Fragrance Belles-Lettres Magazine

Fragrance Belles-Lettres: The Magazine is an online fragrance magazine established in 2009 dedicated to niche perfumes which includes natural/organic perfumes. This magazine is created to explore vintage and modern with a journalistic approach and an aristocratic flair. This magazine consist of perfume reviews, articles and exclusive interviews conducted with industry leaders, perfumers and authors. Fragrance Belles-Lettres: The Magazine is published through NOBLESSE LUXE PUBLISHING LLC.

Showing posts with label International Perfume Foundation. Show all posts

Life with The International Perfume Foundation

Posted by Unknown 07 March, 2017 0 comments

Noblesse Luxe Publication

Feature Article

Founder & Chairman
  International Perfume Foundation

   EXCLUSIVE Interview with
Creezy Courtoy

Felicia: Thank you, Creezy, for taking time to answer a few questions today.

Creezy: You are very welcome, Felicia!

Felicia: So how is it in Paris today?

Creezy: It’s still quite cold here but warming. I’m very much looking forward to spring.

Felicia: With all I have been reading about your very fascinating background as an international fashion personality, your extensive historical research in perfume, 22 years as Founder and Chair of the International Perfume Foundation and your incredible collection of perfume artifacts and manuscripts I have to ask you: what has motivated you to be so engaged and passionate about perfume?

Creezy: That’s a great question, Felicia! More than 25 years ago I realized that the world of perfume had been transformed, and in many cases these transformations were producing many negative, unintended effects and consequences. I asked myself the question: “Will we have to tell our children and grandchildren that what was once an important part of our culture was allowed to vanish and to be replaced by chemical substitutes?”

In our rush to use industrial technology and mass markets we separated ourselves from the natural world and the wonderful bounty nature has provided for literally thousands of years. This motivated me to find ways to help people reconnect with nature because humans and nature have a symbiotic relationship with each other. One cannot survive without the other. Humans are part of nature, and need nature to survive. If we were synthetic organisms composed of synthetic molecules this will be different, but nature is perfect and wonderful! Have a walk in a natural setting and look around: even the tiniest flower is in harmony, what perfection!

Felicia: I love that, Creezy! So, is this why you chose the name “Reconnect with Nature” for the IPF Certified Natural Perfumery campaign?

Creezy: Exactly! 2017 is the year to “Reconnect with Nature.” The IPF Natural Perfumery

Certification Program is succeeding because more and more people are looking for healthier and more sustainable alternatives for what they buy including their perfumes. Perfume used to be sacred, precious and was made with pure essential oils and botanicals with the knowledge of the natural power of flowers and plants. Natural perfumery has existed for thousands of years, yet synthetic perfumery as we have today has been around for less than 150 years - only a brief period in the history of perfumery. To me it is a shame we now have to use the term “natural perfume” to distinguish ourselves from synthetic perfumes, but that is the current reality.

Felicia: From your perspective, Creezy, what needs to be done to move natural perfumery forward?

Creezy: Wow! That is a lot to cover, but let me give you my short list of the most important things. First, there are many fine natural perfumers including our beautiful IPF Certified Natural Perfumers, but to move natural perfumery forward we need many more natural perfumers and others within the fragrance supply chain properly educated in the historical importance of natural perfumery. Additionally, there has to be greater attention on the safety aspects of fragrance, as well as a better understanding of the business side of perfume, including more knowledge of the global nature of perfume. We also have to insure a dependable and safe fragrance supply chain including growers, distillers, essential oils, and retailers. Once the supply chain is healthy and strong, responding to consumer demand, this new industry will flourish organically.

Felicia: What do you mean by “the global nature of perfume”?

Creezy: The European Union has destroyed natural perfumery in Europe through unnecessarily restrictive regulations. We can’t let that happen in other parts of the world including the US. Self-regulation is a far better alternative. We also have to be sensitive to potentially depleting natural resources around the world from increasing demand for these resources. We need to work towards sustainable and environmentally sensitive sources for all of our raw materials wherever they come from worldwide. Natural Perfumery education needs to include teaching about the importance of replanting heritage flowers and plants around the world.

Felicia: So, education is vital to you.

Creezy: Absolutely. Natural Perfumery has amazing stories to tell and a lot of great information is out there but it needs to be structured more efficiently and effectively if we are going to move the needle. And it isn’t just educating people about natural perfumes. Even more critical is educating about the risks of losing our important heritage of natural perfume. There used to be flower fields grown for fragrance worldwide giving jobs and wealth to many people especially in third-world countries. We have to decide if we will continue to allow the destruction of natural perfumery by the substitution of synthetics for flowers.

Felicia: So, can you tell our readers what’s ahead for you and the International Perfume Foundation?

Creezy: Our objective going forward is to improve people’s awareness of the urgency of preserving the art of perfumery as a world heritage from seeds, flowers and plants all the way to consumers, including everyone between. Because of this, educating will be taking a greater role with IPF. These next few years will be very exciting!

Felicia: Thank you so much for all of this important information, Creezy!

Creezy: And thank you, Felicia!

Publisher's Note:

Creezy Courtoy is on a very important mission! I can remember the times when I was younger and exploring perfumes and then getting a headache after every usage. I had no idea why I started getting headaches. My health was excellent. I noticed shortly that when I didn't wear those perfumes, that I did not have headaches.

I later found out that the fragrances I chose to buy were full of chemicals. So, that is when my curiosity peeked into the world of perfumery.

Many thanks to Creezy and to all the natural perfumers worldwide who strive to create beautiful scents that are healthy for us and good for the Earth.

As the US Executive Ambassador for the International Perfume Foundation I urge you to become a part of the IPF so that the great works can continue and we can continue to have a dialogue and a platform to promote health in our perfumes and skincare products.

-Felicia M. Hazzard

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Posted by Unknown 28 November, 2016 1 comments

Noblesse Luxe Publication

Feature Article

FLYING COLORS NATURAL PERFUMES
with Anita Kalnay

Introduction:

The International Perfume Foundation (IPF) recently launched a Directory for Certified Natural Perfumers worldwide. The Directory is the first step in responding to a growing number of questions consumers have been asking about the contents of perfumes and the importance of natural products in their lives.


Interview:

Anita Kalnay is a 100% natural perfumer and owner of FLYING COLORS NATURAL PERFUMES in Canada. Anita is dedicated to the "Art of Perfumery" by the collection of unique and diversed scents that are created in her perfumery.

FLYING COLORS NATURAL PERFUMES can provide you the opportunity to design your own signature scent or celebrate a special occasion by hosting a perfume party!

Anita is honored with the title of Certified Natural Perfumer with the International Perfume Foundation. She is among a select group of natural perfumers worldwide that uphold natural perfumery in the highest regard.

Anita Kalnay is someone you should know.

Where are you based?

Vancouver Island, BC, Canada

How did you start? What was the first scent that made you decide to become a perfumer ? When was that?

My Perfume Journey started as a ‘gift' to myself for my 50th birthday – after a Spiritual Teacher ‘challenged' me to ‘become more than 1% of my potential’. My first scent was actually a ‘gift’ to my clients called PROSPERITY which was designed in 2002 and re-launched to celebrate 2012. “But where will the money come from? Why from wherever it is at the time” was the quote from Maharishi Mahesh Yogi that inspired the scent – a fantasy chypre. It was sent out as a fragrant card that said “write a wish for yourself on this card and hide it away someplace special”. Everyone did it and within a very short time I was receiving all sorts of feedback on how quickly their wishes had come true. That was the beginning.

You are a natural perfumer, so when did you made the choice to become a natural perfumer instead of following the majority of the brands making synthetic perfumes. What led you to make this choice?

I don’t really like conventional perfumes and I can’t wear them. And I don’t feel inspired by Brands themselves, but more a desire to explore the unexplored – led by my nose into magical arenas of the unknown. I love being a Designer first and I am attracted to bold and unusual notes and how they can be combined – and the VIRTUES that those combinations create. Pure esoteric beauty that uplifts and heals the psyche. When we are in ‘balance’ with ourselves, all of nature can be in ‘harmony’.

Where can we find your perfumes ? Are you distributed worldwide?

I am a small niche designer. Perfumes can be purchased directly from the website. Personal contact and matching 'the right scent to the right person' is important to the Flying Colors concept. www.genieinabottle.ca

Can you give us an idea what type of person buys your product ? From which country are most of them from ? Do you have many European clients?

Most people find out about the Flying Colors Natural Perfumes by word of mouth, either having met me as a client or friend – as I also offer Ayurvedic Aromatherapy Massage in my scope of practice. The Natural Perfumes are a more refined use of essential oils in a co-creative design process. They are just now starting to surface in popularity. I would say that people are generally curious to try ' natural' perfume alternatives and clients are seeking tools that will help them to connect to their ‘soul essence’ qualities more specifically. Unless you have met me, you’ve probably never heard of me. We do ship worldwide and recommend ordering samples first.

Do you think the use of social media can spread the message of natural perfume as a healthier alternative?

Like Nature – the seeds of our Natural Perfume industry are just now starting to sprout! I’m not even sure that they are actually visibly coming through the soil just yet. But they will soon! A movement like this is the beginning of a lot of FUN and some lovely healthy, eco-conscious alternatives for those who want to re-connect to the elemental basics of Nature. Fragrant ethers – are the most ‘evolved’ state of plants themselves.

YES! Social media is so honest! I love the personal stories that people share and how fast something can travel as news. Like artists – Perfumers also have unique styles that are conveyed in the energy of their creations – especially with naturals. I like Pinterest as well as it offers a more visual ‘collection’ and sharing. Niche Perfumers can be so focused and hard to find that if it weren't for social media we might not be visible at all.

Information:

https://www.pinterest.com/anitakalnay/flying-colors-perfumes-from-nature-wwwgenieinabott/

The international Perfume Foundation is a non profit organisation based in Brussels with representation worldwide. Certified Natural Perfumers Directory http://www.perfumefoundation.org/certified-natural-perfumers.html
The pictures and text of the 32 day campaign RECONNECT WITH NATURE.

To purchase from FLYING COLORS NATURAL PERFUME go to www.http://www.genieinabottle.ca/

Special Note of Thanks
This interview was done in collaboration with Creezy Courtoy, Chairman of the International Perfume Foundation.

FMH

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Posted by Unknown 20 October, 2016 0 comments

Noblesse Luxe Publication

International Perfume Foundation
Campaign

Advertisement for Perfumes

This is a very special segment for The International Perfume Foundation Campaign that began on October 15, 2016 and last until November 15, 2016.
Each day there will be a new campaign topic on perfumes...natural perfumes to be exact. Today, the campaign topic has to do with advertisement and perfume.

Just because you see glossy pages advertising a fragrance in a national beauty magazine, does that mean that those ingredients are actually in the fragrance?

I would surely hope so. Are you really getting a natural rose scent or a camellia in a high priced fragrance at a upscale department store. I would surely hope so.

If the marketing and advertising cost more than the creation of the fragrance, do you really think you are getting a scent that states the essence of violet, jasmine and vanilla?

According to The Vanilla Company (article dated July 26, 2016)

there is a tremendous shortage on vanilla! Many, many fragrance companies worldwide are opting for synthetic vanilla aroma because the cost of natural vanilla is very expensive due to the shortage.

Vanilla is the second most expensive spice with Saffron ranking as number ONE as the most expensive spice.

So, what do you do? Do you go for the glossy advertisement in a national beauty magazine or do you purchase a natural fragrance from an artisan perfumery that promotes a beautiful scent that is also good for your body and the Earth.

There are many natural perfumeries that offer the best and they are sharing it with all of us. No, there will be no glossy advertisement for a small natural perfumery in a national beauty magazine due to cost. However, I would rather have a perfume that I know what ingredients are in it, then paying for synthetics.

If you agree, then I suggest you join a MOVEMENT that supports natural perfumes and the natural perfumers who create them.

It's The International Perfume Foundation. I am associated with this great organization and I hope you will join us in Campaign 2016!

Let your voice me heard along with many others in the fragrance industry.

It's very simple to join and let's support companies who want to share the beauty of the ART OF PERFUMERY the correct way.

For more information go to www.perfumefoundation.org

Let's Reconnect With Nature.

-Felicia M. Hazzard
IPF US Ambassador

Note: Photo of flowers in bowl via www.hgtv.com
For more information on The Vanilla Company go to www.vanillaqueen.com

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Fragrance Belles-Lettres Est 2009 CHICAGO

The word "belles lettres" is a French phrase meaning "beautiful or "fine writing. Since this is a term to describe a category of writing, this will pertain to my passion about fragrances. I will review niche,natural, artisan and designer perfumes from all over the world. I write with passion but will use my journalistic skills that I obtained in college. Not only will I feature fragrances but I will feature new books on fragrances/perfumes, fragrance events and interview authors and perfumers.

I hope you take this journey with me and begin your own passion for the ART OF PERFUMERY!

Fragrance Belles-Lettres Magazine is a division of Noblesse Luxe Publication.

Felicia M. Hazzard
Publisher & Editor-in-Chief