Behind the scene: A conversation about Parfum Naturel

 

Jasmi Bonnén: I am so excited to introduce our first fragrance collaboration, NUORI PARFUM NATUREL – SERIES 0, to the world! It has been truly inspiring to work with you on these fragrances. I wanted to share some of the creativity and behind-the-scenes magic with others. Are you up for that? 

Euan McCall: Absolutely! The SERIES 0 collection has been such an interesting and enjoyable project. I have loved working alongside you to refine each of the fragrances and nurturing their stories. 

Jasmi Bonnén: Me too! When we were creating these fine fragrances, I wanted to infuse them with some of my personal history, and I felt you were so adept at capturing that – what a special gift to have. I have to ask, when did you know you were going to be a professional perfumer? 

When did you know you were going to be a professional perfumer?

EMC: My earliest memories involve smells and I have been fascinated with aromas from as far back as I can remember. As a curious child I would be the one asking difficult questions like ‘why does that flower smell sweet and this other one smell damp’. When I take an interest in something I go deep and want to know the most intricate of details. As soon as I realised that the aromas found in every day products were created by people, I knew that this was what I needed to devote the rest of my life to.

I started in perfumery straight out of school, working for a luxury perfume brand where I was exposed to the business of perfume and also its creation, so perfumery has been the only real job I have ever had.

Jasmi Bonnén: Knowing what you want to be at such a young age is very unique. Perfumery was clearly your true calling.

Common nordic roots

Jasmi Bonnén: As you know, I spent quite some time looking for a perfumer who could work with me on NUORI’s line of fine fragrances. When I finally came across some of your creations, I knew immediately that we could create something unique together.

Your style and sensibilities as a perfumer seemed to be perfectly aligned with my idea of what a contemporary Nordic fine fragrance could be. Do you think this has something to do with the fact that you also hail from the Northern hemisphere where nature plays a very different role than in the more southern parts of the globe? 

EMC: I do feel that our sensibilities are quite different in the Northern hemisphere. Our everyday aromas are much more muted and weather-torn, this must have some impact. The aspects of your upbringing and the experiences that you shared throughout the development of each perfume were totally relatable and not too dissimilar to my own, so we clicked on that front.

Many of our singular experiences related to being in Scotland, Finland or Denmark and there were many crossovers.

Perhaps perfumers from southern parts of the globe would need to conceptualise many of the themes we worked on if they have not experience them firsthand so in a way our end product has a purity and an authenticity you could say.  

The work of perfectionists

Jasmi Bonnén: The first time we discussed this collaboration was over three years ago, and since then we’ve gone through multiple rounds of iterations. I loved this process because to me it felt both very creative and analytical at the same time. I got the sense that you are as much of a perfectionist as I am, which is rare.

Could you expand a little bit about your process of how to move from an initial fragrance brief to the final creation? 

EMC: Everything is formed in the brief, discussion, and early formulation phase – that’s where we really crystallise ideas and the future fragrance.

After that initial stage it’s more idiosyncratic, conversational and to a degree, experimental. I like to create foundations that are say, 98% the finished perfume and leave room to play and approach from a few different directions, just to see what happens.

The entire process can be lengthy especially when working in natural perfumery.

When working with only natural materials, each new modification of the fragrance needs to age for longer just to sample so this inherently adds more time to the development process.

This isn’t necessarily a negative, it can positively impact the finished fragrance as we have taken more time to really consider and wear in real-life scenarios.

Once we have a fragrance that we are happy with it then enters the safety review stages and once approved it’s on to final production which again is a lengthy process, typically 6 months for all-natural fragrances as they need longer to mature and soften.   

100% natural origin

Jasmi Bonnén: I know I didn’t make your life easier by insisting that 100% of the ingredients used should be of natural origin. Sorry about that! I do think the results are just amazing, so let’s talk a little bit more about some of these precious natural ingredients that you’ve used. For example, how does one create a smoky scent, or a fresh, watery one, using just natural raw materials? 

EMC: Now therein lies the challenge! We wanted an all-natural fragrance without compromising on the quality of the perfume or the concepts and we wanted to ensure that each fragrance felt like a NUORI fragrance.

NUORI is such a special brand, and each product is remarkably pure, and you can sense the freshness and efficacy, but we didn’t want to simply create a collection of fresh citrus fragrances – we needed fragrances that are much more nuanced than that.

Listening to your experiences, thinking about the NUORI customer and their lifestyle was vitally important as it helped frame how the perfumes will be experienced. The results are 100% natural fragrances that feel modern, contemporary yet idiosyncratic, nuanced and highly wearable. For me it helped to discuss the sensations and feelings that you wished to conjure, not just the materials that could or should be used. Speaking more poetically regarding the perfume profiles and how these should feel informed how I approached creating the perfumes. 

For me it is more interesting to think about sensations and how these may be created. Contemplating how to create the sensation of water droplets on aloe or imparting the dryness of desert air and sand, the feeling of fruit juices on the fingers after a summer picnic or the humidity of a forest helps focus and create more immersive experiences for the customer rather than saying ‘let’s make a rose perfume’.

Armed with the notes from our conversations allowed me to think beyond a list of materials but ultimately assisted with the material selection. For me it was important to approach this project in this way, so we collectively create perfumes that go beyond just an assemblage of natural materials which is often what we find in natural perfumery – we wanted the fragrances to function as a contemporary perfume does, there is a smoothness in the blending and the perfumes smell greater than the sum of their parts without being able to easily identify the component parts.

As such, they function like a conventional perfume without relying on synthetic materials.  

'Jasmi in a bottle' 

Jasmi Bonnén: I always get asked which one of the four fragrances is my favorite, and think it’s such a hard question, because it’s a bit like asking someone which of their children is their favorite. For me it depends on the day and mood.

For example, on rainy days I’m drawn to the slightly moody, mystical verdant quality of Shinrin, whereas on sunny days I reach for Midsommer or Biennale. But on most days, my heart belongs to Jioni. It is really ‘Jasmi in a bottle’.

So, I have to ask: do you have a favorite among the four? 

EMC: Much like you it’s very hard to choose because they all have such unique qualities. If I had to name one, Biennale speaks to me the most as I think it presents a unique take on a ‘green’ profile. Biennale feels fresh without being citrus and naturalistic but very contemporary. When I think of NUORI, I think of Biennale. I am not entirely sure why, but I do, I feel it captures a lot of what NUORI is – creative, plant-powered, modern, sleek, mindful, no compromises.

I do find that each of the fragrances are perfect for the different seasons which wasn’t something we discussed or planned, and I certainly didn’t create them in this manner either. 

I feel Midsommer is spring and early summer for me when we start to find a lot of berries growing locally and they are too tempting not to pluck and eat. Biennale is a perfect tonic in the later summer months, avoiding clichéd citrus motifs which is what I usually reach for in the warmer months. Shinrin is crisp with a lovely glowing quality so a superb match for Autumn and Jioni is nuzzling and addictive with smoldering depth, which is just the ticket in the cold, long winter months here in the North.   

Staying inspired 

Jasmi Bonnén: As a brand founder, I am constantly working on the next new product launch for NUORI. This requires both a strategic approach to understanding market needs and staying current on the latest scientific innovations, but also a healthy dose of creative inspiration. So, I’m curious to know, where and how do you find inspiration to keep on creating and innovating in your field?  

EMC: Great question. For me it is several-fold. There are always new aromatic materials coming to market and entering our portfolio which inspire innovations, new fragrances, and new sensory profiles. On a personal level I find inspiration in a lot of places and usually I connect the two – raw materials and relating them to an inspiration. In addition, I work with very talented, creative, and visionary people working in leading edge brands, their visions, outlook, opinions, and concepts for new products also inspire me. Like NUORI, all my clients are passionate about the products they are creating for their customers, but they also have a unique point of view and perspective on life and their business, its products, and the market they operate within.

It is always inspiring to work with people who bring a positive energy to development and have such a customer centric foundation to their motivations – it isn’t just making product for the sake of making product or to make money, it’s a pure motivation to improve and highlight people’s day.

Keeping the customer and their experience at the forefront of the development is crucial – we are collectively working to create something that customers will fall in love with and use to heighten their day.  

Discover the full Fine Fragrance Series 0 Collection or order the Discovery Set today. We offer full voucher value refund of your discovery kit, with your future purchase of a full size fragrance.