Heaven scent: Boutique perfumes are this season's obsession

EVERYTHING HAS ITS time and the style-makers have ordained this autumn to be the season of niche scent.

Forget the blockbuster fragrance launches that have adorned the shelves in recent years, this season is all about perfume artisans and their craft. You won't see big magazine campaigns or celebrities backing these bottles.

Instead, these latest fragrant offerings pack a punch in terms of olfactive authenticity, with the perfume playing the starring role.

"Niche fragrance is all about the juice," says perfume fragrance creator, Azzi Glasser, who has designed ranges for Nicole Farhi, Kylie and Agent Provocateur. "There isn't the big fanfare and product turnover you get with other fragrance brands. A niche fragrance, put simply, tells a story through its creation and when you smell it on your skin."

The first niche fragrances were created for royalty, and British perfume house Penhaligon's has added a novel twist to this concept with its new fragrance, Vaara.

Created by master perfumer, Bertrand Duchaufour, Vaara was inspired by the Royal House of Marwar-Jodhpur in Rajasthan. When His Highness Maharaja Gaj Singh II's granddaughter, Vaara, was born he desired a scent to mark the occasion that would also reflect his family's connection with the city of Jodhpur.

Duchaufour travelled to Jodhpur to explore the life of a maharaja; visiting the colourful city's family palaces, exotic gardens and historic forts.

"My inspiration was easy - it was to do with all that was surrounding me," he says. "Vaara is a floral fragrance inspired by the flower of the gardens of the maharaja, with Indian spices, and incense."

That flower is champaca. Known as the Indian magnolia, Duchaufour says he wanted to use indigenous notes to create the fragrance. "Its scent is very special - it has rose notes that create a spicy effect, like a touch of curry."

Penhaligon's has been creating perfumes for over 140 years, and its fragrances are still made in England and packaged in the same bottle shape originally chosen by founder William Penhaligon.

The launch of Vaara in Hong Kong this month is part of the brand's bigger plans for the region. Following the success of its pop-up in Harbour City, Penhaligon's is launching its first flagship boutique in Central's One IFC on September 27.

The Hong Kong store marries quintessentially British attributes - wood panelling, antique furniture and a fireplace - with a personalised service. There is a "Scent Profiling Room", where shoppers receive an assessment of their fragrance likes and dislikes, using Penhaligon's library of over 30 perfumes. A similar store is slated to launch in Singapore.

Also looking to make a splash in Hong Kong this month is independent French brand Atelier Cologne, which debuts at Lane Crawford on September 26.

Founded by Sylvie Ganter and Christophe Cervasel in 2006, the fragrances are based on colognes rather than perfumes, which are typically stronger and last longer. Unlike traditional colognes, these use high concentrations of ingredients.

"Colognes have been around for hundreds of years, but the citrus notes do not last very long," says Cervasel. "We wanted more from the category so we've refreshed them with other perfumery ingredients, such as woods and musks, to give them that staying power."

The two newest additions to the Atelier Cologne family - Silver Iris and Gold Leather - certainly have plenty of longevity. In fact, you'd be mistaken for thinking that they were perfumes.

"We use a very high concentration of essential oils in each cologne, up to 20 per cent, which creates the unique scent. The authenticity and craftsmanship that goes into each fragrance is important to us," says Ganter.

The same applies to the packaging. The two scents, part of the Collection Métal line, which is inspired by rare ingredients and precious metals, are sold in bottles coated with real gold and silver. It resembles a solid metal flacon, without the associated cost, weight or contamination issues.

"The technology behind this is really quite cutting edge, but it remains true to our artisan roots," says Ganter, adding that it has never been possible to use precious metals, such as gold and silver, on packaging before.

The metals are melted down and then coated onto the glass to give the impression of a solid gold or silver perfume bottle.

The brand is looking at using other precious metals, such as rose gold and platinum, for additions to the range.

Fellow French perfumer Francis Kurkdjian sees his craft as a form of communication.

"Painters use colours, musicians play with notes, writers use words … I use smell, odours to express myself," says Kurkdjian, who has created scents for Elie Saab, Jean Paul Gaultier, Versace, Narciso Rodriguez and Lanvin, as well as niche brands such as Juliette has a Gun. "My vocabulary is the ingredients I use and my grammar is the technique."

This vocabulary has translated into Aqua Vitae, Kurkdjian's second chapter in the Aqua story, which launched recently at Joyce Beauty.

Unusually, the fragrance does not contain any floral notes. This is because it was not important to the story, says Kurkdjian, although he points out the use of hedione, a synthetic ingredient that creates a similar effect to a floral ingredient. Inspired by the intimacy between two people, Kurkdjian describes the scent as "lukewarm".

"It has an uncommonly fresh start and little by little you fall into something very warm and sensual, without being too sweet, sticky or powdery," he says.

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Maison Francis Kurkdjian – Aqua Vitae
Meaning “water of life” in Latin, this scent balances fresh notes of Calabrese lemon and Sicilian mandarin with the warmth of Tonka bean and vanilla. The aromachemical hedoine has a luminous, lifting effect, recreating the feeling of warm sun on the skin, while smoky, guaiacum wood notes at the base anchor the scent. The wood is also known as the “tree of life”, echoing the scent’s name. 
Price: from HK$1,200
Available at: Joyce Beauty

Atelier Cologne – Collection Métal
Silver Mist packs a powerful hit of powdery iris, freshened with notes of tangerine, pink pepper and blackcurrant. Meanwhile, patchouli, white amber and Tonka bean provide staying power and an earthier, warm facet, which becomes more sensual as the day goes by. Gold Leather is a warm, rounded scent based around a Jamaican rum. Adding to the foodie theme, bitter orange, saffron and davana flower, enhance the sweetness of the rum accord, while woods and leather balance it out with more masculine notes.
Price: from HK$1,561
Available at: Lane Crawford, Times Square

Penhaligon’s – Vaara
Inspired by Bertrand Duchaufour’s visit to Jodhpur, it opens with a blend of coriander and carrot seeds, creamy saffron and juicy quince. The champaca and rose notes are the main billing, creating a soft feminine facet before the fragrance settles to a base of sensual musk, cedar, sandalwood and Tonka bean.
Price: from HK$1,900
Available at: Penhaligon’s, One IFC