matts) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 11:56:32 PDT

Well, no I don't; I will just try to like them.

At times I am perplexed by what I read written by bloggers when they critique the work of our industry. I have often thought of critiquing the critiques. Well, not really. I just like the way it sounds and my devious alter ego would enjoy it. I do like a good debate! Although, it is hard to debate when one side of the argument is lacking in substance or knowledge.

Then, there are the commenters adding their penny’s worth of verbiage. I would say two cents’ worth… if in fact, it was! Now, I do appreciate freedom of speech. However, I’m rethinking this after reading comments that lead consumers down a false path of misinformation.

On one hand, I agree that there has been an absence of quality. I could write a chapter in a book to many of the reasons why. However, if I did, past employers may get nervous as would some of the giant manufacturers. Trust me. There are many niche brands that would not escape my honesty either.

Quality, defined as, “the standard of something as measured against other things of a similar kind; the degree of excellence of something; an improvement in product quality.” Wait!

Here is the part I love and find enlightening and a source for a healthy debate:
“General excellence of standard or level; a masterpiece for connoisseurs of quality.”

Ah, a connoisseur, described, by Webster’s, as an expert judge of taste! I do believe I’ve found my source of contention. These are not the critiques of experts judging the criteria of fragrances based on the realization of specific criteria. One person’s distaste is another person’s infatuation or love.

Read, my friends, another defining characteristic of quality:
“A distinctive attribute or characteristic possessed by someone or something.”

Another chapter or two could be written on this subject; on the total lack of creative, distinctive fragrances that have the opportunity to be commercially viable at counters around the world. I’ve always said the world doesn’t need another new fragrance. We need more distinctive fragrances with real signature!

For those who are reading and are bloggers, please don’t misunderstand me. I think what you bring to this industry can be very good. I’m just exhausted with the number of critiques and pontifications that mislead the consumer. Personally, I think many need to learn how to smell correctly and to understand what they smell without looking at the wonderful fragrance pyramids, better known as quasi-contrived fragrance ingredient lists. God, I love one who smells by reading!

I hated when an editor of a magazine requested a fragrance pyramid. I often told them to go to Egypt, where they can see all the pyramids they want.

Please don’t describe our creations as merely a list of ingredients. BTW, here are all the ingredients: sugar, cornstarch, blueberries and flour that make your blueberry pie.

Write about emotion and make me dream what I smell!

You Call Yourself a Perfumer!

noreply@blogger.com (raymond matts) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 17:38:53 PDT

As I enjoy the sound of birds chirping and the smell of the fresh morning air wafting through my apartment, I sit and evaluate my recent modifications of fragrances for my new line to be launched. I’m reminded of my visit yesterday, to a new fragrance trade show named Elements here in NYC. Elements showcased small indie brands looking to make a mark in the fragrance industry.

I like to visit such events to see what the competition holds. I enjoy the creativity of others and marvel when someone does it right. Whether they did, I will not comment on, as there are enough bloggers who like to give their uneducated opinion on what is good and is not. I will leave that for you the consumer to decide!

I’m amazed at the many that call themselves perfumers! A perfumer or a nose is trained with the knowledge of thousands of ingredients and capable of recognizing by smell. Through an understanding of evaporation rates or the volatility of notes they are able to write a formula that becomes a perfume. A formula is similar to a recipe found in a cookbook. The process for creating one fragrance is not a simple task and can take a few months to several years.

Nowadays, due to the lack of understanding the genius of perfumery many clients want a fragrance developed over a period of a few months. I believe a partial reason for the lack of creativity in our industry today. Perfumery is trial and error, more so than a science!

One fragrance can have several hundred modifications depending on the complexity of the character of the fragrance. Perfumery is part science, part exploration in trying different combinations and yes, at times part luck. Perfumers are trained for many years working with more experienced perfumers in understanding and learning the craft.

To learn the ingredient catalogue of a fragrance house is an enormous task, let alone learning how to use the individual notes to write a formula. Perfumery is a craft and I take offense when people call themselves a perfumer because they critiqued fragrances from such, then purchase the perfumers creation from a fragrance house and launch their brand.

There are two types of noses in our industry the first is the perfumer, the second is an evaluator. The evaluator is trained to objectively smell a fragrance and is more or less the consumer nose. An evaluator has a limited knowledge of the ingredient catalogue and is trained to smell merely the composition as intended for the consumer. An evaluator should understand and know fragrance families, balance of a composition and be aware of consumer’s likes and dislikes. A good evaluator can guide a perfumer and bring out a perfumers creative genius from within.

I as a trained evaluator, refer to myself as a fragrance designer due to my knowledge and ability to take perfumers where they do not think to go. I guide a perfumer through the use of adjectives that describe the emotions, sensations and experiences I would like an individual to feel while wearing one of our fragrances.
I’m known for a distinct style that I have developed over the years. My style is my signature and my vision of what perfumes can be.

I have such a tremendous respect for our craft and have had the opportunity to work with some of the best from around the world. Without them I could not bring the magic I soon will do in my new collection. I take offense to those who claim to be perfumers who are merely bathtub concoctionists who play!

Can we Feel and See What we Smell?

noreply@blogger.com (raymond matts) — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 09:38:08 PST

Well literally no we can’t, a fragrance is not tangible and therefore we can’t physically see or touch. However, I do… by combining all my senses to what I experience through my sense of smell.

Crazy you say, some would agree with you and have. How many of you have had a meaningful experience that was associated with your sense of smell? I think it is safe to assume we all have. I can remember the smell of my electric train, my GI Joe action figure. I remember the ink from the tests I used to take in the 60’s and 70’s and one of my favorites was the white paste used in art class. All these scents have reappeared to me from time to time through various ingredients I have smelled.

The beauty of perfumery lies in the notes we use to achieve a final rendition. From some of my earlier writings you’ve learned that I use sensations, emotions and experiences as inspiration for designing fragrances. The beauty of every note we use is that each can be described by an adjective. In some cases the notes we smell can be associated with textures.

When I use citrus notes combined with watery and green notes, it is to provide either a feeling of freshness, invigoration, sparkle or brightness. Imagine feeling a refreshing gin and tonic when the carbonated bubbles touch your lips. If you can imagine the smell combined with an effervescent feel, you have just combined your sense of smell with your sense of touch.

Several years back when my first son was born I had an idea that I wanted to design an Oriental Fragrance that would not follow the rules of perfumery. Instead, I would use the adjectives that are used to define the feelings that one experiences from this fragrance family.

The rules of perfumery for an oriental fragrance requires the use of vanilla combined with spice, woods and ambers with a citrus topnote that provides a flash of brightness. Mysterious, sensuous and enveloping are a few adjectives that come to mind when I think of this category. I can also find them cloying, heavy and sometimes too sweet.

While I was admiring my son and realizing I am now responsible for his wellbeing, I experienced the beautiful smell of my newborn son. This heavenly scent I realized was the odor of mothers milk coming through the pores of his skin. It wasn’t until I smelled his burping cloth waiting to be washed that I concluded once the sour volatile notes evaporated, the beautiful scent of a baby was left.

Milk instead of vanilla was a result of this research and the smell of soymilk became the creaminess that was brightened with a floral texture mimicking the touch of a flower petal to ones hand. This nuance was carefully balanced with a soy nut aroma that I experienced while eating, watching a Sunday sporting event. The saltiness and course texture to feel that I smelled would later become the mysterious new warmth in the background.

Can we feel and see what we smell? Of course we can! Colors and textures are the very sensations that take us back to our sense of smell. We can and do associate smell with both! One only requires an imagination and ability to combine our senses with a common language to describe.

This is the beauty of perfumery; telling a story through our sense of smell.

What is Inside the Bottle Part IV

noreply@blogger.com (raymond matts) — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 03:17:22 PST

One may say all good things must come to an end. However, I hope that the end of this journey into the structure of a fragrance is really a start of something new. While most journeys have a beginning and end, it is the experiences along the way that create a lasting memory. I would hate to think a journey, which is beautiful and rewarding would ever come to an absolute end.

I’ve always viewed the structure of a fragrance to be a journey that should tantalize our senses. The top is to attract… providing a smile, a dose of freshness brightening ones initial impression of what is soon to be experienced. Deeper we go into the body, the heart that awakens one soul. As this floral nuance wafts through the air, floating… inspiring a dreamlike atmosphere allowing ones mind to drift within a memorable fragrant experience. Last but not least the background! It is equally as important as the top and middle of a fragrance and is sometimes referred to as the "bottom" or the "base notes".

The background enhances the personality of a fragrance and if properly created should hold the attention of any adoring soul. Typically the bottom notes will influence or define the character of a specific fragrance family, especially with fragrances for men.

The fragrance family dictates, which notes will be used to define a character. If a fragrance is within the Oriental family, then notes of spice, amber, incense, woods and vanilla are used. The Chypre category of fragrances is characterized by the use of oakmoss, patchouli and sometimes leather notes. These notes tend to be the least volatile and have a tendency to last on the skin for a longer period of time.

The list of notes can include amber, spices, resins, musks and woods that can be creamy, powdery, smoky or just smelling of fresh cut lumber. Food notes have become popular over the past ten years. I’ve used everything from milk, nuts, cocoa, rice, black licorice, olives and real whipped cream nuances to provide interesting textures to the back of fragrances.

The background notes can be the reason why you may refer to a fragrance as what "your mother wore", and defiantly is why many men’s smell classic and have not evolved to what they could be. Perfumers rely on these structures to create a commercial feel ensuring the major marketers a successful fragrance. But, do they really?

As a designer I like to think outside the box. I tend to shy away from sticking to the rules of particular families. I’ve never been one to follow rules and have always thought that if there is one it should be broken.

I like to think of the background of fragrance as a sensation or feeling. I constantly ask myself, how does she or he want to feel when wearing this fragrance. Adjectives that describe such feelings are always my inspiration. To evoke a feeling of being clean or comfortable, nuzzling, enveloping or cuddling. A caressing sensation with a fragrance is surely a texture to provoke the playground within our minds! Imagine your sense of smell and how it equates to the sense of touch! Can you feel, or see what you smell?

Hmmmmmmmmm… can you? I think I smell my next topic. See you next week, yes I promise you will not have to wait another month.

What is Inside a Bottle... Part III

noreply@blogger.com (raymond matts) — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 12:06:35 PST

As they say, all good things come with time! However, time is relative to the subject matter and here it is the journey we partake in while discovering our sense of smell. I met with possible clients the other day, showing my style of fragrance. It was interesting to hear them say, “fascinating how they change from the first impression”. No my friend, a fragrance builds and then comes together! The ingredients adjusting to their proper place within the structure of the fragrance is an easier way of explaining what is happening. So many make this mistake when they smell on a blotter or too close to the skin. Time... take a moment to let the fragrance breathe and build!

If the top notes of a fragrance are the introduction, your first impression and as I like to refer to them as the hello… the body is the heart and soul. This is where the signature takes form and it is usually the dominant theme of most family types. Some may say that with an Oriental or Chypre fragrance the signature comes from the back and I will agree, as these notes tend to be heavier and can become part of the body as well as the back.

The body or heart of a fragrance is where I allow my imagination to roam. The sensuality of a soul is my inspiration and provides the beauty within. Most fragrances have a floral heart of some kind and usually will be of jasmine, tuberose, rose, gardenia, muguet or Lilly of the Valley to mention a few.

The oil used in fine perfumery from the flower is either distilled or extracted, depending on the flower and whether it can tolerate heat. Due to the sensitivity of heat, the oil of jasmine and tuberose go through a process known as solvent extraction. As beautiful as these oils can be they do not replicate the beauty experienced in the air of that particular flower!

I love the smell of flowers as they waft in the air floating while surrounding one. Have you ever enjoyed the velvet feel of the touch of a flower petal? When is the last time you experienced the aroma of fresh flowers laden with dew? I love what nature shares with us, thus creating an additional palette of notes to use. Dreamlike yes, and thanks to modern technology we can reproduce the scent of almost any inanimate object.

The beauty of flowers as they exist in nature with all their surroundings is the special touch I bring to my designs. I work mostly in floral impressions, which capture every aspect of what one sees, touches and experiences in a flower. Wet, green, dewy and velvet are a few adjectives, which can describe the affect created through the use of naturals and synthetic notes to bring you these floral nuances. Although difficult to achieve, more figurative than real, these floral impressions can provide a signature that you will call your own. They can inspire you to dream! A feeling missing of late from many fragrances being launched!

Next time you’re out and about, close your eyes and take notice of the beauty that nature offers. These simple nuances in life bring the inspiration for my everyday work. Enjoy the azure sky above and ask yourself… what does it smell like? Yes, I do drive the perfumers I work with crazy. Yet, at the end of the day I’m one of the few still allowing them the chance to create, explore and DREAM!

Let Me Rant... Men's Fragrances Need Help!!!

noreply@blogger.com (raymond matts) — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 08:44:28 PST

Men are fools…
Open your minds… take pride in yourself!
Ok…. I apologize for the departure from what it is in the bottle!
Not to worry my friends I promise to continue the journey with you later this week…
But, I have to write what is on my mind…

While enjoying my breakfast and perusing through a men’s fashion magazine, I was inspired by men’s fashion and how it has evolved, I started to wonder. Why are men’s fragrances so outdated? Is it just me that finds them overbearing, too strong, boring as hell and lacking imagination? Why do most smell the same? Where is the correlation to the modernity in men’s fashion that we are now seeing and the fragrances being launched?

God help me if I have to watch one more commercial of Matthew McConaughey stroll out of his car into a hotel room take off his shirt and plop his ass onto a sofa with the camera lights flashing and his twisted looking smile as if to say I am “The One”. Yes, this talks to me… rushing out to buy. NOT…… GOING TO HAPPEN!

I think equally insulting are the young of today who are caught up in the sexual innuendos of AXE DEO SPRAYS commercials. The tween and teens enticed by the multitudes of sarcastic and flirtatious commercials that have their mothers scurrying to buy their next can. I think a comment from a young lady summed it most appropriately… she stated that at school when she is choked by the fragrances that she felt "the guys were trying too hard". Aaaaaaah, see women are smarter then men, even at a young age!

Sadly, these boys don’t realize that most of the fragrances are trickled down from men’s fragrances that your grandfather wore. I was delighted when my son was selecting a deodorant to wear and when he came upon many of the products he asked why do they all smell like his grandfathers bedroom. The apple really doesn’t fall far from the tree, however are we the only two who have noticed… I hope not! Yes, I do applaud them for wearing a fragrant product. My point… can we have more options?

Now I have to admit, I like some of the Axe commercials, I just don’t see the correlation between the genius marketing approach and what ones smells. I’m sure they would merely say we are making millions and that it is a success. I only ask what about us?
Those of us who are ready to walk away from a fragrance product!

If GQ can tell a man to stop purchasing his baggy khakis with pleats in them, to stop wearing them higher than his ankles with his favorite penny loafers… I'm sure this is not the style that Thom Browne envisioned and has made a wearable trend. God give me a choice that is modern, clean and makes me dream. Better yet, just hire me to design a collection for you!

Men wake up please…
Be that object of desire even if she does have to close her eyes to envision… awaken her senses with something enticing… instead of choking and suffocating her lustful thoughts.
Think twice of the fragrance you wear… and women please... we don’t want to smell like your father. Just imagine him putting his arms around you and saying… “I love you darling your fragrance reminds me of my mother”. Select wisely for him... If he still can not select his own!

What is Inside a Bottle Part II…

noreply@blogger.com (raymond matts) — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 18:19:07 PST

The starting point of my fragrances are always based on the very sensations, emotions and experiences that we enjoy in life. A fragrance is comprised of top, middle and bottom notes. I take great pride in creating a journey where each part flows into the other. This is the craft and the challenge to do with each perfumer I work with. Two minds meeting to create one olfactive journey with the hopes to entice the senses of many.

Before we partake in this journey of notes that will comprise the top, middle and bottom, an understanding between notes and accords is in order. Notes are the individual ingredients that come in the form of oil, resin and sometimes a powder. These notes are combined with alcohol and water whereby a formula has been created. Alcohol is the carrier to apply the fragrance to your skin. If you spray a mirror with a fragrance from six inches away, you will see the alcohol evaporating and what is left is the fragrant oil. An accord is the combination of several notes creating a part or feeling within a fragrance.

When I design a fragrance I usually plan out the overall feeling always taking into consideration the perceived perception and what one may wish to feel from the experience.

The initial introduction of a fragrance I liken to a hello or handshake a glance into ones eyes. It is your first impression and what should lead you deeper into the initial character. As in any fragrance it is more often notes, which connote freshness. Clean or crisp nuances are derived typically from citrus, watery, green and aldehydic notes. Aldehydes are the first known synthetic note used in perfumery. Aldehydes are typically reminiscent of clean laundry and can add substance to a clean fresh nuance.

Classic perfumery will typically use citrus notes of orange, grapefruit, lemon and lime along with other citrus notes. When combined with neroli and bergamot the classic eau de cologne is created. In the nineties the use of marine or ozonic notes were introduced into fragrances and this brought a new era of freshness. Over the past ten years I’ve searched for what can replace these classic nuances within a fragrance. With some amazing perfumers we have worked to perfect a brightness that requires many modifications to bring to you modern interpretations of clean crisp freshness. Where many use a note or two, we build complex accords creating a new experience. I would love to share with you their identity, however some things must remain a mystery. To understand, is to wear a fragrance designed by raymond matts.

The heart is the soul of a fragrance! The very fraction of where the signature takes shape and you decide if this fragrance is for you. I will continue with the heart and background of a fragrance in my next writing.

This blog and the information I provide is copyrighted and owned by raymond matts the art of perfumery.

What is Inside a Bottle... Part I

noreply@blogger.com (raymond matts) — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 17:29:39 PST

I have always approached the creation of a fragrance as a journey that can awaken our senses, arousing our memory and maybe our soul. Michael Edwards the author of Fragrances of the World refers to fragrances as “Liquid Emotion” a phrase I often use to describe these elixirs I’ve designed.

While holding a bottle you see a carton with an image, a glass bottle and liquid within. We in the industry refer to the liquid inside the bottle as… juice! To most of you, this juice is known as a fragrance or perfume in the form of an Eau de Cologne, Eau de Toilette, Eau de Parfum or Perfume. This categorization is dependent upon the concentration of fragrant oil, water and alcohol. Perfume is the highest concentration of oil and Eau de Cologne being the lowest.

Every fragrance is classified within a family based on the different facets for its interpretation of a specific theme. The feminine classifications are Floral, Chypre, Citrus and Oriental. With each family having several sub-families. The masculine classifications are Lavender, Fougere, Oriental, Chypre and Citrus. Perfumery has evolved over the years and these families have become difficult to use while classifying due to a difference of opinion of what should go where.

I prefer the method of classification by Michael Edwards and suggest you visit his website… www.fragrancesoftheworld.com. The fragrance families hold the key to everyone’s likes and dislikes. Mr. Edwards introduces you to this amazing world through a Fragrance Wheel allowing you to see the relationship between the different families. He groups the fragrances as Floral, Oriental, Woody and Fresh. The fragrance wheel will further break down the four main groups into 13 distinct families.

The classifications are decided by the structure of the fragrance. Each fragrance is a compilation of notes. Notes are the individual ingredients that create the fragrant impression you wear. A fragrance formula is a recipe using fragrant notes arranged in proportions based upon their rate of volatility. Understanding the structure of a fragrance is key to appreciating the collaboration between myself the designer and the amazing perfumers I collaborate with.

When I design a fragrance with a perfumer each fragrance is created from three accords. These accords within the fragrance represent the top, middle and background nuances. Each of these accords has a specific function within the structure of a fragrance.

In my next writing… What is Inside a Bottle Part II, I will breakdown the structure providing an understanding of the very sensations, emotions and experiences, which define the accords of a fragrance I design. The character, concentration, lasting power and strength are all determined by the mastery of formulating this structure.

Why Fear What is New and Different...

noreply@blogger.com (raymond matts) — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 09:55:15 PDT

This is something that we all do…. and it is stripping us of our creativity, and inhibiting the creation of new perfumes and fragrances. Fear, is preventing the corporate behemoths from providing what consumers deeply desire, a new fragrant experience providing them with a dream, thus allowing them to escape through the beauty of scent.

Have you ever wondered why many fragrances lately smell the same? Why you’ve often kept changing and searching for your elusive signature fragrance. One must ask have you really given this new perfume or fragrance the chance that it deserves? Did you judge the book by its cover before experiencing?

As I delicately walk through this landmine and am known for never being politically correct, I will enlighten you and hope that after reading you will be more open-minded to what is new. By new I mean a new signature, not a new fragrance or perfume that is launched and smells surprisingly similar to something else!

What is signature you ask? The signature of a fragrance is the impressions you smell that allow you to distinguish one character from another. It is the personal identity of the fragrance.

How many of you have changed your hairstyle? Did you ask a thousand people prior to cutting? Did you weigh your decision solely on your findings? Did you get a cut, and feel it was not really what you wanted, but you settled because it was safer to do? This is what happens to most fragrances! Many fragrances are market researched to become commercially acceptable. Individuals are randomly selected to give their opinions of what they have experienced. Yet, most cannot effectively communicate in a common language as to what they smell. The experts who interpret the data don’t always understand the true meaning of their comments and hence the results can be lost in translation.

When used properly market research can be an amazing tool. Clearly it has not been; fewer signature scents are launched each year. If one is looking for a difference, something unique, the last thing one should do is ask for a vote.

Now don’t misinterpret the following words, I love marketers… I have a degree in marketing. However, due to cost cutting and restructuring of fragrance companies to drive higher profits, presidents feel marketers are competent noses. Young inexperienced marketers are guiding perfumers who have years of experience, giving them direction and critiquing their submissions. I think most perfumers would like to tell them where to go! They request what they like to wear, what has already been done through briefs presented to the fragrance houses. The houses are forced to oblige in the hopes of getting the business. You my friends purchase once, maybe twice and then move on to the next supposedly new to you fragrance. The beauty of what we can do is lost and your fragrance is now a commodity.

Companies fear what is new, new takes longer to accept and for one to become comfortable with. Retailers want a fragrance to be an instant hit; or the shelf life will be drastically reduced. Here today gone tomorrow! When we look back in time most new fragrances with signature are what brought repeat business and these fragrances have survived the test of time.

To my followers I ask you this, take the time to smell what is new. Do not be so quick to judge. Whether worn on your skin or smelling on a blotter, enjoy the perfume or fragrance over a period of hours. Look deep within what you smell and ask yourself how does it make me feel. Never judge a fragrance by smelling the outside atomizer of a tester bottle. Everyone touching usually contaminates these bottles, only a fraction of the fragrance is being perceived. When smelling a blotter card, smell when dry to touch. Blotters slow down the evaporation process so that we creators can see what is happening in a fragrance. We look for holes, whether there is too much of one note or not enough, the right balance and then we decide what our next modification will be. Blotters push freshness at first, if you remember from my last writing a fragrance needs to breathe. Please allow the fragrance to breathe on the blotter. Put it in your purse making sure you have written down the name of the fragrance and smell after 10 minutes. The best however, is to spray on your forearm pulling your sleeve down and smelling as you move throughout the day, as it wafts to you in the air. Smell your clothing after removing. You may have an amazing new olfactive experience!

Creating a signature scent takes time and experience, combined with an understanding of the fine line between creativity and what can have the potential to be commercially viable. There are few who understand this craft and know how to bring you newness. By understanding how to appreciate a “new fragrance” you will encourage large companies to start taking a chance. Designers like myself will again be in demand. Perfumers will start enjoying the amazing job they now have.

When you purchase a fragrance, purchase for yourself thinking about how you want to feel. Don't always think of this fragrance as a magic potion to attract another. Remember, being comfortable with something new comes over time!

A fragrance should be a journey filled with surprises… never knowing what lies around the corner. I will delve into this soon in another writing.

Not on Your Wrist Please......

noreply@blogger.com (raymond matts) — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 09:40:20 PDT

Earlier last week I tweeted “ The next time I see a woman rubbing her wrist together after spraying a fragrance on and then smelling I would scratch my fingernails across a chalkboard in front of her”.

Several women have written me and asked, isn’t this what women do. Yes, however this doesn’t mean it is correct. I am always amused when I read the reasons why one should not rub your wrist in a magazine. The best is that rubbing will bruise the fragrances. Oh really! Can you see the bruises? Were all the fragrance notes agonizing over their pain?

If women wish to rub their wrist together after spraying that is fine you will not bruise, damage or ruin the fragrance. My problem is when men or women do this while purchasing and trying to decide whether you like the fragrance or not. Then you put your nose to the flesh of your skin and smell.

This is where the problem begins! The comments I hear drive us in the industry crazy.
Oh! "it is too harsh:… WOW! "my body chemistry changed this on my skin"… "Doesn’t smell like what I smelled on my friend"… OMG! "the alcohol is too strong". These comments ultimately lead to you not finding your signature fragrance.

When purchasing a fragrance think of these three questions: How do you sample wine that has been poured from a bottle? How do you view a picture? How do you find your significant other?

One decants wine allowing breathing… slowly… and then you enjoy. You view a picture from a distance; you do not look at a picture close to your eyes. To find your perfect significant other, you live with them or spend many hours getting to know this person. If you didn’t then I’m sure some of you are wishing you had.

A fragrance must breathe in order to experience the true impression. A fragrance can be comprised of 60 to 100 ingredients. These notes need to have a chance to work together. Initially, when smelling close to the skin you smell the most volatile ingredients of the fragrance. These are typically citrus, watery and green notes. They can be rather harsh, however when floating in the air they bring a smooth brightness and introduce you to the beauty of what you will soon experience.

Try this, take a fragrance you like… spray on your wrist and smell close. In a few minutes spray the same fragrance in the air and smell. Do not put your nose into and pullout! Smell as the fragrance is developing in the air over a minute. As the fragrance unfolds the notes are beginning to work with the middle and back of the fragrance building to become one impression. You are now experiencing the true character that will be very similar to what you may have smelled on another. Did you notice the difference in the air as it breathes and then how the same fragrance smells when close on the skin?

My tip for you! Spray the fragrance on your forearm and do not smell right away. Go on your way and shop. You will notice your fragrance or perfume, as you are moving about throughout the day. Smell your clothing when removing and see if the character is to your liking. Many times it is how you have smelled that leads you to believe your skin has altered the fragrance versus the reality of how good the fragrance smells on you.

I hope you will find this information useful on your next endeavor to find a fragrance for you.

What the World Doesn't Need....

noreply@blogger.com (raymond matts) — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 16:53:14 PDT

What the world doesn't need is another blog on perfumes! Nor do we need another critique on the onslaught of new fragrances that come out each year. Critiques typically written by self-proclaimed experts who have never enjoyed the task of creating a fragrant experience. Always written by bloggers who describe fragrances through notes with seldom an understanding of the structures that enables one to appreciate the composition the way it was meant.

Now the one thing they do well is write and provide at times wonderful entertainment. I promise you I will do neither... critique or write well that is. However, I do hope to provide a little entertainment and shed some insight into understanding the craft of perfumery from the mind of one who strives to bring fragrances into the 21 century.

On any given day I will offer some tips and hopefully make your purchasing of a fragrance in this chaotic time of so many choices a little easier. What most of you assume is the proper way to experience a fragrance when sampling is not. Btw.... get rid of the coffee beans please!

What I hope you will gain from this time we spend together is my passion for my craft and my admiration for the amazing noses I work with each day. What a perfume is to me… what it can be when the marketing minds let us be allowing us to do what every fashion designer does. To simply create once again!

To those who have a passion for perfume and fragrances, I simply ask that you now open your minds to a different experience. My knowledge I will share with you, opening your souls to a whole new world.

Some of you may be asking... who am I?
Feel free to visit my website www.raymondmatts.com. Use the link under "places to visit". This will be... the beginning of our journey.