From Raw Materials to Finished Cologne: Part 2 - Concentration
In part one of our three part blog series we talked about the essential. The most basic elements of fragrance. Now in part two we go into detail about how these raw materials are blended to create the building blocks of scent.
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After these essential oils have been distilled or created it's the job of a fragrance developer, also known as a 'nose', to blend them into something fantastic.
Our story with our developer started with a brief. We asked her to create something rooted in place - where we were sitting in the South of France - but with a link to our existing products. In terms of ingredients, we said the sky was the limit: we wanted a truly world class cologne, and that means sourcing the best raw materials.
So from the cedarwood in City to the citrus and cypress lead in Coast, much of the scent profile is derived from plants that can be found in and around Grasse and the Cote D'Azur.
Country is a little different: it's more intense and masculine, inspired by our leather wash bags and frankincense shave oil. This scent profile is harder to find in a Mediterranean climate, so we've gone further afield sourcing sandalwoods, black pepper, and a hint of oud.
The selection of these three colognes was a long and taxing process: lots of alternatives were tried and we lived with a number of 'front-runners' for many months before settling on our favourite blends.
Once these had been selected we needed to choose our cologne producers. Our partners in Grasse are extremely specialised: they develop and make cologne concentrate. This can’t be used as a finished product: to turn that concentrate into a finished product requires expertise and time.
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