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EDITORIAL
Scents of the Middle East This is probably one of the few places in the world where perfume, in all its many forms, plays such a central role. It is also a place where the tradition of layering scents on skin and clothes, using smoke, oils and both Western and Eastern fragrances makes everyone, to some extent, a perfumer. Because here, in the Middle East, children learn to read, write and‌smell. At the crossroads of ancient traditions and influences from every corner of the world, the region is home to a living and spontaneous olfactory testing ground where past, present and future perfumes intermingle. To mark the international Beautyworld Middle East 2019 Dubai event, Nez would like to take you on a journey to explore the olfactory wealth these lands and cultures offer: find out all about their traditions and origins, get a glimpse of future developments, and discover the emblematic materials whose scents seem to float in the wake of passers-by. Eastern perfume is the high point of an olfactory voyage, a fleeting emotion we would like to hold onto forever. Mathieu ChÊvara, Dominique Brunel, Sarah Bouasse
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EDITORIAL
VERNACULAR PERFUMERY
MARKET
Scents of the Middle East
Shamama, the (all but) forgotten treasure of Kannauj
Distributing perfume in the Middle East
By Mathieu Chevara, Dominique Brunel, Sarah Bouasse P.3
By Aurélie Dematons P.18
UNESCO CHAIR
A bridge from Grasse to the Middle East
CULTURE
At home in an emirati household with Pierre Guéros
By Anne-Sophie Hojlo P.7 ODORAMA
By Juliette Faliu
Unveiling the secrets of Damask Rose
BEAUTYWORLD
P.23
By Will Inrig and Sarah Bouasse
Welcome to Quinessence
P.11
—
Rose in perfumery : a genealogy P.14
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Acqua di Baviera, a unique Italian-Bavarian story
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La vie en rose, an interview with Dominique Ropion By Éléonore de Bonneval
By Cécile Clouet and Sarah Bouasse P.32 TRADITION
Bakhoor incense, perfuming the Middle East By Anne-Sophie Hojlo P.37
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Anfasic Dokhoon, traditional Arabian incense in a modern way
P.26
By Anne-Sophie Hojlo
—
P.38
P.28
Production manager Marianne Ménager
Art direction Atelier Marge Design
Graphic design Mathieu Chévara Manon Guerillot Laurianne Mariette
Sub-editing Nadia Bailey Graham Tearse Michael Marsden
REPORT
Oud, a precious essence
By Anne-Sophie Hojlo
Publishing director Dominique Brunel
Translator Philippa Bowe Smith Annie Tate Harte
P.30
Expressions Parfumées, a 100% natural creative challenge
P.16
Editor Sarah Bouasse
By Anne-Sophie Hojlo
Photography Romain Bassenne Gilles Coulon Aurélie Dematons Illustrator Amélie Fontaine
Advertising and sales manager Dominique Brunel dbrunel@nez-larevue.fr Tel: +33 6 43 75 73 48 Assistant Océane Grall Publisher Nez éditions 29 rue des Orteaux 75020 Paris France With thanks to… Deborah Ann Mathias Elaine O’ Connell Angelica Realubit
Nez, the olfactory magazine www.nez-larevue.fr All rights reserved worldwide. Reproduction, translation and adaptation, in whole or in part, without prior written permission is strictly forbidden. Involuntary errors or omissions which may have occurred, despite the efforts of the editorial team, in the contents of this magazine will not engage the responsibility of the publisher.
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U N E S C O C HAIR
A BRIDGE FROM GRASSE TO THE MIDDLE EAST By Anne-Sophie Hojlo Photo: Romain Bassenne
While Grasse obtained international recognition for its skills related to perfume after achieving inclusion on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list, further steps are soon to be taken down this path with the creation of a UNESCO university Chair dedicated to perfume at Côte d’Azur University. Interview with Xavier Fernandez, chemist and professor at Côte d’Azur University, who is leading the project.
Opposite City of Grasse, France
How was the UNESCO Chair project born? The idea began to take shape at the launch of the procedure to have the skills related to perfume in the Grasse region inscribed on the U NESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list, which we
achieved last year. The director of the application process, Nadia Bedar, and the senator for the Alpes-Maritimes department Jean-Pierre Leleux kept the project’s hopes alive for ten years, which is when they discovered the existence of U NESCO university Chairs: they decided that one should be applied for in parallel, as a first safeguarding measure to protect the very heritage for which they were seeking a UNESCO recognition. Perfume is a historical topic at Côte d’Azur University, and was already studied there 50 years ago when the University was founded. Nadia Bedar and Jean-Pierre Leleux contacted the University president, Frédérique Vidal, who became our minister of higher education. She asked for my help three years ago, in my role as a professor at Côte d’Azur University, a chemist specialising in odour-producing substances and member of the scientific committee and board of governors of the Patrimoine Vivant du Pays de Grasse association, which led the UNESCO inscription project. What specific issues does the Chair address in the Middle East? The region is one of the historical cradles of perfumery, where interest in perfume is still very
strong, and is currently undergoing economic development. This opens the door to a whole range of possible alliances, such as exchanges between students and researchers and collaborations with local businesses. Our French expertise could attract a great many players.
sharing knowledge and expertise, the plan is to raise awareness among every sort of audience, from future industry professionals to consumers. We have a lot of groundwork to do, because the focus is on the perfumer – who does, admittedly, play a central part – which means that the general public is not aware of all the other fascinating What business partnerships are currently professions that make up the industry. We need being considered? to get across the fact that this is a diverse world, Pending the project’s validation, we have devel- constantly changing, not just based on expertise oped a whole portfolio of actions to present to but also open to innovation and concerned with businesses and corporate foundations involving consumer safety. exclusive or collaborative partnerships. The feedback has been very positive, and some projects What are the next steps? are already in the works. The Chair will be man- The project is undergoing appraisal and we have aged by Côte d’Azur University, but each project a good chance of obtaining the Chair. When we will have a degree of autonomy while, of course, looked at UNESCO’s requirements, we realised having to answer to the steering committee. that there were lots of things we were already doing, but it also allowed us to give a framework Other than education and research, what to existing practices in terms of cooperation and are the Chair’s objectives? international exchanges, in particular. We have If the project is approved, the new Chair will en- had positive initial feedback from UNESCO, courage global cooperation on the subject, with which encourages us to highlight the sustainable exchanges between students and researchers as development and biosphere protection aspects. well as partnerships with businesses. The prem- In April-May, a celebration of the inscription of ise of such a Chair, based on interdisciplinary Grasse perfumery expertise on the UNESCO and international interactions, is particularly Intangible Cultural Heritage list will be held at relevant to perfume, which draws on a multitude the Senate, when we’ll organise a focus session of disciplines including olfactory physiology, on the Chair and a presentation to sponsors. We chemistry, history and geography, and is intrin- should get an answer from UNESCO in Septemsically international due to globalisation and the ber. If it’s positive, the official launch should take origins of many of its raw materials. On top of place at a symposium in late 2019.
A T R A I N I N G O F F E R F O R B U S I N E S S E S Educational solutions for all levels (formal education or continuous training) will be offered to businesses in the partner universities, but also directly in interested countries or businesses.
These solutions will: – offer spots in university courses (bachelor’s, master’s, Master of Science) to employees; – offer online courses; – organise short on-site courses, with the possibility of leading to diplomas.
T H E C Ô T E D ’ A Z U R A N D P E R F U M E Located in the south of France, Grasse and the surrounding region are considered the world capital of perfumery. This special relationship goes back to the 16th century, when the city’s celebrated glovemakers began to perfume their products. It went on to develop over the centuries, as the
excellent climate nurtured production of perfume plants such as the Provence rose and jasmine, and an entire industry built up around the region’s unrivalled expertise. Would you like to become a sponsor or apply for a course? Contact Claire Dikidjian: claire.dikidjian@ univ-cotedazur.fr
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O D O R A M A
Unveiling the secrets of Damask rose By Will Inrig and Sarah Bouasse Illustrations: Amélie Fontaine
The queen of flowers is also an emblematic ingredient of Middle Eastern perfumery. Grasse-based company Laboratoire Monique Rémy (LMR), the gold standard in natural ingredients for the perfume industry, introduces us to the secrets of the Damask variety, from which it creates four different products.
production of rosewater since the early centuries of the Common Era, a practice likely to have originated in Persia. Towards the end of the 17th century, rose cultivation was introduced to Ottoman Bulgaria, and Kazanlak became the centre of its cultivation. Numerous oleiferous rose species were grown there, most notably the Rosa damascena, a hybrid derived from European, central Asian and north-western Chinese species. It was this rose that was brought to Turkey in the late There are thousands of rose varie- 19th century, where its cultivation ties. Having been domesticated, the raised a growing interest among flower is now found, intermixed and farmers, encouraged by the governreinvented all over the world. And ment. During and after the Turkish yet, you can count the number of War of Independence (1919–1923), species that perfumers use on one a complex series of factors saw the hand. The Damask rose reigns country’s rose industry reduced to supreme among them and, though a small portion of central south and costly, it is central to the history of south-western Anatolia. This contemporary perfumery. Roses formed the exclusive ‘Rose Trianhave been distilled for the gle’. Turkish rose gained popularity
in fine perfumery after the Second World War, due to the instability and decrease in quality of the Bulgarian variety during the country’s communist rule. As of the 1950s, several large Grasse suppliers initiated supply chains with Turkish distillers. An exclusive partnership Laboratoire Monique Rémy (LMR) has purchased rose concrete in Turkey since the company’s beginning in the early 1980s. Monique Rémy’s husband, a former buyer at Lautier Fils, possessed long-standing connections with extraction firms in Burdur and Isparta; indeed, in the 1960s and 70s, he worked with Ekrem Erçetin, who founded Erçetin Rose Oil, one of the most respected Isparta distilleries and LMR’s current partner since 2008. As such, today, LMR’s unique supply chain is the result of decades of experience and investment.
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C L O S E
H AT C H
P R O F I L E Scientific name Rosa damascena Mill. var. trigintipetala Family Rosaceae
Flower’s principal components
Components with highest olfactory impact
2-phenylethanol, or phenethyl alcohol (PEA)
2-phenylethanol, or phenethyl alcohol (PEA)
Rose oxide
O
Common name Kazanlak rose, Damask rose Appearance Deciduous shrub 1.5 metres high
Geraniol
Etymology From Latin rosa Origin Hybrid derived from Rosa gallica and Rosa moschata, both European, with involvement of a third species, Rosa fedtschenkoana, from central Asia and north-western China
Citronellol
Beta-damascenone
Beta-ionone
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D ATA
L M R ’ S R O S E P R O D U C T S
1894
First Turkish plantation of Rosa damascena.
Turkey
1.7 tonne of rose oil exported in 2018
5 tonnes of rose concrete exported in 2018
Rose absolute
The yield of rose absolute is more than six times that of the oil (0.13% versus 0.02%), hence its lower price 10,000 ha Land in Isparta and Burdur devoted to rose field
3 to 5t
0.5 to 1 ha Average plantation size
Annual quantity of rose flowers per hectare
9.2
€10,000 Price per kilogram of rose oil
5,000 to
12,500 to 15,000 Number of rose bushes per hectare.
Turkish lira Price of rose flowers per kilogram (€1,5): may vary depending on supply and demand
€2,100 Price per kilogram of rose absolute
In Turkey, the transformation of Rosa damascena is a matter of great expertise. Utilising several processes, LMR obtains four different products with distinct olfactory profiles. ROSE OIL With a typical spicy fruity green character, this oil is obtained through two successive hydro distillations of flowers, enhancing the final product. ROSE ABSOLUTE Green and spicy with a heavy persistent character, this absolute is obtained through solvent extraction followed by purification with ethyl alcohol. ROSE ESSENTIAL This star product of LMR, a combination of fraction exclusively obtained through physical processes such as hydro-distillation, distillation, steam stripping and ion exchange, resembles the olfactory profile of the freshly cut rose. ROSE ULTIMATE Obtained through solvent extraction of the spent petals left over from the first distillation of the oil, this other hit exclusive product of LMR has a floral, fruity profile, with apricot and osmanthus notes, tobacco facets and spicy drydown.
NEZ MIDDLE EAST #1 / 14 1900 VEGETAL GREEN ROSE
BLACK CURRANT LEAF G R E E N R OSE WOODY ROSE
AQUATIC ROSE
A L D E H Y D IC ROSE
Red Roses Jo Malone 1996
Pleasures Estée Lauder 1995
Tea Rose Perfumer’s Workshop 1971
In Love Again Yves Saint Laurent 1998
Rose muskissime Maître Parfumeur et Gantier 1988
L’Ombre de l’eau Diptyque 1983
Voleur de roses L’Artisan Parfumeur 1993
L’eau d’Issey Issey Miyake 1992
Escape Calvin Klein 1991
Madame Rochas Rochas 1960
White Linen Estée Lauder 1978
Calandre Paco Rabanne 1969
AMBERY ROSE
SPICED ROSE
VIOLET ROSE
FRUITY ROSE
CHYPRE ROSE
POWDERY ORIENTAL ROSE
La Rose Jacqueminot Coty 1904
Eternity Calvin Klein 1988
Paris Yves Saint Laurent 1983
Trésor Lancôme 1990
Nahema Guerlain 1979
Ce soir ou jamais Goutal Paris 1999
Rose de nuit Serge Lutens 1993
Aromatics Elixir Clinique 1971 Rose Caron 1949
Rose opulente Maître Parfumeur et Gantier 1988
Ombre rose JC Brosseau 1981
Rose in perfumery
POWDERY IRIS ROSE
Ever since La Rose Jacqueminot by Coty, the so-called queen of flowers has never been out of vogue: delightfully powdery and aldehydic until the end of the 1970s, she’s alternately been green, fruity, spiced, chypre, oriental, musky, ambery and even gourmand over the decades. Every one of her olfactory matches, as dictated by the whim of fashion, seems to have been made in heaven. 1900
MIDDLE EASTERN ROSE
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Sa majesté la rose Serge Lutens 2000
Rose ikebana Hermès 2004
Rose 31 Le Labo 2006
Eau plurielle Diptyque 2015
Rosabotanica Balenciaga 2013
VEGETAL GREEN ROSE
Rosamonda J.U.S 2018
BLACK CURRANT LEAF GREEN ROSE
Le jour se lève Louis Vuitton 2018
Florabotanica Balenciaga 2012
WOODY ROSE
Déclaration d’un soir Cartier 2012
AQUATIC ROSE
L’eau d’Issey florale Issey Miyake 2011
ALDEHYDIC ROSE
Stella EDP Stella McCartney 2003 Ôponé Diptyque 2000
Roses et Reines L’Occitane 2007
Parisienne Yves Saint Laurent 2009
Une Rose Frédéric Malle 2003
The Coveted Duchess Rose Penhaligon’s 2016
Paul Smith Rose Paul Smith 2007 Rose poivrée The Different Company 2000
Miracle Lancôme 2000
AMBERY ROSE
Rose oil Isparta Ostens 2018
SPICED ROSE
La Fille de Berlin Serge Lutens 2013
VIOLET ROSE
Misia Chanel 2015
FRUITY ROSE
Trésor Midnight Rose Lancôme 2011
Rose barbare Guerlain 2005
Portrait of a Lady Frédéric Malle 2010
CHYPRE ROSE
Isparta Pierre Guillaume Paris 2014
POWDERY ORIENTAL ROSE
Flower by Kenzo Kenzo 2003
Chloé EPD Chloé 2008
Rose d’Arabie Armani Privé 2010
Moment de bonheur Yves Rocher 2011 Velvet Rose&Oud Jo Malone 2012
À la rose Maison F. Kurkdjian 2015
Majestic Rose Yves Saint Laurent 2013 2000
POWDERY IRIS ROSE
Rose des vents Louis Vuitton 2016
Oud&Rose Cartier 2014
Rôses Berberanza Lancôme 2017
MIDDLE EASTERN ROSE
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Rose within a creation I use rose for its unique identity, for its inherent qualities. It is an absolutely essential raw material, as indispensable as jasmine, narcissus, daffodil, mimosa and sandalwood. Rose brings out different olfactory emotions than other ingredients, it has its own unique register. A rose accord The essence of the rose accord principally comprises citronellol, geraniol and phenethyl alcohol. These are the three base molecules. To those we can add rose oxide, eugenol (a spiced note, as curious as that might seem), another fruity note, damascenone and dimethyl sulfide. We can also combine it with geranyl and citronellyl acetates and, in my view, that’s enough to make an accord. More than enough even! INTERVIE W
LA VIE EN ROSE By Éléonore de Bonneval
“To create something new with rose that is worthy of attention, you need to be fairly experienced.” Dominique Ropion Dominique Ropion has been working as a master perfumer at IFF’s composition house in Paris since 2000. From Ysatis and Amarige by Givenchy to La vie est belle by Lancôme, via Alien by Thierry Mugler and Portrait of a Lady and Carnal Flower for Frédéric Malle, he has authored a huge number of perfumery’s biggest hits over the last 30 years. Portrait of a Lady, launched in 2010, is probably his best showcasing of rose.
A story The starting point for Portrait of a Lady by Éditions de parfums Frédéric Malle was Géranium pour Monsieur from the same brand. Frédéric suggested that I start with the base of Géranium pour Monsieur, which he loved, and create a variation with a feminine note. There are rose-like elements, notably rhodinol, that can be isolated from geranium essence – that forms part of the main note. Quite naturally, we said to ourselves that we could substitute some of the rhodinol for rose essence or absolute, which could come from Damask rose, to be precise. Working with rose Rose can happily take centre stage, so it o ccupies a decisive place within a perfume. But it can also play a supporting role and bring a certain richness to a composition. A little rose essence allows you to add radiance to the heart notes, without it having to be a true rose accord. It’s like a building block, a material that allows you to underpin and embellish a broader accord, without emphasising that particular olfactory note or without it even being distinguishable in the final accord. Nonetheless, the rose will enrich the heart of the accord. La Rose Jacqueminot, Aromatics Elixir,
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“It’s like a building block, a material that allows you to underpin and embellish a broader accord, without emphasising that particular olfactory note or without it even being distinguishable in the final accord. Nonetheless, the rose will enrich the heart of the accord.” Paris by Yves Saint Laurent and Portrait of a Lady all put rose at their heart. It’s a different undertaking. Here the tricky thing is to do something new with such a classic theme. To create something new with rose that is worthy of attention, you need to be fairly experienced. It’s not a hackneyed theme, but it is tackled by the many. The greatest difficulty lies in creating a composition that is original and that also brings something to perfumery. It’s as huge a task as that of a poet trying to write a love poem. The finest creation based on rose Without rose, there would be no Paris by Yves Saint Laurent, no Madame Rochas, no Trésor by Lancôme, no Aromatics Elixir by Clinique, and of course, no Portrait of a Lady by Frédéric Malle… You also have one of the first perfumes to spotlight rose, La Rose Jacqueminot by Coty. For me, these perfumes are all masterpieces which have a very strong identity and enormous power. Damask rose at home I went to Turkey where we were doing e xtractions from different plantations for LMR. It’s a bit like wine: a few hundred metres away, you don’t get exactly the same thing. We picked roses from around 20 different plots and carried out the same type of extraction on each. We examined the results and found that some plots were of far more interest than others. I was a little amazed, but it wasn’t surprising. We now pick the plots and the producers we work with. The extractions are so well managed now that we never have a problem with olfactory variations.
Throughout this unique testimony, Dominique Ropion reveals the sensitive and inimitable approach he takes to his work. Prefaced by Frédéric Malle. Nez éditions, 2018
128 pages, 17 €
AW A R D Dominique Ropion will be honoured with a Fragrance Foundation’s 2019 Lifetime Achievement, Perfumer Award at the organization’s next annual ceremony, to be held June 5, 2019 at Lincoln Center in New York City.
T O G O F U R T H E R Nez éditions (Nez, the olfactory magazine) has teamed up with LMR to present a collection that is unique in the field: The naturals notebook. Its two first books, Rose and Narcissus, have just been published in English and in French.
VERNACULAR PERFU M E R Y
Shamama The (all but) forgotten treasure of Kannauj
The town of Kannauj in Uttar Pradesh has a long history of perfumery. And yet the attars produced here fell out of fashion in India a long time ago, abandoned in favour of imported fragrances. But today they are enjoying a revival, especially shamama. Text and photos by AurĂŠlie Dematons
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Wandering around Kannauj today, it is hard to imagine why it is still known as the city of perfume. Situated at the heart of Uttar Pradesh – and just three short hours from Agra, where the revered Mumtaz Mahal is entombed in her white sepulchre, the Taj Mahal –, this town of 150,000 inhabitants has lost its lustre. Carts drawn by horses and cows trundle past modern houses and, here and there, the remains of temples and distillation plants which are the relics of a long-lost time when Kannauj was a hub of creativity and poetry. A glimmer of its former elegance can still be found in the Ni’matnāma manuscript – the “Book of Delights” – by Ghiyath Shahi, Sultan of Malwa, a historical, independent region situated several hundred kilometres south west of Kannuaj, the capital of which was Mandu. When he came to the throne in 1469, Ghiyath Shahi astonished his subjects by announcing that after supporting his father, the sovereign, for 34 years he had decided from then on to devote himself to life’s pleasures. His days would be filled in the company of beautiful women and devoted to cuisine, perfume, dance and poetry, while his son and his wife took over the day-to-day running of the kingdom. A great lover of books himself, the eccentric sultan catalogued fine Indian delights and potions in the Ni’matnāma, now kept in the British Library in London. It contains recipes for medicines and food which have a very modern feel: samosas, soups, meat dishes and even aphrodisiacs. Aromatic preparations and beauty ointments also point to Ghiyath Shahi’s interest in perfume, and his expertise: distillations of rose, jasmine, vetiver, cardamom and a thousand other spices, and even including a bizarre shellfish
fragrance with a pungent odour. However, after colonisation by the British, the princes of northern India were driven out and their Islamic-Persian culture faded from the region, taking with it the miniatures, the poetry and the love of perfumes made with rare essences. Having become a symbol of past greatness, attars – fragrances made with highly concentrated oils – were cast aside. Nowadays, French brands sell better than these elixirs, associated with distant ancestors and obsolete rituals. And yet, over five hundred years after the Book of Delights was written, the ingredients listed by Ghiyath Shahi are still being concocted according to ageold, secret recipes which a small number of families in Kannauj have handed down from father to son. And one of these gems in particular is fiercely guarded by the ancestral line: shamama. This attar has many names – musk amber, hina oil, amber or shamama tul amber, shrouding it in mystery and confusion in equal measure. In recent years, these precious liquids have unlocked new markets and aroused the interest of American, European and even Japanese perfumers. Twenty days of distillation “Shamama is a concentrate of India,” said Pranjal Kapoor, a fourth-generation descendent of the family that owns M. L. Ramnarain Perfumers. “It is more of a process than a product, because shamama involves steam distilling a mixture of 45 ingredients several times over to produce an extremely rich oil,” he added. Indeed, its scent imparts facets as diverse as the colours of Indian clothing. A French perfumer would describe it as herbaceous, spiced or chypre. However, that doesn’t do it justice: shamama
This attar has many names – musk amber, hina oil, amber or shamama tul amber, shrouding it in mystery and confusion in equal measure.
possesses incomparable depth, owing to the complex production process. The first step is to distil a secret ingredient together with some herbs. The separated oil and water are passed through a second distillation with the addition of a dozen local spices, herbs and roots, including valerian, sugandh mantri, kapur kachri, nagarmotha (cypriol), sugandh bala, sugandh kokila. “The recipe is unique to each family,” explained Kapoor. “I’m not going to tell you all the ingredients!” Over ten days or so, cycle after cycle, the oil is concentrated and becomes richer before embracing a new note: mitti. During this third step, they distil terracotta teapots to add an authentic earthy scent. Finally, after 20 days of distillation, other more precious oils are incorporated into the blend: cardamom, saffron, nutmeg, rose, kewra (an Indian flower) and oud. The product is transferred to a copper vat where it can infuse over heat for another three to five days, before being left to mature for a month, or even longer.
Inimitable, the secret recipe for shamama is both its strength and its fragility.
Although the first steps are identical, the final stage allows for the shamama to be adapted according to the desired notes and price. “Selling shamama is an art,” said Kapoor. “You need to understand the client and interpret their tastes depending on their nationality. A European generally inclines towards a fresh, aromatic shamama, while an African tends to prefer a more typical shamama, spicy-oud.” Looking for sophistication? Personalize
your elixir with Hasayan rose essence, an especially precious Rosa damascena grown at a location five hours by road from Kannauj – provided either wandering cows or potholes gouged out by the rain don’t prolong the journey to the hydro-distillation plant. From tobacco to pan masala Inimitable, the secret recipe for shamama is both its strength and its fragility: at a time when transparency is everything, composition houses can be hesitant over buying such a mysterious concentrate. So who purchases the three to nine tonnes of shamama produced each year by M. L. Ramnarain Perfumers? Predominantly, buyers from the Middle East, where shamama reconnects with its Indo-Persian heritage and the tradition of using attars. It is notably used to scent bakhour, a mix of wood shavings that are burnt to fill the house with fragrance. In India, the scented oil is used in incense, tobacco and even some pan masala
– small seed mixes served at the end of a meal. Applied to the body, shamama relieves back pain through its rich blend of spices and herbs. Its presence can even be found in Britain, where it is used to perfume snuff, a relic of a colonial, highly-perfumed past. But perhaps the most pleasing usage for it comes from India, where a drop in the palm of the hand is then rubbed over the face and the clothes. There are obvious similarities with the current trend for layering, where we overlay perfume on perfume. In the same way, this “concentrate of India” can be personalised by adding a drop of vetiver, oud or rose, like wrapping a sari so many times around your body. Interpreted and Westernised in this manner, and once modified to satisfy European legislation, the elixir may begin a new life. In a country where many religions are based on concepts such as karma and reincarnation, shamama may also be waiting, shyly, for the day of its wondrous rebirth.
& Nez, the olfactory magazine present
CA PT URIN G T H E IN VIS IBLE , A C RE AT IV E O DYS S EY
After Paris, Hong-Kong and New York City, the exhibition is on display at Beautyworld 2019 in Dubai. Visit it at the Symrise stand, Hall 2 - A28.
1 1 C OU NTRIES • 1 3 PER FUMER S • 11 PHOTO GR APHER S • 8 J O U RN A L I STS • 1 2 E XC LU SI V E SC E N TS
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At home in an emirati household with perfumer Pierre Guéros By Juliette Faliu Photos: Gilles Coulon
“If someone gives me a perfume that I like, it shows they truly understand me”, says our host Pierre Guéros After Germany and New York, Paris-born perfumer Pierre Guéros worked at Symrise Dubai between 2012 and 2016. There, he sought to immerse himself in the local c ulture, travelling around this intensely complex region and becoming fascinated by it. Naturally curious, self-defined as “chameleon”, Guéros could sum up his approach in just a few words: finding out about, and trying to understand, the Other. He has now returned to Paris, where he draws on his rich background to work on every aspect of perfume.
As night falls, Dubai’s Emirati residential district seems calm and strangely low-lying. An emirati and his wife have agreed to let Pierre Guéros into the secrets of their relationship with perfume. As the impressive dark red wooden door slowly opens, our host looks almost like an apparition. He is dressed in a long tunic, known as a dishdasha, and a ghutra, a long scarf folded in two – both immaculately white and the preserve of Dubai’s Emirati community. The moment you set foot inside, warm and woody notes of olibanum, patchouli, tar, propolis, hummus, hay and cedar float through the improbably proportioned entrance hall in a seemingly endless unfurling. There is no doubt some oud has been burned here, as is customary when a welcome guest is expected. “We can use up to 50 words to describe oud, compared with only four to ten words for other materials,” Pierre points out later. The couple invite their guests to take a seat in their lavishly decorated
Majlis or reception room, on magnificent divans around an abundantly laden table. The emirati explains that perfume is an important and highly appreciated gift: “If someone gives me a perfume that I like, it shows they truly understand me.” His favourite, incidentally, is Tuscan Leather by Tom Ford. His wife takes up the story to describe the refinement of fragrancing. Composing her scent begins with the use of bakhoor on her abayas or cloaks, she explains. “I have a room for that express purpose. I light my bakhoor and let the clothes soak up the smoke. Then I spray a perfume on them. The next day, if the smell isn’t strong enough, I do it again.” This skillful olfactory creation involves the use, on average, of 100 ml of perfume a week. The emirati’s wife explains that she also uses oils known as Makhmariya, applied directly to the skin. Disappearing briefly upstairs, she returns with two heavy faceted bottles filled with a darkish amber liquid.
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A World Tour Through Scent
The oily base lends a thick, silky effect to the perfumes, leaving shimmering traces on the skin. One is dominated by a leathery saffron note, while the other hints at warm rose, sandalwood and musk – very much like the fragrances we’ve already come across here. The perfuming ritual always ends with a generous dose of a “bigbrand fragrance” – the final stratum in this layered construction. At the end of our conversation, the perfumed notes seem to cling to our clothes, leaving Pierre sated and utterly entranced. On the way back, the urban landscape rolls by mechanically under the city lights, while the perfumer remains silent, his mind far away in a waking dream and his senses gently dulled.
This report was first featured in A World Tour Trough Scent in 2018.
Makhmariya – fragrant oil and a hallmark of perfuming In artisanal perfumery, the term Makhmariya refers to a blend of essences with an oily base. There is almost always some oud in it, while other scents typical of oriental perfumery – rose, saffron, sandalwood, amber, musk, and so on – are added to suit personal taste in proportions chosen by the perfumer and/ or client. They are blended in artisanal fashion by local perfumers, whose clients find them by word of mouth or on social media. The oils are then left to age for five, ten or even 20 years. Over time their scent becomes fuller and more rounded. These preparations are the most traditional form of fragrance in the Emirates, and are the first step in perfume application. Worn intimately, close to the skin, they characterise the scents local people wear, complemented by the smell of bakhoor on their clothing. While similar in essence to attars, Makhmariya are highly specific to Emirati perfumery, and this is where the earliest examples, originating in India, are most widely used.
On the borders of perfume, photography and reporting, A World Tour Through Scent is an unprecedented multidisciplinary project, carried out by Symrise in collaboration with Nez, the o lfactory magazine. Over the course of several months, 13 Symrise perfumers travelled to 11 destinations around the world, each joined by a journalist and a photographer from the collective Tendance Floue. From Oaxaca and the Amazon to Holzminden, Shanghai to Singapore, Seville to Paris, Madurai to Dubai, Durham to Tokyo, each of them set out to engage with the aromas and olfactory cultures of the world. Part creative odyssey and part anthropological expedition, these journeys inspired 12 exclusive scents as well as 11 photographic carte blanche works questioning the representation of smells and olfactory concepts. Giving us a way to see, to read and to smell the world, this ambitious project invites us to rethink the creative processes specific to these disciplines, opening up as many new perspectives for photography, perfume and reporting.
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15 > 17 A V R I L 2 0 1 9
WELCOME TO QUINTESSENCE
HALL 5
A niche rendezvous at the heart of Beautyworld
AL MULTAQUA BALLROOM HALL 4
ZOOM
ACQUA DI BAVIERA A unique ItalianBavarian story
Founded in 2016, the German company for fine and home fragrance Acqua di Baviera represents a new perfume culture from “Italy’s northernmost city”. Acqua di Baviera Al Multaqua Ballroom AM-Q14
At the heart of the company’s philosophy is the 2,000-year-old Bavarian-Italian bond, which is characterised by a lively cultural and economic exchange between merchants and monarchs, artists and saints, academics and scientists, as well as by tourists and workers. The Italian attitude towards life has long been an apparent and indispensable part of Bavarian society and culture. Sometimes the lines even become blurred and people feel equally at home no matter which of the two countries they are in. With its exclusive collection, Acqua di Baviera understands how to produce a harmonious mix inspired by the invisible, sensual tie between the two cultures. Without exception, its perfumers
and skilled professionals use high-quality ingredients to create exquisite products, which, true to the motto “Munich Perfume Culture”, are produced exclusively in Germany. Acqua di Baviera products are sold in luxury and niche perfumeries only. The product offering consists of very precious and special fine and home fragrance creations in three editions: Premium Edition, Limited Edition and the Luxury Edition that will be launched in April 2019. The Premium Edition consists of five product lines, each representing a special attribute of the Italian-Bavarian beauty. Acqua di Baviera Monaco
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All exhibitors True Diamond Areej Le Dore Acqua di Baviera Rebatchi Parfum Parfums Prives Omnia Profumi Jealous Gallery Swiss Fragrance (Gisada) July of St Barth Ulrich Lang New York Nez, the olfactory magazine Luigi Borrelli Maa-Althahab Majouri Acqua di Capri Thomas Kosmala Bohoboco Perfume Marc Stern Perfumes AG MBA Perfume Arabesque Exuma Elementals by Essence of Chi
An exclusive platform devoted to artistic fragrances and niche perfumery, Quintessence takes its fourth turn at Beautyworld Middle East this year.
a bespoke arena defined by innovation and forward-thinking. With 19 international brands present this year, Quintessence features some of the world’s most unique creations in a bespoke, luxurious environment. Quintessence is the destination of choice for discerning buyers of What will tomorrow smell like? Buyers know that choosing the high quality fragrances to meet and scents of the future is no ordinary collaborate with niche brands and task. It requires a deep apprecia- fragrance virtuosos from the region tion for the craft of commerce in and across the globe. fragrances and an acute perception of the various elements that give each perfume its unique identity. At Beautyworld Middle East, the art of fine perfumery takes centre stage on a dedicated platform, where the Exhibition map “scent-sational” talents of world- Quintessence “The art of perfume” is located in the renowned perfumers and inventive Al Multaqua Ballroom pioneers find aromatic expression in between hall 4 and hall 5.
embodies the Bavarian metropolis of Munich with its traditional elegance as “Italy’s northernmost city”. Nero represents the vibrant nightlife and the associated lifestyle. Prato is inspired by an awakening spring meadow, as Monte plays with nature’s diversity – cool mountain rock, bubbling springs, mysterious undergrowth. Lago represents the unique Bavarian lakes in its clearness, purity and its dazzling colours.
The new Luxury Edition, presented for the first time at Beautyworld Middle East 2019, consists of four exclusive fragrances. The precious perfume composition of the Luxury Edition with a perfume oil content of 25 per cent are bottled in particularly noble flacons hand-coated with genuine leather.
The Limited Edition is a unique composition of a precious Extrait de Parfum and handmade porcelain from the famous Nymphenburg manufactory. This limited series of 222 items is packaged in an exquisite, hand-finished box made from original Gmund paper from
In only a short time, Acqua di Baviera has established itself as a strongly emerging brand both domestically and abroad: available at more than 50 points of sale worldwide (in exclusively niche and luxury perfumeries), a first Acqua di Baviera flagship store in Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Tegernsee. Delivery includes certificate of authenticity.
(near Munich), exclusive partnerships with superior hotels and partners, and a strong media presence. In 2018, the brand was featured as a finalist for the Duftstars, the most important German perfume award. In April 2019, Acqua di Baviera is a finalist for Best New Niche Fragrance and Best New Premium Fragrance at the Pure Beauty Global Awards in Dubai.
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EXPRESSIONS PARFUMÉES A 100 % natural creative challenge for Beautyworld By Anne-Sophie Hojlo
Based in Grasse since 1982, Expressions Parfumées creates perfumes with the focus firmly on natural ingredients. To mark the Beautyworld Middle East Dubai trade fair, the fragrance house gave three of its perfumers a creative mission: taking the house's trend book as their starting point, to give free rein to their imagination without being tied to a brief. The only condition: 100% natural compositions. Visitors to the show will get the chance to discover the resulting compositions with an immersive virtual reality experience. Interview with the three creators.
“New technologies are opening up other natural olfactory possibilities” Stéphane Coez
How long has Expressions Parfumées been focused on natural compositions? We began to create 100% natural perfumes 15 years ago. There was very little talk about them at that point, but we were pioneers; since then, the market has boomed and now we're a long way ahead of our competitors. We felt that there was already demand for that type of perfume back then, but the solutions were disappointing because we were using a very limited range of raw
materials. We worked on broadening it and developed our NATCO® (NATural COmpounds) perfumes, which have obtained ECOCERT certification, for the organic market. How did you diversify the natural range? Now we can work with essential oil isolates, making it possible to “zoom in” on certain olfactory qualities. We can also use raw materials which were previously obtained synthetically, but which we can now reproduce thanks to natural enzymatic reactions, like cis-3-hexenol, which smells of cut grass. These new technologies are opening up other natural olfactory possibilities. Tell us about your composition. I worked on a note known and loved for centuries in the Middle East: rose. I wanted to create something different from the usual interpretation – when it comes to natural creations, the fact that we have fewer materials available means we sometimes have a tendency to stay on the well-beaten path. I added a touch of modernity by introducing some fresh notes that already exist in rose essential oil. I also tried to bring out its fruity dimensions evoking lychee, for example. And I gave it a very smooth and Eastern base note, with the woody, sandalwood character that is emblematic of the region. It was important for me to show the very broad spectrum a 100% natural rose can encompass, ranging from a very fresh top note to an opulent base note.
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“Get the best out of each raw material” Anne-Louise Gautier
Which trends inspired you to create your composition? The idea at the heart of my creation is getting back in touch with yourself, sort of like flying in the face of the modern world that always asks us for more. I imagined an olfactory meditation which I centred on incense. It's a much-loved resin in the Middle East, conjuring up spirituality. The difficulty is that it can sometimes have an austere, almost dark feeling to it. I wanted to create a luminous, smooth incense. So I combined it with creamy, lactonic white flowers and very comfortable sandalwood notes. I retained the character of the incense from start to finish, but using a very spicy and invigorating incense so that I ended up with something far more sensual and soft. How did you meet the challenge of remaining 100% natural? My goal was to manage to recreate a velvety feel, a sense of pleasure, and the challenge was quite tricky without the synthetic musks that lie outside the natural spectrum. I had to take a fresh approach to how I compose and
ignore my reflexes to get the best out of each raw material. We learn how to study every facet of the materials and fit them together to arrive at the target result. In the past, it was difficult to be creative when working with 100% natural ingredients: the perfumes always ended up with the feel of citrus fruit, rosegeraniol-citronellol accords or woody notes. These days, the palette available to us means we can create any type of note.
“Natural perfumery can meet the demand for strength, sillage and sophistication” Céline Ripert
Why did you choose vetiver as the main component? It's a cornerstone of perfumery, but tends to be used in men's fragrances or classic colognes. I wanted to try to bring something new to the olfactory landscape, so I decided to take a more unisex approach to it by introducing some full, sexy notes. Since vetiver is a base note, I began by taking the top note in a spicy direction with a gourmand pepper accord. To make it more feminine, I then built a flowery heart with immortelle, which has a hint of caramel to it, and veltol,
which we obtain naturally thanks to biotechnologies and which is also caramelised. In the final stage, I mixed it with a magnificent vanilla CO2 extract. Supercritical CO2 extraction has the twofold advantage of making it possible to obtain a raw material that is extremely close to the plant, and to respect the requirements of natural perfumery, in contrast to absolutes, for example, which are obtained with a process using solvents. In what way can natural perfumery be of interest to the Middle East? The region is the birthplace of perfumery. The people here love perfume, they know how to appreciate it, they're familiar with the raw materials. The added value of Middle Eastern perfumes lies in the central place they give the materials in the creative process. And natural perfumery is about returning to the basics: the flowers and plants that have left their mark on the history of perfumery. I like synthetic materials too, but it's the natural materials that give a formula its soul. With our NATCO® range of ingredients, we can bring out the best in them and meet the Middle Eastern market's demand for strength, sillage and sophistication.
Expressions Parfumées Hall 4 - E26
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DISTRIBUTING PERFUME IN THE MIDDLE EAST By Anne-Sophie Hojlo
What characteristics mark perfume distribution and the perfume market in the Middle East? Answers from François Hénin, founder of the Jovoy and Jeroboam brands and the Jovoy stores, located all around the world, including in Paris, London, Dubai and Qatar.
What does a perfume brand from France, for example, have to do to find distributors in the region? If you want to do business in the Middle East and you're looking for a distribution solution, the traditional system is to turn to a master distributor – in other words, a regional distributor. For example, the Chalhoub Group, Al Tayer Group, distribution companies like SBGC, and so on. You can also find businesses that focus on a single country, like Beidoun in Kuwait or Abu Issa Holding in Qatar. Then, depending on your brand positioning, you have chains like Paris Gallery, Faces or Sephora, department stores (Galeries Lafayette, Debenhams, Bloomingdale's
and Harvey Nichols) and niche perfumeries such as one of the pioneers, Parfumerie d'Exception in Kuwait City, Atelier Perfumery and Villa 515 in the Emirates and, more recently, the Jovoy stores. Alongside this distribution network, you can also find stores specialising in local traditional perfumery, which is hugely popular, with attars, mukhallat, bakhoor and brands like Arabian Oud, Ajmal and Rasasi. Which countries in the region are the most dynamic in terms of distribution? And consumption? Dubai has always been, and still is, one of the region's major business hubs, a centre for tourism and luxury goods. But the landscape is shifting, ever since the embargo on Qatar by various countries in the region: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrein and Egypt. Lots of Qataris, who have significant purchasing power, now go to Kuwait or Oman for the weekend, and this has led to a slight reshuffling of the cards and new centres emerging. When it comes to perfume consumption, Saudi Arabia is still in pole position, ahead of the Emirates. How did Jovoy get started in Qatar and Dubai? We've been spearheading rare perfumes in Paris since 2010; we began franchising our retail concept in London, then continued in Dubai
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“Perfumes are an integral part of local culture, and the people who live in the Gulf states are insatiably curious about all fragrances.”
V O L U M E
An inhabitant of the Gulf states uses an average of three and a half litres of perfume a year
(two stores) and Qatar (two stores, with a third opening soon). I'm sure it raises eyebrows, seeing a young challenger like Jovoy in the region rubbing shoulders with the big brands, but there's room for everyone! There are designer brands who had never managed to find local partners, local distributors interested in benefiting from Jovoy's image after discovering our company in Paris or London… You know, the Emiratis joke about London being the eighth emirate because they feel so at home there! Are you seeing changes in recognised local preferences for certain notes, like rose, oud and sandalwood, and certain characteristics, like impact and sillage? People here, particularly the younger generations, have a voracious appetite for travelling and exploring the world, which of course means that they’re discovering our Western fragrances. Perfumes are an integral part of local culture, and the people who live in the Gulf states are insatiably curious about all fragrances. When a visitor from the Middle East comes to see us at Jovoy in London or Paris, we know that they are very well-informed. On the other hand, Western tastes have also changed, and our Arab friends can take pride in seeing their perfumery permeating ours – so much so that it's now rare to see a Western brand that doesn’t have an oud fragrance.
E X P E N D I T U R E
US$ 700 Average monthly expenditure per inhabitant for perfumes and oriental oils per inhabitant of the Gulf states —
US$ 500 on Western fragrances, make-up and beauty care
Dubaï
The region spends over five and a half billion dollars each year on perfume
Oud a precious essence It is known as liquid gold. Its rarity and the explosion in demand worldwide make it one of the most expensive raw materials on the market. Conveying mystery and enthusiasm, this luxurious ingredient with a big o lfactory character has caused a fervour that shows no sign of abating. Report. By Cécile Clouet Photos: © Firmenich
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Mentioned in the Bible, agarwood (oud being its Arabic name) has always been used in Asia and the Arabian Pensinsula for fumigation and in a variety of non-alcoholic mixtures. These days it is highly prized by investors, notably Chinese, who speculate on particular collector’s pieces. Oud is equally sought after by the booming Middle Eastern perfume industry which has a taste for intense raw materials. For around the last 15 years, Western perfumery has also been captivated by this rich and multifaceted ingredient. In a bid for either authenticity or exoticism, oud is cited by a number of creations with olfactory profiles so diverse that it becomes hard to distinguish between advertising discourse, compositions freely drawing inspiration from an oriental influence, and those actually integrating the precious oil. Its olfactory spectrum ranges from woody, leathery and honeyed inflexions, to animalic, dirty facets or accents of curdled milk, at times comparable to Roquefort cheese. Accents which the Western nose can find overpowering but which are very popular in the Middle East. Infection enriches the tree with resin It begins with a tree, aquilaria. Originating in Assam (a region which today includes part of Bangladesh), it is now found across the whole of South-East Asia. The crassna and malaccensis varieties have a distinctive reaction to attacks, such as infection by the Philaophora parasitica fungus, whereby they produce a fragrant resin. It is the wood filled with that resin that is known as oud. It is mentioned in Sanskrit texts, leading to the belief that the distillation of agarwood may have started around the year 1000. In
Assam, aquilaria was highly valued and individual trees could be planted to pass down to future generations. More traditionally, in the forests, trees that bore certain scars were identified as diseased and felled. Later, nails were driven into the tree to facilitate the infection of the trunk and fill it with resin. This method of harvesting oud was barely profitable and between about 20 to 30 years ago plantations took over as the main method of production. It must be said that the cultivation of oud calls for a level of patience that is unsuited to market pressures. In the Syhlet region of Assam, the fragrance company Firmenich works with a family business, Jalali Agarwood. Between 500,000 and 600,000 trees are planted across an area of 900 hectares producing a complex, woody and honeyed oil typical of Assam ouds. In contrast, ouds from Vietnam or Laos develop more powerful and leathery profiles that are more akin to cheese. This Assam oud, which is currently the subject of a legal process to make it a registered product, is the outcome of a traditional practice that is time- consuming and rigorous. Infection by the fungus is a very slow process that takes place over several decades. While the rise in demand has forced numerous companies to experiment with a range of products that accelerate the process, essence from a tenyear-old tree simply does not compare, olfactory-wise, to that of an older specimen. So they use the ancient method of nailing, and trees are felled after around 40 years.
The cultivation of oud calls for a level of patience that is unsuited to market pressures.
logs are shredded and left to macerate in water for several weeks in order to develop the olfactory characteristics of the resin and the wood. The head of sourcing for Firmenich’s range of naturals, Dominique Roques, explains that healthy aquilaria wood has its own olfactory identity. Here we touch on a critical aspect of this material, which is so versatile that to recognise it in a perfume straight away is not at all easy. Macerated healthy wood has a fatty, acid aspect, a bit like goat’s cheese, which perfumers readily characterise as its biquette (literally, kid goat) facet. On top of this, infected wood develops woody and leathery facets that are stronger or milder depending on its quality or the length of the maceration period. Therefore, variables such as the provenance, variety, the age of the tree and its concentration of resin affect the ultimate complexity of the fragrance, making oud an ingredient with a very broad olfactory spectrum. Fabrice Pellegrin, perfumer at Firmenich and a specialist in natural ingredients, stresses the lively, multifaceted character of oud, which brings so much to the palette of woody notes. According to him, certain ouds A cheesy, ‘goaty’ facet that have the aforementioned goatEach tree is firstly cut into logs and like notes are still difficult to integrate sorted according to their concentra- into Western perfumery, although they tion of resin. Before distillation, these are indispensable to Eastern tastes.
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“Oud has a voice, but remains malleable”, says Firmenich perfumer Fabrice Pellegrin
Firmenich Hall 2 - F28
The growing number of heady creations that boast of their oud content is no surprise given the Middle Eastern penchant for potent, luxurious raw materials and the spending of a vast amount of money on perfume. Creations aimed at the Western market are more reserved, the perfumers taking a more subtle approach. They use reconstitutions – blends of amber or animalic synthetic molecules (like cypriol, which smells like curdled milk or castoreum) with woody notes. As well as reducing costs, these also allow an emphasis to be placed on certain facets, giving it a hot, phenolic and vanilla effect or making it much more animalic. Natural oud is used sparingly, drop by drop. Fabrice Pellegrin highlights its longevity and also its flexibility. He says it is a product that “has a voice, but remains malleable” and lends itself to numerous blends, from the classics (rose and saffron) to the more unusual (sandalwood or white flowers) and no doubt many more to come.
The process in four steps: 1. Cutting Once felled, the trees are cut into logs, then shredded. Some parts of the tree are left intact and purchased by collectors or used for fumigation. 2. Infection In nature, it is caterpillars that make the holes. Since the 16th century, nails have been used to encourage fungus to infect the tree in order to make the wood richer in resin. 3. Concentration The wood is graded by resin concentration: black, brown, light brown and white, which is healthy wood. Each quality grade offers a unique olfactory result, which can also be affected by the length of the maceration period. 4. Extraction The wood chips are distilled to produce oud essence which is then suspended in oil. It can cost up to $35,000 per kilo. Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos are the biggest exporters.
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Oud, at the crossroads of Western and Middle Eastern fragrances
Born in Germany to an Iranian father and a German mother, perfumer Hamid Merati-Kashani was one of the founding members of the Firmenich Dubai office. “When I arrived in Dubai 10 years ago, oud was totally new to me. Much more than an ingredient, I discovered the ceremony around oud and how it is used. As a perfumer, I had to get used to working with oud, because it is not like how we know it in Europe: the qualities are different. And in Europe or the US, oud is used in small proportions in a composition to bring a woody, animalic facet, whereas Middle Eastern fragrances often overdose it. However, this is changing and I have witnessed a real evolution over the last d ecade. With Western
fragrances a growing influence in the Middle East, clients now often ask me to create Frenchstyle perfumes around a base of oud. This is in part due to the fact that consumers here are very young, and curious to experience new takes on oud. Also, the tradition of layering local f ragrances with Western fragrances inspires creations at the crossroads of two cultures. And this influence of the West on the Middle East is reciprocal: European or American perfume brands are increasingly drawing inspiration from Middle Eastern tastes, making ingredients such as oud, rose or saffron the stars of some compositions, but also borrowing the strong and long-lasting qualities that are key to this market. I regularly work on ‘intense’ or ‘oud’ variations of existing Western fragrances that are primarily destined to seduce Middle Eastern consumers but can find an echo around the world. Working at Firmenich with Master Perfumers from Paris and New York, I have been able to collaborate on such fragrances like Valentina Oud Assoluto [for Valentino]. After 10 years, I have come to know the expectations of this market and its clients, and it has enabled me to develop my own way of creating fragrances for them.”
OUD AL MUBAKHAR Brand
Rasasi
Perfumer
NC
Launch
NC
Built around a heart of saffron and rose, this spicy oriental fragrance features a woody base in which oud perfectly balances the creaminess of sandalwood.
AL AZAL Brand
Ghawali
Perfumer
Philippine Courtière & Hamid Merati-Kashani
Launch
2016
This warm oriental fragrance plays on the contrast between a deep woody base and powdery, ambery notes with hints of sweet vanilla. A European-style take on oud.
DAHN OUDH AL SHAMS Brand
Ajmal
Perfumer
NC
Launch
NC
Highly concentrated in natural oud, this straightforward composition gives off intensely woody, earthy and musty facets. A treat for oud connoisseurs.
SHEIKH A Brand
Hind al Oud
Perfumer
Mohamed Hilal
Launch
2010
Originally launched as an oil, this iconic scent from a famous local brand envelops its beautifully rich, warm and balsamic oud in notes of spices and ambergris.
THE NIGHT Brand
Éditions de parfums Frédéric Malle
Perfumer
Dominique Ropion
Launch
2014
After an explosive opening where the “goat’s cheese” note is the star, this phenomenal perfume, said to contain 21 per cent Indian oud, develops amid spices and rose.
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Bakhoor incense, perfuming the Middle East
Below Bakhoor burning in a Dubai market
By Anne-Sophie Hojlo
Its fragrant smoke wafts everywhere, marking every occasion. Where does it come from? What is it made up of ? How and why is it used? Everything you need to know about this ancient scented ritual.
in the incense burner and set alight. When it is hot enough, the bakhoor is positioned above it. It is advisable to use small pieces which produce less smoke. Once the bakhoor has burned, the mabkhara is covered with a ceramic lid. These days, many people opt for an electric incense burner which is faster Thousands of years ago, when n omad and safer to use. Arab tribes were criss-crossing the Bakhoor sometimes plays a part in the Middle East, they burned agarwood scenting rituals practised by the people shavings when they set up camp to of the Middle East, who are in the habit perfume the air as well as ward off in- of resorting to several fragrances and sects and evil spirits. This custom gave application methods. One of the ways birth to bakhoor (or bukhoor), which is it’s used is to scent clothes. “I’ve got a still burned today in every home and special room for it,” explains an Emirabusiness, in hookah bars and five-star ti living in Dubai (see page 23). “I light hotels. What exactly is it made up of? The recipe has, of course, changed over the years and there are different qualities, from the most rudimentary to the highly complex. It comes in different forms: mixed shavings impregnated with labdanum resin and scented oils, untreated oud wood shavings suffused with their own essence, or precious oud wood shavings anointed with scented oil. It offers a more subtle way to enjoy the scent of oud, which is highly valued but very powerful and animal. Bakhoor is traditionally burned using charcoal in an incense burner called a mabkhara. A disk of charcoal is placed
my bakhoor and leave the clothes to absorb the smoke.” This scenting process can be supplemented by the application of an alcohol-based perfume which matches or simply complements the bakhoor. Local brands usually offer boxes containing the alcohol-based version, oud and oil-based version, and bakhoor version of a perfume. Its smoke also perfumes houses and businesses. It is used for special occasions like marriages and festivals, as well as in daily life for relaxation or to create a welcoming atmosphere for guests. In Arabic culture, burning bakhoor for your guests is traditionally seen as an act of hospitality.
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BRAND
ANFASIC DOKHOON Traditional Arabian incense in a modern way By Anne-Sophie Hojlo
Burning bakhoor in the traditional way requires time and equipment. Through its brand Anfasic Dokhoon, Dubai-based group Mohamed Hilal is offering innovations to make the ritual easier and to protect natural resources. In 2007, Anfasic Dokhoon was launched by Mohamed Hilal, a group specialising in perfumes, with over 100 shops in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council). The intention of the brand was to give a new soul to traditional Arabian incense. “Dokhoon is a more authentic E mirati way to call the bakhoor,” explains
Olimpia Mascolo, retail director and co-founder of the brand. “Anfasic Dokhoon means, in fact, ‘breathing incense’.” Since its launch, rather than just offering incense, it introduced matching fragrance which aims at making the scented smoke more diffusible and long-lasting on the clothes. Every morning, the charcoal is lit, and the scented smoke wafts through the traditional abaya or kandura, or perhaps your t-shirt or shirt, until the scent is absorbed by the fabric. During the day, you can use the matching spray to enhance the scent or simply refresh. As a further innovation, A nfasic Dokhoon launched Aquilaria in 2011. “We worked for years to develop incense that was from cultivated sources and yet qualitatively acceptable,” explains Mascolo. Traditional bakhoor and dokhoon are made from oud, one of the most precious raw materials in perfumery, and one of
the most beloved in the Middle East, but the agarwood tree that provides it is an endangered species. “We started working on developing innovative products to replace wild agarwood with cultivated trees to preserve the tropical forests in South-East Asia,” adds the co-founder. Inspired by the agarwood botanical name itself, Aquilaria is the first sustainable incense made of 100% natural cultivated agarwood. The presentation is another innovation. Rather than the usual ‘cookie’, it comes in a stick form for today’s busy oud lover. “It lights up easily, is quick and less messy compared to the traditional use of charcoal in a burner, and is almost smokeless,” lists Mascolo. “Our clients use it in the office, in the car, or while travelling. We sell more than 300,000 sticks every year...the equivalent of saving 100 trees or more.” More infos on www.mhgboutique.com
A new book collection dedicated to natural raw materials
present
Rose & narcissus in perfumery
Nez éditions (Nez, the olfactory magazine) has teamed up with Laboratoire Monique Rémy (LMR), the gold standard in natural ingredients for the perfume industry, to present a collection that is unique in the field: The naturals notebook.
The authors Éléonore de Bonneval Jeanne Doré Will Inrig Clara Muller Delphine de Swardt
Nez is pleased to offer you this special issue dedicated to the scents and olfactory culture of the Middle East. Published biannually, Nez explores the world around us via our sense of smell. It provides an insight into the vital role that olfactory sensations play in our lives in a novel approach that encompasses art, literature, science, history and perfume. Our publication reinforces the voice of a cultural movement aiming to foster olfactory culture and broaden the world’s knowledge of fragrance. Created in Paris in 2016, Nez is available in three languages – English, French, Italian – in over 20 countries.
�e� éditions present �e� littérature
l’é c rivain d’odeur s by Jean-Claude Ellena (fr ), €17 — a phor i s m s of a perf umer by Dominique Ropion with Marie-Bénédicte Gauthier (fr – en), €17 �e� culture
l e s c en t onze parf um s qu ’il fau t s en tir avan t de mourir by Yohan Cervi, Jeanne Doré and Alexis Toublanc (fr ), €17 — l e g r a nd l ivre du parf um by the Nez collective (fr ), €29 — s e n tir , re s s en tir . pa r f umeur s, odeur s et émo tions collective book (bilingual fr – en), €28 — l a fa bul eu s e his toire de l’eau de c olo gne collective book directed by Jean-Claude Ellena to be released on May 16 (fr), €19
�e� recherche
le s di sp o si t i f s olfact i f s au mu sée collective book directed by Mathilde Castel (fr ), €39 �e�
lmr the naturals notebook
na rci ssu s ro s e collective books (fr – en), €14,50
�e� the olfactory magazine
# 1 p our un e cult ur e olfact i ve, état de s li eux (fr ) — # 2 le propr e et le sa le (fr ) — #3 t he sex of s cen t (fr – en) — #4 per f ume a n d a rt (fr – en–it) — #5 nat ur a l vs. sy n t het ic (fr – en) — #6 mi n d & body (fr – en–it) — # 7 a n i ma l sen se (fr – en–it)