Need more scents in B&M Reserve

I can't find it, but I thought I had read Will wanted to go into perfumes and colognes some day exclusively.

Didn't mean to derail the thread. I might have imagined it.

He did speak to the topic. I think the cologne movement thread on Reddit is what you are looking for.

Will said he wants to be a perfumer that does soap. Most of the other guys are soap makers that do frags. There were some other posts about moving on from soaps possibly but keeping a line like the reserve to keep in the hobby. It stemmed from a thread about glissant and reserve.

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I can't find it, but I thought I had read Will wanted to go into perfumes and colognes some day exclusively.

Didn't mean to derail the thread. I might have imagined it.

He did speak to the topic. I think the cologne movement thread on Reddit is what you are looking for.

Will said he wants to be a perfumer that does soap. Most of the other guys are soap makers that do frags. There were some other posts about moving on from soaps possibly but keeping a line like the reserve to keep in the hobby. It stemmed from a thread about glissant and reserve.

Sent from my Samsung S8+

I think there was a bit of a misunderstanding. I don't want to become a perfumer who makes soap; in many respects, that's what I am now. But perfume is an even stranger, more chaotic business than wet shaving, and so I am approaching it with considerable caution and deliberation to determine how best to work within it.

Yeah, I can see the perfume business being even more heartless than say, the rock and roll business. You can be an overnight sensation, even though it took you two decades to do it and then you can be tossed with yesterday's trash in a heartbeat. Or you can toil in obscurity your entire life. I think approaching that with caution is a wise strategy.

I have to say --- Reserve is a hell of a good base. It wasn't until I picked up the Seville offering in Reserve recently that i REALLY came to appreciate the base. Top 3 for me for sure.

I have to say --- Reserve is a hell of a good base. It wasn't until I picked up the Seville offering in Reserve recently that i REALLY came to appreciate the base. Top 3 for me for sure.

+1

Yeah, I can see the perfume business being even more heartless than say, the rock and roll business.  You can be an overnight sensation, even though it took you two decades to do it and then you can be tossed with yesterday's trash in a heartbeat.  Or you can toil in obscurity your entire life.  I think approaching that with caution is a wise strategy.

Euroweenie IFRA regs ruined perfumery in the past decade. That's why most perfumes/colognes smell the same as well as don't last as long.

Yeah, I can see the perfume business being even more heartless than say, the rock and roll business.  You can be an overnight sensation, even though it took you two decades to do it and then you can be tossed with yesterday's trash in a heartbeat.  Or you can toil in obscurity your entire life.  I think approaching that with caution is a wise strategy.

Euroweenie IFRA regs ruined perfumery in the past decade. That's why most perfumes/colognes smell the same as well as don't last as long.

I don't really agree with that. Did they do tons of damage? Sure. Is that why most mainstream fragrances are derivative? I don't think so.

In my experience, the homogeneity of mainstream fragrance is due much more to the machinations of marketing departments and accountants. In the mid-70s, YSL (before its perfume division was sold to L'Oreal) and what is now LVMH began creating fragrances by focus group testing rather than independent idea. However, the problem is that the general public generally cannot innovate on its own. If it could, I imagine that we would be much further along as a species.

Thus, the focus groups simply asked for more of the same, which YSL and LVMH were happy to give them in spades (and at premium prices). However, many independent perfumers and some of the still-working great masters produce fragrances that are IFRA-compliant and works of genius, but which are not intended for sale to the general public and thus have not been focus-tested or polished by hive mind fiat. Smell the works coming out of Bogue, Baruti, Frederic Malle's earlier releases, or Zoologist (all of which are IFRA-compliant, except Bogue's Cologne Reloaded). Personal preferences aside, they're all very different, very good, and last a damned long time, too.

Yeah, I can see the perfume business being even more heartless than say, the rock and roll business.  You can be an overnight sensation, even though it took you two decades to do it and then you can be tossed with yesterday's trash in a heartbeat.  Or you can toil in obscurity your entire life.  I think approaching that with caution is a wise strategy.

Euroweenie IFRA regs ruined perfumery in the past decade. That's why most perfumes/colognes smell the same as well as don't last as long.

I don't really agree with that. Did they do tons of damage? Sure. Is that why most mainstream fragrances are derivative? I don't think so.

In my experience, the homogeneity of mainstream fragrance is due much more to the machinations of marketing departments and accountants. In the mid-70s, YSL (before its perfume division was sold to L'Oreal) and what is now LVMH began creating fragrances by focus group testing rather than independent idea. However, the problem is that the general public generally cannot innovate on its own. If it could, I imagine that we would be much further along as a species.

Thus, the focus groups simply asked for more of the same, which YSL and LVMH were happy to give them in spades (and at premium prices). However, many independent perfumers and some of the still-working great masters produce fragrances that are IFRA-compliant and works of genius, but which are not intended for sale to the general public and thus have not been focus-tested or polished by hive mind fiat. Smell the works coming out of Bogue, Baruti, Frederic Malle's earlier releases, or Zoologist (all of which are IFRA-compliant, except Bogue's Cologne Reloaded). Personal preferences aside, they're all very different, very good, and last a damned long time, too.

I love it! So what you're saying is creativity by committee doesn't work. Totally agree. So we get a ton of stuff that smells the same or is the same because "the market" is comfortable with it. Its the same as the constant flood of movie sequels and remakes. Why take a chance when you can just rehash a "proven success". I'm so sick of superhero movies right now. Food franchises (fast or otherwise) are another example.

Creativity comes from a single obsessed genius toiling in isolation. Committees and focus groups brought you Axe Body Spray.

Will, while you're here..... What's next for Reserve

Euroweenie IFRA regs ruined perfumery in the past decade. That's why most perfumes/colognes smell the same as well as don't last as long.

I don't really agree with that. Did they do tons of damage? Sure...



The oakmoss restriction was the death knell according to many classic perfumers from what I have read. As well and as I'm sure you know, to sell in the EU a maker must meet these silly regs. However, it appears many Arabic perfumers are thumbing their nose at this and seem to be drawing many buyers. Whuddathunkit.