There have been several recent perfume vloggers moving from talking about perfume to making perfume. It is an interesting thing to watch as people so love perfume they want to participate beyond commentary. I think all the recent efforts have done things properly. Acting as creative director and not perfumer. They’ve all hired professional perfumers to collaborate with.
It is also a rewarding effort when your fragrance ideas connect with an audience. I know that Barbara Herman went from writing about vintage perfume on her blog to producing a fabulous collection which represents much of what she wrote about. Arielle Weinberg has also moved from her blog to shop owner to creative director. Her perfumes are recognizably extensions of her writing and experience behind the cash register. There are other success stories which point out that it isn’t a ridiculous idea.
While I look on in admiration for those who make this leap; I don’t want to do it. I feel a bit like Elsa in “Frozen” with people asking outside my closed door, “Do You Want to Build A Perfume?” It is an easy answer to say no.
The first reason is I don’t have a fantastic idea for a perfume. There isn’t something lacking in the fragrance world which I believe I have some unique perspective on. It is something I think is common to those who do take this step. They have something they want to express through fragrance based on their experience as a consumer/commentator. I once told a dear friend when asked about creating something, “I think I just want to sit and sniff.”
That’s the other big reason. I think if I tried to make a perfume, I would lose some of my enthusiasm for writing about it. Sitting at my computer sharing what I think I know about perfume gives me a great deal of joy; even after ten years of doing it. I always go to sleep at night with a sense of satisfaction that I have written a new post. I still find that every new perfume I receive adds more to my experience. I would hate to start looking at other perfumes as competition for my creations.
Which means when the world sings to me, “Do You Want To Build A Perfume?” I sit contentedly at my keyboard and reply, “No.”
–Mark Behnke
