Worldly Scents
Worldly Scents
A fragrance explorer uncovers the history of how culture informs what smells good on us.
Excerpts from a fragrance editorial, Worldly, in Marie Claire Magazine, Sept. 2012 issue.
Foreign Waters
European Scents
In France, "Perfume is as much a part of the culture as food and wine; it's a part of life," says French-Armenian perfume Francis Kurkdjian. Girls are taken to purchase their first fragrance in their tween years. Neroli orange blossom and citrus dominate in southern Europe and Mediterranean blends, while incense and woods are found in the Middle East. Chinese prefer woody and fruity florals, while Japanese prefer delicate scents that are well-blended.
America Scents
In the U.S. we prefer gourmand scents with vanilla and fruity florals. However our English heritage tends to lead us to classic florals, and our merging heritage is spreading our taste to darker, spicy and woody scents in recent years.
(Dunlop, Courtney. "Beauty: Worldly Scents." Marie Claire Sept. 2012: 346-348)
