On Quality

Spending hundreds of dollars on a bottle of perfume is nothing new to perfume aficionados, but what if that perfume turns out to be “bad quality?” By that, I mean it can have low projection, poor lasting power, a cheap bottle or just a note that ruins the whole composition. In fact, after sampling recently, a new “bad quality” category appeared in my mind: cheap-smelling.

Among the classic Tom Fords and Armanis of the fragrance department, a garish set of bottles caught my attention. The new Diana Vreeland perfumes have such names as “Perfectly Marvelous” and “Simply Divine.” No indication nor hint at how said perfumes will smell. Usually, something in the name will give an idea of what the perfume is meant to evoke: Ambre Narguile is waterpipe tobacco; Plum Japonais is dark plum and so on. Throw-away names like “Absolutely Vital” say nothing. Additionally, the bottles reminded me a bit of Piguet.

(photo via mimifroufrou)

Sure, the tassel is a nice addition, but there is nothing really unique about the bottles, colors, and come to find out, the smells. Initially, I thought I would like the “Russe.” Alas, it smelled faintly like cheap synthetic musk. I got a sample of the two purple ones but when I wore them at home, they literally made me think of a perfume I could pick up at any department store, or even at a TJ Maxx. The Diana Vreeland perfumes will set you back $185 for a 50 ml and $250 for a 100 ml. All I can say is WHY????

This experience made me think of the hefty glass and metal masterpiece called “Les Jeux Sont Faits.” At $185 for 100 mls, this rum and spice composition comes in a thick glass bottle with a silver metal top that is like a modernist piece of artwork. Not only is the scent supremely unique and smoothly blended, the bottle and box it comes in is an experience of luxury in itself.

(photo via Luckyscent)

The chips are indeed down with this one: Les Jeux Sont Faits stands in stark contrast to the Vreeland series in every major way: the clever name, beautiful packaging and color, the unique and expensive-smelling scent and the inventive bottle made of real materials such as glass and metal.

But even masters of perfume can fall down when it comes to packaging. Why is packaging important? Because it creates the initial impression and opens the door for the scented experience to come. A badly packaged perfume creates a sense of cheapness while a richly outfitted bottle makes the smell itself more evocative.

(photo via http://blog.missala.pl)

Even the Prive Collection by Armani, consisting of such masterpieces of power and quality as Myrrhe Imperiale and Rose d’Arabie fails on the packaging front because even though the bottle is a heavy opaque black glass, the gold rock top is plastic!

(photo via blog.malva-parfume)

And even one of my favorites, Aerin Lauder, made the beauty of her precious perfumes ($125 for 50 mls) dim with the plastic tops. (I wrote about her Evening Rose before.) Now, I understand that all designers would love to create the most magnificent scents in the best bottles but cost is always an issue. However, if a customer is already paying almost three hundred dollars per bottle, don’t give them plastic. Have a little class.