From the Man behind Twisted Lily
"Unpopular fragrance opinions turned love-affair."

s our latest I HATE^D FRAGRANCE campaigns are making their rounds across the internet, here are some thoughts behind the concept and the direction we are going with it.

Twisted Lily (TL): The burning question I might as well get out of the way first, did you ever HATE fragrances?

Vicken Arslanian (VA): Obviously NOT! I love fragrance, but like many people out there, there’s a lot that I don’t love. I’m guilty of calling my mom each time she’s coming to my house and asking her NOT to overspray her fragrance. While Europeans have a love/love relationship with scent, Americans lean more towards the love/hate relationship. I experience a love/hate/love fluctuation.

TL: Twisted reasons behind the I HATE^d Fragrance campaign?

VA: The concept of I hate^d fragrance comes from years of seeing people THINK they hate perfume. Of course, some people do hate fragrances or are allergic to particular scents. However, most people have a misconception about fragrance or haven't found the fragrance to love. They think all fragrances smell like their grandmother or are too strong. Think about it; we all love some type of scent, as we live in a world full of aromas that shape our memories. You may love the smell of laundry or the ocean or something baking in the oven. All these scents are available as wearable fragrances. I love the smell of shaving cream in a vintage Italian barbershop. I found a perfume that smells just like that!! The idea behind this campaign is to say, "okay, we get it, you hate fragrance. Let's see if we can help find something you don't hate."

Top quotes from our customers and your feedback on each:

Quote #1: “I hated fragrance until I smelled something other than my grandma’s vintage rose fragrance!”

VA: This quote proves my previous point. It’s a common viewpoint around the world. If you took the number #1 selling perfume globally (we won’t name names) and did a blind test (where you put the fragrance in a bottle with no name), it would fail miserably. I love grandma... but not her perfume.

__

Quote #2: “I hated fragrance until I realized how much smelling good meant to the opposite sex. There were so many amazing scents that I never cared for, right up until I entered high school. That's when I realized that one spray of any good fragrance could be the key to someones’ heart.”

VA: I’m ageing myself but, Drakkar Noir often comes to mind, left in the glove compartment of every car in high school. What can I say? Some fragrances were an indelible part of our childhood and some fond memories.

__

Quote #3: “I saw that fragrance could be about generating a mood or feeling for myself and people who I invite to be closer, instead of trying to present a ‘palatable’ scent or hide the self behind a one-dimensional note that shouts.”

VA: Yes, and those moods can change, and so should your fragrance. If a person has many different accessories such as bags and shoes for many occasions, why should a fragrance be any different?

__

Quote #4: “I never hated fragrance but my love grew stronger when I realized what fragrance can do for your confidence and the people around you.”

VA: Over the weekend, my mother came to my house for a cup of coffee. Most of you don’t know my mother, but she never leaves the house without doing her hair, makeup, and Deux-piece (two-piece suit). She happened to forget her lipstick and had to leave my house to go home and put some lipstick on. Her confidence was shot without it. My point is, we all need to feel good somehow, and for some, that’s perfume.

__

Quote #5: “I used to dislike fragrance because I thought that perfumes were limited to either ultra sweet-and-girly body mists or those overpowering, grown-up fragrances you could find in department stores. Recently though I discovered the diversity of unique, sophisticated, and genderless perfume together with fun layering techniques.”

VA: Let's talk about ice cream. America's favorite flavor of ice cream happens to be - Vanilla by far. However, if I ask ten different people what their favorite ice-cream flavor is, they're probably NOT going to say vanilla or chocolate. They're probably going to rattle off some interesting flavor from their local shop. Department stores have gotten better when it comes to fragrances recently, but they're focused mainly on Vanilla and Chocolate. A store like Twisted Lily focuses on Hazelnut gelato or my favorite, The Tonight Dough! So go out there and find your flavor!

As our latest I HATE^D FRAGRANCE campaigns are making their rounds across the internet, here are some thoughts behind the concept and the direction we are going with it. 

Twisted Lily (TL): The burning question I might as well get out of the way first, did you ever HATE fragrances?

Vicken Arslanian (VA): Obviously NOT! I love fragrance, but like many people out there, there’s a lot that I don’t love. I’m guilty of calling my mom each time she’s coming to my house and asking her NOT to overspray her fragrance. While Europeans have a love/love relationship with scent, Americans lean more towards the love/hate relationship. I experience a love/hate/love fluctuation.

TL: Twisted reasons behind the I HATE^d Fragrance campaign?

VA: The concept of I hate^d fragrance comes from years of seeing people THINK they hate perfume. Of course, some people do hate fragrances or are allergic to particular scents. However, most people have a misconception about fragrance or haven't found the fragrance to love. They think all fragrances smell like their grandmother or are too strong. Think about it; we all love some type of scent, as we live in a world full of aromas that shape our memories. You may love the smell of laundry or the ocean or something baking in the oven. All these scents are available as wearable fragrances. I love the smell of shaving cream in a vintage Italian barbershop. I found a perfume that smells just like that!! The idea behind this campaign is to say, "okay, we get it, you hate fragrance. Let's see if we can help find something you don't hate."

Top quotes from our customers and your feedback on each:

Quote #1: “I hated fragrance until I smelled something other than my grandma’s vintage rose fragrance!”

VA: This quote proves my previous point. It’s a common viewpoint around the world. If you took the number #1 selling perfume globally (we won’t name names) and did a blind test (where you put the fragrance in a bottle with no name), it would fail miserably. I love grandma... but not her perfume.

__

Quote #2: “I hated fragrance until I realized how much smelling good meant to the opposite sex. There were so many amazing scents that I never cared for, right up until I entered high school. That's when I realized that one spray of any good fragrance could be the key to someones’ heart.”

VA: I’m ageing myself but, Drakkar Noir often comes to mind, left in the glove compartment of every car in high school. What can I say? Some fragrances were an indelible part of our childhood and some fond memories.

__

Quote #3: “I saw that fragrance could be about generating a mood or feeling for myself and people who I invite to be closer, instead of trying to present a ‘palatable’ scent or hide the self behind a one-dimensional note that shouts.”

VA: Yes, and those moods can change, and so should your fragrance. If a person has many different accessories such as bags and shoes for many occasions, why should a fragrance be any different?

__

Quote #4: “I never hated fragrance but my love grew stronger when I realized what fragrance can do for your confidence and the people around you.”

VA: Over the weekend, my mother came to my house for a cup of coffee. Most of you don’t know my mother, but she never leaves the house without doing her hair, makeup, and Deux-piece (two-piece suit). She happened to forget her lipstick and had to leave my house to go home and put some lipstick on. Her confidence was shot without it. My point is, we all need to feel good somehow, and for some, that’s perfume.

__

Quote #5: “I used to dislike fragrance because I thought that perfumes were limited to either ultra sweet-and-girly body mists or those overpowering, grown-up fragrances you could find in department stores. Recently though I discovered the diversity of unique, sophisticated, and genderless perfume together with fun layering techniques.”

VA: Let's talk about ice cream. America's favorite flavor of ice cream happens to be - Vanilla by far. However, if I ask ten different people what their favorite ice-cream flavor is, they're probably NOT going to say vanilla or chocolate. They're probably going to rattle off some interesting flavor from their local shop. Department stores have gotten better when it comes to fragrances recently, but they're focused mainly on Vanilla and Chocolate. A store like Twisted Lily focuses on Hazelnut gelato or my favorite, The Tonight Dough! So go out there and find your flavor!

Vicken Arslanian, Founder & CEO Europerfumes

Europerfumes is the leading US distributor of luxury, artisanal fragrance, and candle brands, founded in 1997 by Vicken Arslanian, Europerfumes’ continued mission is to vet and source the best independent brands from all over the world.