Music has a link with perfume that is engrained in the very fabric of every scent that you smell. The mention of “notes” and “chords” is often cited as the main similarity, but we often forget to reference the emotional response that both of these can have on the wearer. The way a piece of music swells and crescendos absolutely mirrors the way a perfume reveals its layers, from those sparkling opening notes to the deeper base ones. This link between music and perfume is something that Leonie Sherif has based her whole Sense 'N' perfume range on, and the latest Sunburn scent is just waiting to be played.
The second perfume that a company releases is often the hardest to truly crack, because you’re riding on the success of the first but trying to stretch your creative horizons. Finding the middle ground in the battle between being too safe and too divergent becomes the scented goal. There have been many examples of the follow-up fragrance not hitting the mark, and so hearing that Leonie Sherif was releasing Twilight, her second fragrance, brought feelings of excitement and trepidation in equal measure. This songbird is no stranger to experimenting with musical chords, but would the perfumed ones be just as accommodating?
The link between music and perfume is one that is constantly referenced in today’s fragrances but, to be honest, those creative and academic similarities have been around since the very first scent was put in the very first bottle. Whether it’s the cross-over in terms of words like “notes” and “chords” or the naming of the “perfumer’s organ”, the intertwining of these two creative industries is clear to see. It’s not surprising then that some people have a foot in both camps, and strive to forge closer bonds between them. Leonie Sherif is the latest to try her hand, and her Venus perfume promises to “unlock the energy within”.
The idea of being left to our own devices is something that we’ve all had to embrace over the past year, and people have dealt with it in very different ways. There was a lot of time to fill and, while some of us caught up with the mountain of Blu-rays that had magically appeared, many perfumers knuckled down and used the opportunity to concentrate on long anticipated projects. Hitting the pause button changed the schedules and space appeared in the diary. Choreograph is one such example, and Adey Zookrow’s fusion of experimental fragrance with original music has come at just the right moment.
Everything in life creates an impression, sparks a memory or ignites a passion. Real life inspirations can sometimes create the most powerful and challenging scents, which is why perfumers have always called upon daily life and filtered reminiscences to find that next blockbuster. Yes, abstract creation also results in very exciting perfumes, but I have always liked to be able to hang my fragrances on a story. A description or an actual image are easier for people to share, because they can come to the same conclusion. What is harder though is when music is used as inspiration. Are you interpreting words, melody or even emotion?
