Today’s question comes from Maureen – she asked:
“How do I go about creating a signature fragrance for my product line”
This is something I get asked a lot from people who want to learn perfumery to create fragrances for their own business.
There are two routes that you can go down; one is that you study perfumery and learn how to create the fragrances yourself or you could hire an experienced perfumer to create the fragrance for you.
Think also about where you are and where you want to go with your business. The biggest mistake I see a lot of business owners making when they first start out, especially in the beauty and fragrance industry is thinking that they have to do everything themselves.
Do you (or a member of your team) have a passion for perfumery and want to learn it yourself, or would you rather be the visionary behind your business?
If this is the case then I would suggest outsourcing your fragrance creation to a professional perfumer. If you are just sticking to natural perfumes for your line then I would suggest approaching a perfumer that specialises in naturals as they will think in quite a different way to a commercial perfumer who is used to using a combination of naturals and synthetics.
If on the other hand you really have a passion for perfumery and want to be really hands on in your fragrance creation then I would suggest you get some training and learn how to develop your own fragrances.
No matter which route you go down it is worth developing a brief for your signature fragrance – whether you outsource it to somebody else or you create it yourself. Its always a really good idea to have a clear vision from the outset of what your fragrance is going to be about and writing a brief will really help you.
When creating a natural perfume, less is more – if you try to put too many ingredients into a natural fragrance then it can become muddled – keep it very simple. Having a strong concept for your fragrance also makes it easier to translate into a smell.
Speak to your ideal customer and ask what they really want from a fragrance. You have to know your ideal customer inside out so survey them, chat to them and find out what they want from you. Often what they want and what you think they want are two different things – something I have learned in my business!
