Michelle Krell Kydd, a Perfumer & Flavorist magazine contributor and marketing and communications specialist, has a compelling post up on her blog, Glass Petal Smoke.
"A Return to Signature in Fine Fragrance" notes that: "As the number of fragrances released on the market grows, fewer and fewer creations bear a distinct olfactive mark." Kydd goes on to lament "fragrance connoisseurs who encounter reiterated compositions when seeking fragrances with signature. Today's perfumers have over 3,000 natural and synthetic materials at their disposal, but their efforts to create new signatures are limited by quick turn-around times required by clients. It all comes down to the currency of time ... "
Kydd further notes the toll reformulations have taken on fine fragrance. "Guerlain's Mitsuoko is a tragic casualty of reformulation," she writes. "A drydown that was once warm and sensual is now metallic, brackish and smells faintly of vomit."
The author concludes that the heritage of brands must be respected. "True authenticity demands this and so do perfume lovers."
