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 exclusive interview. 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 14 February, 2017 0 comments

Noblesse Luxe Publication

Feature Article

Christi Meshell of the House of Matriarch
EXCLUSIVE Valentine's Day Interview!

I remember my first email to Christi Meshell, Award-winning natural perfumer. That was several years ago. Since that time, Christi, the owner of House of Matriarch is reaching the pedestal of success with expansion of perfume collections and being the only natural perfumery in a major retail like Nordstrom speaks volume for the niche perfumery category.

Christi Meshell's response to perfume and life when I speak with her is always on her own merits...non-confrontation, always positive and always with a loving spirit.

I can see why success follows Christi and why I am so blessed to have known her. The House of Matriarch is going worldwide. I just know it and I felt on Valentine's Day, Christi is the perfect example of love, peace, persistent and what it takes to be successful in the fragrance industry.

The House of Matriarch collections are a true work of art from a divine goddess with no formal training! How is this possible? Christi says it comes from within and it all started with sacred candle making.

Meet Christi Meshell, the creator of the magical House of Matriarch!

How did you get started in perfumery?

It’s difficult to pinpoint an actual “start” point. Seven years ago, I made my debut as a Perfumer and established House of Matriarch with the release of MATRIARCH, but that was far from the beginning. Sacred candle making was my specialty in those days, and I composed the blends for my candles according to the energetic correspondences for the candle’s purpose. My candles were popular and I was starting to get a lot of special orders Then the wax started getting in my way – it was the natural essences and blending them to synergize their properties that I was passionate about.

Sometimes I feel as if I “snuck in through the back door” because I have zero training –no classical training or study with any other Perfumers, and no previous experience in the beauty industry. The essences themselves brought me to this place and have been my teachers. I’m not beholden to the ideologies of the industry, I’m “doing it wrong” and from a creative perspective, that seems to be working.

Why do you like about natural perfumery?

What I cherish are the personal relationships I have built with each individual essence. There is an intimacy that I enjoy with each extract in and of itself. Many of these relationships began early in my life, as I learned a lot about plants and herbs from my mother who owned a health food store and created her own tinctures. This appreciation of what each essence can uniquely offer to a blend inspires my ability to predict how they will effect a composition, and what amount is just right to produce the desired effect without drawing too much attention to the individual note.

How would you describe The House of Matriarch?

Magical – mysterious and relevant.

Christi, how do you stay competitive with so many perfumes being launched yearly in the Fragrance industry?

Every advantage that HoM enjoys stems from our small size an artisan nature. HoM is not competing with anyone - I don’t even “sniff out” the competition. When you view fragrance making as an art form, then any competitiveness dissolves. I’m all about nontraditional fragrance composition, using my own perfume organ that I have built myself over the years. Inspirations can be brought to fruition quickly and since we are small batch, we can afford to take bigger risks with unordinary notes that have outstanding effects. For instance, Forbidden’s wonderful top note of wormwood, and the accord of bitter herbs like dong quai and henna found in Bittersweet Symphony.

5. How did the partnership with you and Nordstrom come about?

The relationship with Nordstrom began when I created a bespoke perfume for one of the executives. She was passionate about natural fragrances and she suggested our brand to the Nordstrom beauty team. They requested a meeting and from there we began the year long process of becoming “retail ready”.

House of Matriarch is an online perfumery. Do you have the desire to open a brick and mortar?

Not just yet, but it could happen in the future. We just invested in a pop-up store setup, this year I hope to do a few pop up’s across the US.

The packaging for House of Matriarch products is exquisite! What inspires you to come up with such beautiful ideas?

Everything is created in layers - sacred geometry, symbology, and the alchemical properties of the materials we create our perfumes with are an endless source of inspiration and are all equally represented in the layering. I worked closely with Tim Girvin and Michael Kennedy at Girvin Design in Seattle to bring the vision I held for the packaging into manifestation. They have been with me every step of the way, from our early “BrandQuest” sessions I have been blessed to have their influence and magic touch on the House of Matriarch brand.

Lastly, what are your hopes and dreams for the House of Matriarch in the near future?

I try not to “project” too much onto the future, and don’t pretend to know where this is all going If I had done that in the beginning, I would have seriously limited the potential of my ability to create and the brand. I’ll just keep taking risk after risk to create things that make my heart sing and hope to enjoy the ride, savoring each moment of this incredible journey. In 2017 I hope to find a good business manager so that I can devote more time to the creative side - as the business has grown, executive duties have been encroaching on the time and energy I have available for "dabbling" at my organ and diving into concepts that I want to explore for future releases.

Many thanks to Christi for this valuable interview. It comes straight from the heart and it shows in every bottle created.

Christi ended the interview with a red heart. This wasn't just for Valentine's Day. I always get my email responses with Christi ending with a symbol of love. See for Christi it just comes naturally.

-Felicia M. Hazzard

Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

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Pissara Umavijani: The Exclusive

Posted by Unknown 04 September, 2016 1 comments

Noblesse Luxe Publication

Featured Article

Pissara Umavijani
The Perfumer Behind The Scent
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

When I learned about Dusita Parfums, it already had taken social media by storm.

I had to find out more about why Dusita Parfums was receiving rave reviews!

Now I know why. It all started with the creator (self-taught) perfumer and owner of Dusita Parfums, Pissara Umavijani.

I contacted her and explained who I was and that I really wanted to get to know more about herself and Dusita Parfums.

Within a few weeks, I received a package. It was not just an ordinary package.It a was a beautiful orchestration of a perfume layout.

I could smell each scent intertwine with the others coming from the outer package. It was just a matter of time before I was absorb by the oasis of floral, earthy tones, sweet and powdery sensations!

Pissara is a creative master in more ways than just perfumery. She is an actress and for me having more than one talent in the world of the arts is extremely exciting to me.

Do you know of any actors who compose their own perfume collection? Using pure ingredients and extraits. I do not.

So without further adieu , here is Pissara's story on a fragrant journey!

~THE INTERVIEW~

F.H. Pissara, how did you get into perfumery?

My passion for smelling began as a child. I grew up in Bangkok, Thailand in a beautiful house with a big tropical garden. I was always exploring the garden and I loved smelling the soil, the grass after it rained and all the exotic flowers like lotus blossom, frangipani , jasmine, Pandan leaves, and Champaca flowers. It felt so peaceful in that garden and nature’s fragrances gave me a wonderful sense of tranquility.

The smells of that house and garden have remained close to my heart as powerful childhood memories. My father, who was a poet, collected old books, every time I smell the old books, I think of him.

Then, as I traveled, I started to collect old bottles of perfumes because I am fascinated by the beauty of materials and the arts of blending. I began to read more and more about the perfume houses in the past. (see attached file for the perfume library in Bangkok). I started building my own little palette at home (ordering materials everywhere through websites). I would order all the books, natural perfumery, modern perfumery, niche perfume books. At that time, I just do it with my pure passion.

F.H. How did you come to composing your first perfume?

One day, I started to blend it. My first creation was ISSARA. I developed my first perfume to conjure a memory I had of place with lush green rice fields near the sea and of a gentle breeze blowing through trees. It has a pine tree scent blended with fresh smelling Coumarin and mellow earthy fragrances. I associate it with a wonderful feeling of freedom.

F.H. Pissara, you are a self-taught perfumer! What inspired you?

I start everything with respect and appreciation. I read about the greatest perfume creations and find out how they structure it.

Later, I have fun sourcing the materials, when I collect raw materials, I would spend time with them, live with them for days, like getting to know a friend....I want to know every aspect of it. Having quality raw materials is like having a beautiful color palette.

For creating a composition, I would translate the inspiration for each scent into smaller aspect. I always have this hypothesis in mind that how the state of mind can be translated into the smells. When I work, it’s like a meditation because I am totally in the flow of the new discovery. and I also learn to discover many new aspects. I believe that creativity is endless.

F.H. How would you describe your brand and its concept?

My brand and its concept: The meaning of the name “Dusita” means “paradise” and “happiness” in Bali. Happiness differs from person to person and each person has a different definition of it. We feel people who wear a Dusita will enjoy a sense of well being and happiness that is entirely individual and personal. We create French perfumes with oriental inspiration. We bring an eclectic mix of cultural philosophies – the best from different parts of the world. We are inspired by people who travel and know the world and who in turn are inspired by the cultures they have come to know. We are not afraid to be different.

F.H. Why was Paris so important to establish a perfume collection?

Paris is the ultimate destination of fine perfumery. This is where the arts of perfumery have begun. It is the hardest market to enter and the true challenge for the brand to grow. Throughout the time, the truth is, it’s never easy for anyone to start the brand here but I personally believe that, with the quality product and strong teamwork, a brand can flourish anywhere.

I had composed some perfumes four years ago, I took my creations with me and presented to Monsieur Francois Hénin and he encouraged me to start a brand.

I remember that moment very well, I was walking alone, passing Place Vendôme and I asked myself, how many times in life did we have the opportunity to follow our passion, and turn it into the reality. Therefore, I was determined to work hard for this project , although I did not know then what it takes to create a brand. I was fortunate to meet people with a variety of very helpful expertise... some of whom later became my partners. Dusita was founded as a French perfume house in 2014, 3 years after I had started the project.

F.H. Pissara, in just a few words. Would you describe your perfume collection?

I want people to choose for themselves perfumes which represent who they are. They could choose the unisex appeal of Issara to be independent, strong and free. If they search for femininity, they can choose Mélodie de l’amour. A more artistic, confident, and rebellious person should wear Oudh Infini.

For me, the appealing idea of the ultimate happiness is found in freedom of the mind, and spirit. Therefore, the perfume that I wear the most is Issara. It is the first fragrance that I created, with a fresh pine-tree note, blended with oak moss. It comes from a live memory of wandering in green forests in a tropical country like Thailand, enjoying a fresh wind blowing in your face, feeling time standing still, banishing all worries and outside thoughts. This perfume embodies that experience of freedom.

F.H. Lastly. Pissara. I read that you are a actress! When did you start acting and what movies have you been in?

Yes, I have been in several movies (they were in Thailand) since I was 19 years old. They are "Immortal Enemies", "Shakespeare Must Die" and independent films.

F.H. Pissara, Thank You so much for taking the time out to speak with me! Your journey into perfumery has been remarkable and I truly enjoyed it.

Thank you so much for your kind comment. I am so happy that you like the perfumes. Please take time to live with them :).

Felicia M. Hazzard

Editor-in-Chief

Fragrance Belles-Lettres Magazine

To find out information on Mr.Jean-Francois Henin who was mentioned in this interview. Go to www.bloomberg.com

Photo Credit: Picture of Ms. Umavijani courtesy of www.persefume.com and www.frangrantica.com

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with Sue Phillips

Posted by Unknown 30 June, 2015 1 comments

Noblesse Luxe Publication

Exclusive Interview

                                                            Sue Phillips
                    A Fragrance Industry Leader for the People

I heard the name Sue Phillips several years ago and then one day while watching television and there was Sue! I remember Sue so elegantly dressed and she presented her company, Scenterprises to the host of the show in such an amazing, confident and exciting way.

  Over the years of reading about the journey of Scenterprises and how an executive left the corporate world to be with her family takes true determination. Scenterprises is not just a fragrance company, it is the future and I trust Sue will keep ahead of the trends and bring a company into this century that will provide the needs in creativity for the fragrance industry.

This is truly a complete honor for me to have had a EXCLUSIVE interview with Sue who made her mark in the fragrance industry being in charge of product development and branding and designed the first iconic TIFFANY perfume for Tiffany & Company's 150 Anniversary.

It all started when Sue was hired by the Elizabeth Arden company as a training director. Since then, Sue has worked with some of the world's most famous companies such as Chloe, Lagerfeld, Burberry and Trish McEvoy fragrances.

To me, Sue is a leader that we need not just for the fragrance industry but a leader delights in working with her clients which are people like you and me.

How many times have you been able to work closely with an executive of major fragrance corporations who is willing to share her expert knowledge with you in the comfort of her studio. For me, that would not be many but Sue who is the Founder and President of Scenterprises at 'The Scentarium' located in the trendy TRIBECCA area in the city of New York gives the 'Art of Perfumery' a new approach to custom fragrances by a globally recognized leader.

I present to you Sue Phillips!


1. Why did you want to create a perfumery?

Fragrance is such a joy and is one of life’s pleasures! It has always been my dream to offer an intimate personalized “experience” for people who love fragrance, as so many people are tired of the impersonal, over commercialized, transactional aspect of fragrance which they find in stores. We really take into consideration people’s lifestyles and preferences, and then help them to define which fragrance families they like. I was so fortunate when the opportunity arose to open an intimate perfumery in Tribeca in the heart of Manhattan, where I meet with clients on an individual basis to discover their olfacative preferences and then take them on a ‘fragrance journey’ to create their own Bespoke Perfume. It’s fun, intimate, personal and we offer this for men and women, corporate and teambuilding events as well as for Bridal showers and for all occasions.
.
2. Did you come up with the name, Scenterprises before or after you had the idea of becoming an entrepreneur?

This is a great question! After I left Tiffany & Co, to have my child, I always knew that I wanted to continue working, so I established my consulting business under the company name: Susan Phillips Enterprises Ltd., (not a very impressive name!). Then one early morning, the words “Scent” and “Enterprises” started floating around in my head. I combined them and woke up with a jolt and thought, ‘what a great name!’. I immediately wrote it down and realized it combined the aspects of what I wanted do and then formed Scenterprises Inc.

3. Sue, your bio is very impressive and you have worked with some of the most leading beauty companies in the world! So, far what has been most rewarding in terms of starting your own business?

I love having my own business as it gives me the opportunity to meet with such a wide range of people and work on so many aspects of fragrance. I enjoy the freedom to work on different initiatives such as Bespoke Perfumery for individuals, corporate scent branding, as well as teaching at LIM COLLEGE, where I am the Adjunct Professor Fragrance. I also love to write and frequently write articles on fragrance. It’s fun, varied and combines all my passions.

4. How are you using your skills from being a Marketing Director for Lancôme Paris and Vice President of Fragrance Marketing for Tiffany & Co at Scenterprises?

I have been so fortunate to work at amazing companies such as Elizabeth Arden, Lancôme, and Tiffany in corporate positions. I was in involved in training, product development, marketing and advertising. When I began my consulting business I developed brands for Avon, Burberry, Trish McEvoy and others and utilized all those skill sets. Sometimes, it’s difficult to be objective in one’s own business as the entrepreneur is involved in all aspects and sometimes it’s good to get outside reflections and opinions. Ultimately, I am responsible
for all decisions and hope that they are the right ones!

5. Sue, you have a celebrity following such as Jaimie Fox and Katie Holmes for example. What do you think is the reason for the attraction from Hollywood?

I am so grateful that people find us and I think the reason they do is because we offer something totally unique and personal. Our blends are of the highest quality and they come back and repeat order. In addition, people don’t have to wait for two weeks or longer to get their fragrances. We blend it for them immediately.

6. Do you offer custom fragrances for purchase that you have created at Scentarium?

We offer our 18 exquisite blends for sale, online as well as at the perfumery. We also have our new Deluxe Perfume Kit which is also called The Scentarium. This way people can purchase the blends they love and also combine them to create something unique. When they want to reorder, they can send us their ‘formula’ and we can recreate it for them.

7. Sue, you do a lot of public speaking. Do you advise this for entrepreneurs? If so, why?

I really enjoy public speaking (I was a singer and actress in my former career) and I think it’s important to be able to motivate people about the pleasures of fragrance. I also talk about how scent can be used as a ‘scent-branding’ marketing tool as Brands can differentiate themselves by having a signature scent. I speak at a lot of conferences and enjoy connecting to many different types of audiences, which you can see on my Youtube channels:
Sue Phillips and also Scenterprises. Here is one of them:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJO2ubigWMo

8. Lastly, what future plans do you have for Scenterprises?

I am in discussions right now to open additional perfumeries around the country and to eventually have my own SUE PHILLIPS collection of fragrances. This way people have the option to create their own fragrances and to also purchase a fragrance that has been created by a credible fragrance expert. I believe that once the idea of customization finally trends, the next trend will be credible, high quality, authentic fragrances and would be delighted to be able to offer this for everyone.
I am also very interested in creating awareness for Alzheimer’s with fragrance as scent is so connected to memories and emotions.

I would like to thank Sue for taking time out of her busy schedule and talking with me. Sue, I wish you the best in all you do for fragrances.

-Felicia M. Hazzard

                                             www.scenterprises.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