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nosetalking uxeta labrit   Human’s soul is its smell.
Jean Baptiste Grenouville. Perfume


Noventa Grados and Paris’s Houbigant Parfumeur invited us, a group of journalists, to Maria Cristina Hotel’s Venezia Room. It’s lovely weather on the other side of the room’s giant windows. I’d rather be outside than in a old five-star hotel. Gian Luca Perris, a perfume maker and expert in perfumes, introduces himself and starts talking. “We’re going to start with a game”. He dampens a bit of paper in a jar of perfume. “Smell this. Do you all think it’s for men or for women? What age group? What type of clothes do those men or women wear? Do they wear the perfume in summer or in winter?”. There are many different answers. Of course, we journalists always have an answer for everything even if we don’t have a clue. “That’s right, there’s no single answer. A scent, a fragrance, they’re like colours, there’s no objectivity, it’s completely subjective. It all depends on our upbringing, life story, culture and memories”. Mr Perris lets out a little smile. “I shouldn’t say what I’m going to say, especially as this is a men’s fragrance. The thing is, perfumes don’t have genders. Back in the day, perfumes weren’t separated like that. Both men and women wore them. The current idea of separating perfumes is a modern thing, usually connected with sales. But, as far as I’m concerned, perfumes have no gender”. He explains how perfumes are made, shows us the raw materials and gets us to smell them. All my preconceptions have already disappeared. But I have to admit that the overdose of perfumes is making me a bit dizzy. I find some water and orange juice on a table. And on another table, coffee. I could easily get used to press conferences like this.

“The most important change to perfumery happened in the 19th century. In fact, it’s connected with the Fougére-Royale perfume that we’re presenting today”. Ok, here comes the promo speech! “Until then, perfume makers had tried to create and produce specific fragrances. But, in 1882, an idea let to the creation of the first perfume. The perfume maker Paul Parquet laws walking through a wood one morning and, inspired by the wood’s smell and freshness, he started working on a new perfume”. Mr Perris must be bored stiff of giving the same talk time and time again, but he doesn’t look it. Later on I googled him and found out he takes part in yachting competitions and I saw a photo of him being giving a trophy by Albert of Monaco. It’s clear he knows how to behave in any circumstances. Some people are talented like that. “At one time, perfume was a luxury product. How it’s available to everyone, and that’s a good thing. But, on the way, quality and natural ingredients have been the victims. We sell you perfumes that only need half an hour in a laboratory to get made. But at Houligant craftsmen still make the perfumes.
I think our perfumes should be on people’s skins and, sometimes, in museums too”.
I don’t know how long the whole things lasted, but it was all very entertaining. When I left the hotel, I realised I had a very strong smell of perfume. Suddenly I imagined myself to be Jean Baptiste Grenouville. I looked for a fountain to clean my wrists of perfume. I don’t want to end up like Jean Baptiste Grenouville!