Yes, but only when it doesn’t get what it wants. Then it’s a real stinker. Like everything else, a perfume wants to be loved! :O)

Perfume can go bad, but it’s an uncommon occurrence when it does in a higher grade niche perfume. It does depend on the fragrance itself. Certain fragrances seem to be more fragile than others, hence will sour more easily.

     Expensive perfumes which are made from rare essential oils tend to last for a longer time than simple drug store scents. Also, most perfumes that you purchase in department stores contain only 33% pure perfume oil (vs. 60% in niche perfumes), and the rest is alcohol, water, butane and fillers. These “extras” can lend a hand in “turning” your perfume to the “Dark – Side” quicker.

1. How do you know?

If you notice a smell change, than it is starting to go bad. If the original potent smell has diminished than it has gone bad as well.

b. By looking at it? Watch out for color change. The color can turn darker and look much thicker. When you open a bottle of perfume that you haven’t used for a while, wipe the opening of the bottle   with alcohol. If it smells bad, then discard the contents.

C. By smelling it? If you notice a vinegar /acidic smell than the contents have changed. If it doesn’t smell like it once did, it’s bad too. Rancid perfumes seem to all have the same acrid odor over the original notes.

1. Are certain types of fragrances more likely to turn bad more so than others?

 It is unwritten fragrance lore that perfumes can be stored for around three to five years.  But we suggest just Forget the dates!  Store your perfume properly and let your nose decide!

A perfume made from natural flower or fruit extracts usually stand all tests of time. The more exotic / natural scents can still smell vibrant and fresh, even if they spend years properly stored. An herb based perfume like lavender can last indefinitely.

Kept in a cool, dark place, away from humidity (not stored in a bathroom) and at a consistent temperature (70 degrees) could enable your natural oil Cologne, Eau de Toilette, Eau de Parfum or Perfume oil extrait last up to 30 years or more! Woot!

1. Are essential oils a better bet?

Just try a natural oil perfume and you will be “changed” for life. An essential oil perfume mixed with carrier oils are in question though. Carrier oils, including coconut, jojoba and almond oils are from the fatty part of the plant and are produced by cold pressing. They don’t lose their scent like essential oils do but they can become rancid. However carrier oils last indefinitely, so that is why they are used. Others, like evening primrose, grape seed and rose hip oils go rancid within six months to a year. The other carrier oils last between a year and two.

3. Why does perfume turn bad?

You can blame it on its upbringing.

The science: The natural oil in perfume comes from a long chain of substituted allyl aromatics. They are susceptible to decomposition through bacterial growth at a very low rate. These natural oils are mixed with fillers and alcohol. The alcohol is a biocide. No known bioform grows in alcohol. Also, since the vast majority of fragrances have saturated hydrocarbon chains, they are not susceptible to oxidation, which CAUSES RANCIDITY IN NATURAL OILS!

3a. Aside from the breakdown of the juice itself, does anything else further the process along?

I had a bottle of Claude Montana perfume from the late 1980’s. I had it a long time but didn’t take good care of it. I stored in it my medicine chest in my bathroom (without the original box), moved it to my dresser top in direct sunlight, and then left it in a box in my garage throughout the last 20 years. When I rediscovered it, to my dismay the perfume was “bad”.

The unwritten Perfume Lore says it you take good care of your bottles, your perfumes will last forever. I’m a believer and won’t flush that advice down the drain with my rancid perfume.

3b. Heat / Sunlight:

Remember the three enemies of “Good Perfume”: Sunlight, Heat and Air

Become a Heat Miser…

When perfume comes in contact with heat, the fragrance gets oxidized, which may result in loss of fragrance. You also need to take care of your perfumes while transporting them from one place to another. The heat inside a vehicle builds up quite fast. This leads to expansion and contraction of liquids due to the changes in temperature.

1. What is the average shelf life of a fragrance?

Good quality perfumes made with essential oils will keep 6 years when kept in their boxes and a cool, dark place. Perfume bottles with stoppers won’t keep as long as a spray top because they easily become contaminated by coming into contact with skin and its bacteria. Pure Perfume extraits will last the longest due to the absence of fillers, alcohol and additives.

4a. How you extend the life of your fragrances to keep them from turning?

Don’t give them mouth to mouth when you think they are dying.  :O)

1. Minimize Oxygen exposure: just as oxygen turns the flesh of a sliced apple brown, so does it destroy the scent and longevity of your perfume. Make sure the bottle cap it tight. Purchase spray bottles over roll ons or splash bottles because they lessen the perfume’s exposure to air.
2. Banish sunlight:  Tans don’t look good on perfumes!

Don’t display your new, gorgeous bottle on your dresser top. Doing so can expose your perfume to sunlight. Sunlight will change the fragrance and darken the color. Store in a dark place, a drawer or your closet and save the original box. This will provide an extra layer of protection against harmful UV rays, as well as oxygen and heat.

3. Avoid Heat: Heat corrupts perfume so the steamy bathroom in not ideal. Some like the refrigerator, but due to evaporation, your perfume can scent the food inside. A dresser drawer is best.

5. Is there anything that can be done once a perfume turns bad?

If you worry about how long a perfume keeps, then it may mean that you don’t wear it that often. Get use of it before it goes bad. Put a few drops in a drugstore body lotion or your shampoo or conditioner. Water it down a little in a spray bottle and mist your sheets and even add a dab to your puppy’s dog Shampoo. That’s worth a pat on the head or two. Don’t give your fragrances time to sit. Don’t collect them. Like my fashions, hairstyle and makeup, my fragrances are special to me. Here at the Perfume Shoppe we specialize in Building Your Fragrance Wardrobe. Fragrances are made to enjoy so enjoy and have a Sensational Day!

Rebecca Montague

Manager the Perfume Shoppe Scottsdale,  AZ.

This code name, which gives a humorous take on the initials of perfume creator Pierre Guillaume, hints at the very free creative spirit behind this collection of perfumes started in 2002.  True alternatives to all those mass market products, with their bland, standardised formats aimed at winning over vast numbers of consumers, Pierre Guillaume’s creations exhale their strong character with distinct and immediately recognisable scent identities that make no compromises.

The bold and inventive Pierre Guillaume style is further enhanced in each Parfumerie Generale creation by technical prowess inspired by his background in fine chemistry: a captive ingredient, or one that is totally new, or a unique production process specific to each fragrance. By exploring new process such as “photo-affinage” (photo-refining or smoothing olfactory peaks by ultraviolet radiation), his creations are imprinted with a “vibrant” or “melancolic” feel.

Because luxury is not a question of excessively using an ingredient and because the quest for uniqueness should not result in overly intellectual fragrances that are impossible to wear, and since contemporariness and provocation do not necessarily go hand in hand, Pierre Guillaume does not merely try to create scents but also emotions as a reminder of how intimate the bond between a person and their perfume is.

The bold and inventive Pierre Guillaume style is further enhanced in each Parfumerie Generale creation by technical prowess inspired by his background in fine chemistry: a captive ingredient, or one that is totally new, or a unique production process specific to each fragrance. By exploring new process such as “photo-affinage” (photo-refining or smoothing olfactory peaks by ultraviolet radiation), his creations are imprinted with a “vibrant” or “melancolic” feel.

Parfumerie Générale by Pierre Guillaume takes care of the whole process of producing fragrances in its own facilities, independently, from the initial act of artistic creation, assembling the concentrates, adding the alcohol and refining, right up to the final packaging stage. The precious liquids are protected by heavy chunks of glass called “Diolènes”, simply numbered so their contents can be discovered free of any preconceived classification as men’s or women’s fragrances and with the base concealing the poetic creation name and olfactory type.
Each “Diolène” comes in a telescopic cover box in the Parfumerie Generale colours of black and vanilla, trimmed with black velvet and accompanied by an explanatory leaflet about the perfume, its history, formulation, concentration, etc.

The collection totalling 22 “numbered” fragrances, 10 Private Creations and 5 scented candles is marked by a strong, graphic visual identity, a sober, somewhat old-fashioned style inspired by early 20th century design, yet with omnipresent attention paid to modern technical detail; it is available for sale in a network of 60 selected Alternatives Perfumeries and Concept Stores.

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics commissioned tests of 17 celebrity fragrances and the results make for some pretty shocking reading.  On average they contained: 

Fourteen secret chemicals not listed on labels

Ten sensitising chemicals associated with allergic reactions such as asthma, wheezing, headaches and contact dermatitis

Four hormone-disrupting chemicals linked to a range of health effects including sperm damage, thyroid disruption and cancer. 

The fragrances tested include:  Britney Spears’ Curious, Hannah Montana Secret Celebrity, Calvin Klein Eternity, Abercrombie & Fitch Fierce, American Eagle Seventy Seven, Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio, Halle by Halle Berry, Quicksilver and Jennifer Lopez J. Lo Glow

Anne C. Steinemann, Ph.D, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering said ”This monumental study reveals the hidden hazards of fragrances.  Secondhand scents are also a big concern. One person using a fragranced product can cause health problems for many others.”

Secret chemicals revealed in celebrity perfumes, teen body sprays

San Francisco – A new analysis reveals that top-selling fragrance products—from Britney Spears’ Curious and Hannah Montana Secret Celebrity to Calvin Klein Eternity and Abercrombie & Fitch Fierce —contain a dozen or more secret chemicals not listed on labels, multiple chemicals that can trigger allergic reactions or disrupt hormones, and many substances that have not been assessed for safety by the beauty industry’s self-policing review panels.

The study of hidden toxic chemicals in perfumes comes on the heels of last week’s report by the President’s Cancer Panel, which sounded the alarm over the understudied and largely unregulated toxic chemicals used by millions of Americans in their daily lives. The Cancer Panel report recommends that pregnant women and couples planning to become pregnant avoid exposure to hormone-disrupting chemicals due to cancer concerns. Hormone disruptors that may play a role in cancer were found in many of the fragrances analyzed for this study.

“This monumental study reveals the hidden hazards of fragrances,” said Anne C. Steinemann, Ph.D, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Professor of Public Affairs, University of Washington. “Secondhand scents are also a big concern. One person using a fragranced product can cause health problems for many others.”

For this study, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, a national coalition of health and environmental groups, commissioned tests of 17 fragranced products at an independent laboratory. Campaign partner Environmental Working Group assessed data from the tests and the product labels. The analysis reveals that the 17 products contained, on average:

• Fourteen secret chemicals not listed on labels due to a loophole in federal law that allows companies to claim fragrances as trade secrets. American Eagle Seventy Seven contained 24 hidden chemicals, the highest number of any product in the study.
• Ten sensitizing chemicals associated with allergic reactions such as asthma, wheezing, headaches and contact dermatitis. Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio contained 19 different sensitizing chemicals, more than any other product in the study
• Four hormone-disrupting chemicals linked to a range of health effects including sperm damage, thyroid disruption and cancer. Halle by Halle Berry, Quicksilver and Jennifer Lopez J. Lo Glow each contained seven different chemicals with the potential to disrupt the hormone system.

The majority of chemicals found in this report have never been assessed for safety by any publically accountable agency, or by the cosmetics industry’s self-policing review panels. Of the 91 ingredients identified in this study, only 19 have been reviewed by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR), and 27 have been assessed by International Fragrance Association (IFRA) and the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials (RIFM), which develop voluntary standards for chemicals used in fragrance.

“Something doesn’t smell right—clearly the system is broken,” said Lisa Archer, national coordinator of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics at the Breast Cancer Fund. “We urgently need updated laws that require full disclosure of cosmetic ingredients so consumers can make informed choices about what they are being exposed to.”

“Fragrance chemicals are inhaled or absorbed through the skin, and many of them end up inside people’s bodies, including pregnant women and newborn babies,” said Jane Houlihan, senior vice president for research at Environmental Working Group.

A recent EWG study found synthetic musk chemicals Galaxolide and Tonalide in the umbilical cord blood of newborn infants. The musk chemicals were found in nearly every fragrance analyzed for this study. Twelve of the 17 products also contained diethyl phthalate (DEP), a chemical linked to sperm damage and behavioral problems that has been found in the bodies of nearly all Americans tested.

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The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is a national coalition of nonprofit women’s, environmental, public health, faith and worker safety organizations. Our mission is to protect the health of consumers and workers by securing the corporate, regulatory and legislative reforms necessary to eliminate dangerous chemicals from cosmetics and personal care products.

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is working with endorsing organizations, responsible businesses and thousands of citizen activists to shift the cosmetics market toward safer products and to advocate for smarter laws that protect our health from toxic chemicals and encourage innovation of safer alternatives.

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics coalition members include the Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow (represented by Clean Water Action and Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition), the Breast Cancer Fund, Commonweal, Environmental Working Group, Friends of the Earth and Women’s Voices for the Earth. The Breast Cancer Fund, a national 501(c)(3) organization focused on preventing breast cancer by identifying and eliminating the environmental links to the disease, serves as the national coordinator for the Campaign.

Posted by the Environmental Working Group

Born in Atami, Japan (the Riviera of the Orient), a talented painter and pianist, Keiko Mercheri immersed herself in the Arts at UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) andthus began her scented path to the 8th Art-Perumery. Keiko Mecheri developed her talent for creating perfumes based on fine art principles, and began developing her innovative lines of ready-to-wear perfumes under her own brand that are sold worldwide to carefully curated distibution of select specialty shops.

Now, I understand that the human being is a fickle animal whose loyalties can shift in the blink of an eye, but I feel compelled to come to the defense of Aoud and its fading status within the disposable attitude of the general public, and here’s why:

The evidence of a agarwood(Aoud) and its magnitude, both monetarily and spiritually, has been well documented since as early as the 3^rdCentury A.D.  Indigenous to South East Asia, these large Evergreen trees are only considered valuable after they’ve been infected with a specific type of mold, which, in turn, causes the tree to produce a resin to combat the infection. The resin is dark and extremely aromatic and is used to make Aoud Oil. Over the centuries, the wild agarwood population has been significantly depleted from merciless harvesting and scarce resources.

It is rumored that wealthy investor’s plant scouts along the edges of forests where infected agarwood trees are suspected to be to keep an eye on what’s coming out of the jungle. It is also reported that several people have been shot at the borders of certain South East Asian countries trying to smuggle out agarwood. There is often no price a person could offer a “collector” to purchase the equivalent of 2.2 liquid pounds of pure Aoud Oil. It is frankly considered priceless.

So why this scent? Why all the mania about this particular odor? Aside from its current rarity, what is it about the smell of Aoud that could have nations warring (and I do mean the perfume industry, as there is no way to synthetically reproduce the smell of Aoud ) when the supply grows even closer to extinction?

I often watch people’s faces rather than listen to their words when I introduce them to a scent. Aoud always, and without exception, elicits a look of recollection … and surprise, as if the person can’t believe what they smell, because they know it… and they don’t…

I believe that anyone who has ever smelled Aoud has instantaneously been given olfactory insight to the world of spirit. It is a déjà vu from a lifetime past. The smell of a pact made with the secret sound of God’s laughter.  The epicenter of the human storm where there is zero separation between self and everything… all… oneness…

That bridge, that medium, that gift… it is priceless and knows no other conduit on this earth than the scent of Aoud.

So capricious creatures bring on you Iris, your Amber, your Vanilla’s, Tonka’s and Sandalwood’s…

But know thy Aromatic Gods, and please, do not dismiss them without proper reverence!

By Paula Goldstein

The first time I wrote about a Lorenzo Villoresi perfume, I had no information about its creator. I had smelled Piper Nigrum in the early days of my employment at The Perfume Shoppe, and its narritive quite literally blew me away. I had no pre-conceived notions prior to smelling the fragrance, but decided instead, to journey with it wherever it might take me…. The destination was nothing short of elation! And not just because the place where I landed was a supernatural oasis, but because it was exactly where Mr. Villoresi had intended for me to land.

Lorenzo Villoresi studied Psychology and Ancient Greek and Mesopotamian Culture and Mythology at University, which led to extensive travel in the Middle East. His experience with the perfumes of this region combined with his mother’s memories of her shop in Cairo, Egypt sparked his love affair with the essences he found in ancient jars and vials. The influence from his travels is an evident muse in his compositions . Alamut, for example, is the name of an ancient mountain-top fortress set high above a fertile valley in Iran.  Dilmun pays tribute to the mythological Mesopotamian “site of Creation”.

As he traveled back and forth between Africa, the Middle East, Asia and his native Italy, he started experimenting with blending fragrances. Lorenzo began learning the techniques of extracting oils from their sources and studying basic chemistry, exploring the whole strange universe that is perfume…

Raw materials, extraction, conceptualization, composition and realization.  

So often when we smell a perfume and then hear where the allegorical method of transport was meant to take us, the two could be no more polar-opposite! Because we operate in an invisible and highly conceptual world, perfumers often rely on poetry and metaphor to articulate their vision.

Although Mr. Villoresi’s compositions are in no way absent of these practices, he is what I would call a purist. Perhaps that’s because he’s stood on the grounds of the sacred wonders that have inspired his creations….  

It is evident that Mr. Villoresi’s aromatic sonatas are imagined with deep reverence to the origins of perfume. Notes of Laurel, Sage, Rosemary, Fennel and Tomato Leaves plucked directly from a Tuscan garden are given equal voice to primal resins, regal blossoms and sacred woods. His style is a nod to the classics, but he does them one better with the absolute quality of his ingredients and his meticulous execution.

I don’t imagine the location of his atelier overlooking the Arno River in one of the oldest parts of Florence from the balcony of his ancestral family home hurts his fragrant inspiration either;-)!

By Paula Goldstein

When I first came to work at The Perfume Shoppe, I was in a state of wonder. I had been composing Bespoke Perfumes for so many years that, by design, I had no real awareness of what was happening in the niche or commercial fragrance movements. It was a magnificent and humbling awakening to discover the olfactory talent that is currently gaining appreciation in the world of perfume.

One of my initial favorites was Pierre Guillaume. Parfumerie Generale offered something different from the standard aromatic fare that has existed on the banquet table of perfume since the beginning of time. There was something reckless about his work… almost gauche. But there was also precision and aptitude. His work felt adolescent and ancient, irreverent and sacred… My mind was confounded, my nose: captivated… Studying his line was nothing short of an adventure, as all perfumes should be.

In putting the pieces of the puzzle together, I come to understand that PG has created a new technique in perfuming called “photo-affinage” which apparently bridges and smooths the aromatic synapses between notes by way of heat, light and ultrasound. Monsieur Guillaume has a degree in Fine Chemistry. Fine Chemicals, according to Wikipedia are “pure, single chemical substances that are commercially produced with chemical reactions into highly specialized applications.” There is evidence of this practice not only in his PG line, but in his new line “Huitieme Art Parfums”(Eighth Art Perfumes). In the Huitieme Art line, Guillaume applies his latest technology called “Phyto-Perfumery” to his creations.

All that being said, I think that perhaps the thing I admired most about M Guillaume’s creations are the elements of wittiness and whimsy his compositions convey. He has done something almost non-existent in the ever-so-serious world of fragrance. His perfumes are fun! And not in a bubble gum and coca-cola way. He is far more imaginative and skilled than that… The notes in “Un Crime Exotique” read as follows:

An unusual blend of Chinese Osmanthus and Gingerbread amid a vivid farandole of savors combining hints of Tea, Ceylon Cinnamon, Star Anise, Mate Absolute, and Vanilla Sugar tinged with South Sea Sandalwood.

This man is a trifecta of perfuming: Chemist, Innovator, and Futurist.

A Professor of the Perfumed Arts with a hunger to continually pioneer a world whose practices have been fixed for hundreds of years.

A diviner and exciting voice of amazing aromas to come! I’d hold my breath for his next work, but I’m too busy smelling Musc Maori!

By Paula Goldstein

Recluse, ex-patriot, enigma, image-creator, autodidact, sylphlike, autere, Commander of Arts and Letters … this is a sampling of the language used to describe Serge Lutens. In addition to having a proclivity for wearing only black and driving around the Moroccan desert in a silver Rolls Royce, he also sports a deep scar above his left eyebrow. Suffice it to say, he is indeed a curious creature.

Since 1992, Mr. Lutens has released 50 perfumes. No flankers or “special edition” releases to bolster interest and sales. Just straight up, badass perfume.

Reviewers and bloggers flock, practically salivating, to his newest release, eager to dissect, analyze, and evaluate his work. Typically, even if this particular perfume is not for them personally, everyone seems to be in agreement on one thing: Lutens composes fastidious Masterpieces.

When asked “How do you feel about the modern corporate fragrance industry and the perfumes it produces?” he responded with perhaps one of the most insightful and difficult to articulate responses I’ve ever heard.

“From start to finish, they’re consumer products, with a consumption price, in a consumption environment, with consumption marketing. It has nothing to do with perfume, with culture, taste, the senses. It is a socio-cultural product, constructed from A-Z, and completely artificial. This product is created at round-table meetings by highly paid marketing professionals who want to hold onto their jobs. So straightaway, the perfume is created in an environment of fear, of doubt.”

Creating fragrance in a decade’s long partnership with perfumer Christopher Sheldrake, Lutens is able to navigate the complex universe that is the perfect storm of intellect, metaphor, and mysticism. He creates without apology or agenda and divines into existence his visions made manifest in the liquid form.

 Of one potion Lutens said “Feminite Du Bois is the judge in love with the criminal.” And yet… he is not speaking so much about the finished accord as he is the temperament of the cedar that inspired the perfume’s creation. And so, it seems, the essence of the animal, vegetable and mineral kingdom have crowned Lutens an aromatic conduit. A surrogate whose aesthetic is at once, savage and refined, much like the duplicity of nature itself.

“After all,” Lutens muses, “what is a perfume? It is an inner harmony (unto itself) with discord.”

When The Perfume Shoppe, who have long championed his perfumes(they were one of the first in North America to feature his line) gave me the task of writing about him as a perfumer, I was fully prepared to find Serge Lutens pompous and without merit

By Paula Goldstein

Oman boasts one of the earliest civilizations documented in history, beginning in about 3000B.C., the dawn of civilization… As an early trade port, Oman offered rare spices and other materials used in creating perfume. In addition, the most renowned and highest quality Frankincense comes from Dhofar in the Sultanate of Oman. Legend speaks of the trees that produce this precious Frankincense being guarded by winged serpents and that “the working of these trees was the hereditary right of a small caste”. This glorious Silver Frankincense is the signature note in all of Amouage’s perfumes, with the exception of Dia for women.

In addition, the rare Omani Rock Rose, which grows on the slopes of the remote Jebel Al Akhder Mountains, is harvested each year for use in Amouage’s Gold. Precious Myrrh is also found in the Jebel Al Akhder region for use in Amouage perfumes.

Each bottle of Amouage is hand finished and you will find the name of the employee who packed your perfume in every individual box. Guests are also welcome to visit the Amouage Perfume Factory in Muscat, where they will be treated to a tour of the facility.

Because Amouage is selling quality and artistry instead of “image” or “status”, their compositions are beautifully realized. To smell any of the Amouage perfumes is to truly experience olfactory excellence.  Amouage is genuinely about the quality of the perfume in all if it’s facets from ingredients, to packaging.

It is sublime luxury, tradition and innovation personified!

By Paula Goldstein

I believe this to be the case in many vocations… most especially in the universe of perfumers.

Traditionally, there are only a handful of ways to come up as a perfumer in today’s world. One is to attend an outfit like Givaudan in Grasse. An alternative is to get a degree in Chemistry.  Another is to apprentice under an established perfumer. Yet another is to use your own resources, your rampant passion, and experiment within an inch of your innovative life!!!

From those beginnings, no one can truly predict which approach will guarantee success. Furthermore, the notion of success is largely subjective.

So… here you have a fellow like Andy Tauer who comes onto the 3000 year old perfume scene without any formal training, and rises to fairly ubiquitous success in a matter of 5 years.

What is his formula (pun intended)? Why this fellow?

I believe what has helped his fledgling career flourish is his fervent commitment to his aesthetic vision, regardless of what industry standards have deemed, well… standard. His improbable, uncommon spirit is all but an oddity in today’s olfactory marketplace. He ain’t in it for the typical trappings, folks.

He has an Edge… the spectacular, dangerous, universal Edge that we always find ourselves standing upon asking what might happen if we fell into the abyss…

In this case… we fly!!!

By Paula Goldstein