transformed vetiver that smells sweeter than
the actual plant, is a common example). And
Ȭ ęǯ
When a fragrance house devises a new
molecule, it becomes what is called a “captive”,
a proprietary ingredient that can only be used
by perfumers who work for that company
until the patent expires. These exclusive
creations are valuable assets, providing an
edge over other perfumers.
When I visit the NYC headquarters of IFF,
Ȭ ę
Yves Cassar ushersme into the fragrance
ǰ Ĵ
ǯ
Ĵ
under my nose: cashmeran, which gives
Donna Karan’s Cashmere Mist its seductive
smoothness, is woody, soft, almost
undetectable; galaxolide, a synthetic musk
created by IFF chemists in 1965 that became
ç
1973, is so velvety and animalic it’s like
smelling warm fur; the individual aldehydes
ǚś ě
a sparkling vivacity that, if rendered in cartoon
form, would be depicted by a surge of stars or
tiny suns shooting up my nostrils.
¢ Ĵǰ
Parfum line of perfumes, says lab-made notes
allow him to bring “texture” to his creations.
“If I want to convey sensuality, the feeling of
skin or a soft caress that gives you goosebumps,
how do I do that? I use synthetics.” They can
ě
naturals, making them smell more, well,
natural. Rose oil, for example, doesn’t really
smell like roses– ¢ Ĵ
rather than the luscious scent we get when we
smell the bloom in the air. To re-create a true
ȬȬ ěǰ
¢Ĵǯ
ȃ Ě
myself,” Laurent says. “It’s not being
a perfumer to make jasmine with jasmine
absolute. I think it’s more interesting to create
gardenia without gardenia. It’s like the
impressionists, who wanted to paint
the emotion of being in nature. It’s the job
of the perfumer to give the feeling of nature
without the presence of nature.”
One misconception about manufactured
notes is that they’re cheap, and therefore more
likely to be used in great quantities in,
¢ǰ ĵ ǯ
This isn’t necessarily the case, says @Molecule 01,
$118 for 100ml,
Escentric
Molecules,
mecca.com.au“Iso E Super is one
of the most used
ingredients
worldwide because
it makes every
fragrance better,
whether it’s for floor
cleaner, soap,
dishwashing liquid
or body lotion,”
German perfumer
Geza Schoen says.
ESCENTRIC
MOLECULES’
groundbreaking
Molecule 01,
comprised entirely
of Iso E Super,
celebrated its 10th
anniversary this year.Last year, Mr Ford
expanded his unisex
offering with
a collection of
“green” scents.
TOMFORD
Vert D’Encens is
greener than
a Christmas tree
farm, but there is
synthetic smoke
and leather added,
which makes it
sophisticated.Vert D’Encens,
$340 for 50ml,
Tom Ford,
davidjones.com.au“People tend to think that perfumes are
made from three or four things, like rose,
patchouli and sandalwood, because those are
the main notes,” Flores-Roux says, “but
a perfume on average has between 40 and 60
ingredients. And, generally speaking,
synthetics are present at about 70 per cent
and naturals at 30 per cent.” Despite their
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shape our beloved scents have long been
shrouded in mystery – and even regarded
with a degree of suspicion: are they necessary?
Only recently – somewhat ironically, in these
green-minded times – a new generation of
perfumers have become outspoken about
their use of and appreciation for synthetics,
just as fragrance brands have begun to emerge
that proudly broadcast lab-concocted notes as
their raison d’être.
“We’ve been using synthetics for 150 years,
and for 150 years no-one has talked about it,”
says Cartier perfumer Mathilde Laurent.
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Contrary to popular belief, says Arquiste
founder Carlos Huber, engineered ingredients
are not inherently inferior to botanical extracts.
“Quality is quality. There are bad synthetics
and there are good synthetics, just as there are
good naturals and bad naturals. It’s all about
how they’re used.”
Synthetic aroma molecules are mostly
ginned up in the top-secret labs of the handful
of corporations responsible for manufacturing
the majority of perfumes sold today, each of
ȱ ¢ȱ ȱ Ĵ¢ȱ ȱ Ȭ ȱ
scientists whose job it is to disassemble and
reassemble chemical bonds and reconstruct
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know precisely what they’re looking for
- a more radiant citrus, for example – but in
many instances they’re simply experimenting
to see what lucky results may occur.
“Columbus left to discover a route to India but
ended up in America,” says Anubhav Narula,
research director for fragrance ingredients at
International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF).
“A scientist may design a molecule to make
a rose but end up with a jasmine.”
In general, these lab creations take three
ǯȱȱęȱȱȬǰȱ ȱ
means they’re engineered versions of the exact
same molecules that exist in nature. The
second begin with a natural raw material that
is in some way manipulated into something
else (vetiveryl acetate, a chemically
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