This Month in Fragrance: August 2019
Here is a selection of recent fragrance new published on the Cosmetics Design sites:
New clean lactones from Conagen
The Massachusetts-based biotech company augmented its portfolio of fragrance ingredients in August, adding 20+ new non-gmo lactones.
As part of the company’s gamma-Decalactone product announcment, Oliver Yu, co-founder and CEO of Conagen, said, “The strengthening and expansion of Conagen's lactone production platform will better meet consumers' demand for nature-based, clean ingredients.” Read more here on CosmeticsDesign.com.
MANE targets indie brands
“We used to be able to draw sweeping conclusions about what prestige fragrance smells like, and how it’s different from specialty retail, or different from mass body care,” Miranda Gordon, vice president of marketing in the fine fragrance division at MANE, tells Cosmetics Design. “We even used to have expectations about what color cosmetics are supposed to smell like. Those category and channel definitions, and our olfactive expectations, are being challenged in intriguing and successful ways. Today, your brand should smell like your brand—regardless of price point or where you’re sold.”
Gordon and several others of the MANE team were at the BeautyX Capital Summit in New York City this August to meet with indie brand founders, many of whom are indeed challenging industry expectations and addressing consumer needs in inventive ways. Cosmetics Design caught up with Gordon at the show to learn more about why and how this French fragrance house stands ready to work with indie beauty brands.
Fragrance molecules made from waste
Canada’s west coast province of British Columbia is focused on limiting pollution and developing a low-carbon economy through an initiative called CleanBC. Accordingly, new business ventures are emerging that both address sustainability issues and business demands.
In August, Phytonix Corporation and non-profit Genome British Columbia announced a partnership that will repurpose CO2 as feedstock for an industrial scale biotech project to produce specialty chemicals, including fragrance molecules.
“Successfully advancing this platform will lead to the establishment of a unique process that could achieve the province's twin goals of decarbonization and value creation from natural resources,” says Lisette Mascarenhas, Genome British Columbia's sector director in charge of agrifood and natural resources, in a media release about the project. Read more about turning waste gas into specialty chemicals here on Cosmetics Design.
Firmenich on naturals
At the inaugural International Festival of Perfume and Arts in Grasse, Firmenich held an exhibition called Carte Blanche that included perfumers’ visions for the future of the industry. “The main trend in the market is this quest and idea around ultra-natural; being really close to nature and this wish to be very true to life,” David Suffit Reedman, director of fine fragrance Europe at Firmenich, told CosmeticsDesign-Europe editor Kacey Culliney recently, adding, “This is something we really see from the consumer, this desire to be close to nature, and I think it’s one of our biggest opportunities.”
And while indie brands like Pour le Monde Parfums and independent fragrance suppliers like Palette Naturals have already made transparent, natural fragrance a market reality; it will be interesting to see how legacy fragrance house Firmenich addresses the naturals movement.
Givaudan’s acquisitive streak continues
In August, Givaudan acquired UK-based fragrance maker Fragrance Oils. “The acquisition of Fragrance Oils is another step in expanding our capabilities in serving local and regional customers,” Gilles Andrier, CEO of Givaudan told the press. “Following our earlier acquisition of Expressions Parfumées, it fits perfectly with our 2020 ambition to assert our leadership position in this customer segment, as well as leveraging the strong presence of Fragrance Oils in high growth markets,” he said.
Personalized scents for the Asian market
And on CosmeticsDesign-Asia, news of Molton Brown’s plan to “strengthen brand recognition and expand business operations in Japan [and beyond]” made headlines in August.
As part of it’s strategy to grow in the region, Molton Brown will be using “an interactive [digital] profiling tool to help individuals select a fragrance,” as editor Amanda Lim reported on CosmeticsDesign-Asia.
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Deanna Utroske, CosmeticsDesign.com Editor, covers beauty business news in the Americas region and publishes the weekly Indie Beauty Profile column, showcasing the inspiring work of entrepreneurs and innovative brands.
