The Moodie Davitt Report was on location in Paris (13 February) as L’Oréal Groupe hosted a three-day internal exhibition celebrating the innovation and craftsmanship behind its most powerful fragrance franchises.
The Art & Science of Fragrance event was located in the Carre du Louvre and highlighted 60 years of L’Oréal Luxe brands’ fragrance know-how and heritage. It was attended by local and international media, key retailers and other L’Oréal Groupe stakeholders.
The experience began with a wall showcasing the history of L’Oréal Groupe’s fragrances, beginning from the group’s founding in 1909 by chemist Eugène Schueller. On the other side of the wall were giant replicas of L’Oréal Luxe’s entire collection of fragrance bottles.
The exhibition highlighted the creativity, sustainability and scientific innovation that underpin L’Oréal Luxe’s fragrance portfolio from sourcing to packaging. Key fragrance franchises such as Lancôme La Vie Est Belle, Prada Paradoxe and YSL Libre, which have all featured prominently in travel retail over the years, were the stars of the exhibition.
The Art & Science of Fragrance journey continued in a striking illuminated hall. Here, giant floral sculptures linked to scented podiums where guests could smell the raw ingredients and discover L’Oréal Luxe’s sustainable sourcing initiatives.
In this area, visitors learnt about Osmobloom, a revolutionary new method of sourcing natural fragrance extracts without water. The energy-efficient process uses air to capture 100% natural extracts from flowers. It was created in partnership with Cosmo International Fragrances.
L’Oréal Fragrance Natural Ingredient Sourcing Manager Jéremy Garcia told guests about the different harvest methods used in sourcing some of L’Oréal Luxe’s key fragrance ingredients.
L’Oréal Green Perfumery Director Patricia Soyer added: “To be on the lookout for new fragrance raw materials is like gastronomy. To create exceptional perfumes, you need an exceptional palette of ingredients. It means seeking out the most traceable sustainable and responsible sourcing partners.”
A visit to the Domaine de la Rose
Lancôme was one of the first brands to feature in the exhibition. In 2020, Lancôme acquired and fully rehabilitated the Domaine de la Rose, a haven of biodiversity and an innovation laboratory for the house’s key makeup, fragrance and skincare lines.
At the exhibition, Lancôme brought the Domaine de la Rose to life via a digital animation centred around a replica of the domaine. The Lancôme zone also highlighted the Centifolia Rose, which is a key ingredient across the brand’s many fragrances.
The creation of YSL Libre
The next area was dedicated to YSL Libre, which was created after seven years and 1,500 trials. Notably, IFF Master Perfumer Anne Flipo was in attendance and took visitors through the step-by-step process of the creation of YSL Libre, which is now one of L’Oréal Luxe’s most powerful franchises.
The seven key steps started with an initial idea and ended with the elaboration of the final accord. Talking to guests, Flipo commented: “What’s important is to start out with as strong idea. For Libre we decided to reinvent to the Fougere. I decided to magnify it to create an ultra-feminine side of the note.”
YSL Beauté Brand President Stephane Bezy added: “When we started the creation process on Libre, we went back to the heart of YSL’s philosophy. What we did on Libre was to start with Fougere, a very famous masculine note, and transform that into a feminine juice.”
In the early 2000s, L’Oréal pioneered an innovative creation model for its luxury fragrances by establishing its own ‘Scent Science & Fragrance Design’ Direction. This consists of a team of fragrance experts, fluent in both fragrance creation and luxury design.
Prada Beauty: Creating a signature bottle
2023 was a milestone year for L’Oréal Luxe, which accelerated the development of its refill formats as part of the L’Oréal For the Future sustainable roadmap.
The 50ml Prada Paradoxe with 100ml refill – the brand’s major launch in late 2022 and early 2023 – uses -40% less material than three 50ml bottles.
The triangular Prada Paradoxe fragrance bottle is inspired by the eccentric and ultra-modern aesthetic of the brand.
Its creation leverages the aspirational power of Prada Beauty to spread the sustainable message of the brand and its Global Brand Ambassador British actress Emma Watson.
Watson recently participated in an instructional video teaching Prada Beauty fans how to refill their Paradoxe bottles.
Prada Beauty Creative Director Coralie Salem commented: “I wanted to design something that creates an intimacy between the person that uses the perfume and the perfume itself. Luxury design has to be essential. Essentiality is key for a luxury object because it doesn’t say too much. It says only what is necessary.
“I designed the Paradoxe for Prada which has a triangular shape because it’s the total incarnation of the brand code. The contrast of the black cap and the roundness and pinkness of the bottle itself creates both a feminine and masculine symbol, which evokes something different than the usual femininity.”
L’Oréal Luxe Fragrance Brands Brand President Sandrine Groslier added: “The bottle is the first encounter with the creativity of the brand before the smell. And that’s why we spend several years to patiently create a bottle.”
In addition to the exhibition, L’Oréal Luxe has released a series of evocative films celebrating every step of the fragrance creation process.
L’Oréal Luxe President Cyril Chapuy added: “The creation of a fragrance is polymorphic. It is a collective journey, an encounter, a creative dialogue that always involves an element of the unexpected, an emotion that reflects the unique personality of a brand.
“The diversity of our brand portfolio enables us to address all aspirations. For each fragrance, we collaborate with the greatest talents to craft a new story and awaken a new emotion that will have a global resonance.” ✈
