Being loyal to one perfume is a thing of the past, observes LuxAsia chief commercial officer Karen Ong, who sees people being more adventurous and sophisticated about wearing fragrances.
"People want a particular scent to represent who they are and how they feel. They can change the fragrance according to mood, occasion or who they will be with. It's about self expression and a part of the whole look and feel of a person," said Ong.
Myriad fragrances means there's more out there and people have yet to discover what they really like.
LuxAsia conceived Escentials boutique in Singapore as a space to explore scented products by niche luxury brands. The multi-brand environment takes shoppers through an olfactory journey at the recently-opened Escentials boutique at The EmQuartier in Bangkok.
Amouage The Library.
The expansion to Thailand came after the pandemic, which saw an increased use of perfumes.
"People were stuck at home and they didn't need to dress up. Scents may have been used to lift their mood so that they feel better," noted Ong.
Santa Maria Novella, Amouage, Matiere Premiere and Valeur Absolue are among the brands curated for the new boutique. Besides personal fragrances, home perfumes and candles are also retailed for scenting the environment.
"We bring products that are not widely available. Consumers have to travel to France, Italy or other countries to find them but now we have made them available in Thailand," she said.
LuxAsia chief commercial officer Karen Ong.
The convent of Santa Maria Novella was established in Florence by Dominican friars in 1221. The oldest fragrance, Acqua della Regina, was taken to Paris by Catherine de Medici in 1533. This spread the reputation of Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella as a leading perfumer.
Since 1983, Omani high-perfumery house Amouage has been notable for its extraction of perfume essences using traditional methods from the Middle East. Its collections include The Library inspired by the allure of a library and the quest for knowledge.
Matiere Premiere was founded by Aurélien Guichard -- the only perfumer to grow his own ingredients on an organic farm in Grasse. Rosa centifolia and tuberose are cultivated on the terroir, recognised as Unesco's Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2018. The exceptional raw materials give a rose absolute used to compose Radical Rose, and tuberose absolute and enfleurage for the heart of the French Flower eau de parfum.
Aromachology and crystal therapy meet in Valeur Absolue's Pure Emotion collection of seven well-being elixirs. Harmonie, for instance, is a floral, musky, amber scent with amethyst while Sensualite is a floral, woody, amber composition featuring pink quartz.
"At Escentials, it's not only about discovering the products but the fascinating story, heritage and concept of each brand," Ong said.
Santa Maria Novella eau de colognes.
