Perfumer Archive
Fragrance Brief Translation Methodology
by: Ziad El-Desoki | Published: August 6, 2024
The Best Methodology For Translating Client Briefs.
Start Late, Finish Early.
Here, I will teach you my strategy for converting fine fragrance briefs into real perfumes:
The secret of this 3-Step methodology is that it's Time Safer & Anti-Creative Block.
Let’s explain the steps first, and then I will give examples.
1. Understand the Customer:
(* Brand's 3W -->
Who: they talk to
Why: their vision
When: they launch this product /
* Brand Scent-DNA).
2. Understand the Brief: Ensure you understand each word’s meaning to the other side.
- Is there any scent or fragrance that can describe the words they want to express? (Try to be as objective as possible.)
3. Search in your Fragrance Library: You may have previously created a fragrance similar to the requirements or have a base/accord to start from.
- If nothing suitable is available, proceed to point 4.
4. Start Translating the Brief:
a. Clarify the brief for yourself.
b. Summarize the brief into only 3 words.
c. Saturate these 3 words with similar words.
d. Choose only 3 words from these similar words.
e. Select accords that match the feeling of these 3 words.
f. Choose the materials that provide these effects.
g. Choose your Modifiers/Beautifiers/Bridges.
** Examples:
Don't buy us a cup of coffee!
Instead,
Support the goal.
We won't drink coffee.
Instead,
We will add new formulas, more articles, and new GCMS reports,
so you can grow your perfumer skills.
Don't buy us a cup of coffee!
Instead,
Support the goal.
We won't drink coffee.
Instead,
We will add new formulas, more articles, and new GCMS reports,
so you can grow your perfumer skills.
# Example 1:
* Brief:
- Fine fragrance
- Fresh
- For 20-30 years old
- For businesswomen
- Captures freedom and independence
a. Clarify the brief by articulating it into one line:
- A perfume for 20-30-year-old businesswomen that evokes the feeling of freedom and independence.
b. Summarized brief: FREE, FEMININE, INDEPENDENT
c. Saturating the words:
- FREE: FRESH, BRIGHT, AIRY.
- FEMININE: SOFT, FLUFFY, LIKEABLE.
- INDEPENDENT: BODIED, SOPHISTICATED.
d. Choosing only three words:
- Example: BRIGHT, LIKEABLE, BODIED
e. Deciding main accords:
- BRIGHT: LIGHT FLORAL.
- LIKEABLE: SOFT CITRUSY.
- BODIED: AMBERY.
f. Convert every word into effects:
- BRIGHT (LIGHT FLORAL): Hedione HC, Ethyl Linalool, DHM, Calone, Mayol, Florol, PEA, Citronellol, Geraniol, Rose Oxide, Linalyl Acetate, Helional, Hexyl Cinnamic Aldehyde, Magnolan, Cis-3-Hexenyl Salicylate.
- LIKEABLE (SOFT CITRUSY): Bergamot Oil, Lemon Oil, Methyl Pamplemousse, Allyl Amyl Glycolate, Mandarine oil green.
- BODIED (AMBERY): Ambroxan, Benzoin Resinoid, Patchouli Oil Light, Cinnamic Alcohol, Spirambrene, Cedramber.
g. Choosing Modifiers/Beautifiers/Bridges:
- Rose Oil & Phenoxanol (naturalizes the rose accord).
- Methyl Ionone Gamma (for rose accord).
- Orange Flower Absolute (naturalizes the white flower accord).
- Bulgarian Lavender Oil (wraps the herbal floral notes).
- Heliotropine (gives background for florals).
- Gamma Undecalactone & Methyl Anthranilate (to produce a light creamy tuberose note).
- Coumarin (to sweeten and tame herbal notes).
- Galaxolide, Helvetolide, Musk T (to brighten the base notes).
*You don't have to use all these materials; you can start with a base of 10 materials and build from there. (This is just a demonstrational idea.)
# Example 2:
* Brief:
- Perfume
- Beast mode, Ambery, Sweet
- For 25+ years old
- Unisex
- Brave Scent
"Briefs are usually more complicated than this example (and sometimes simpler)."
a. Clarify the brief by articulating it into one line:
- A bold, unisex, ambery, brave sweet fragrance for the 25+ crowd, with beast mode performance.
b. Summarized brief: SWEET, BOLD, BRAVE
c. Saturating the words:
- SWEET: BALSAM, CANDY, MOLTEN CAKE.
- BOLD: LEATHERY, SPICY, CHYPRE.
- BRAVE: ORIENTAL, WOODY, FOUGERE.
d. Choosing only three words:
- Example: BALSAM, SPICY, WOODY
e. Deciding main accords:
- BALSAM: VANILLA.
- SPICY: CINNAMON.
- WOODY: SANDAL/CEDAR BASE.
f. Convert every word into effects:
- VANILLA: Vanilla, Ethyl Vanillin, Isobutavan, Bicyclononylactone, Ethyl Maltol, Labdanum Absolute, Tolu Balsam Absolute, Ambrarome Absolute, Coumarin, Heliotropine, Anisaldehyde.
- SPICY: Cinnamic Alcohol, Cinnamon Leaf Oil, Peru Balsam Oil, Eugenol.
- WOODY: Patchouli Oil Dark, Polysantol, Bacdanol, Cedramber, IBCH, Cedarwood Oil Virginia.
g. Choosing Modifiers/Beautifiers/Bridges:
** Bridges:
- Vanilla to Ambery (Benzoin Resinoid).
- Woody to Ambery (Gurjun Balsam Oil).
- Vanilla to Spicy (Dihydrocoumarin).
** Modifiers:
- Brighters & Uplifters: Bergamot Oil, Hedione HC, Linalyl Acetate, Ethyl Linalool, French Lavender Oil.
** Beautifiers:
- Lavender Oil Bulgarian (modifies Linalyl Acetate, Ethyl Linalool, and soften Bergamot Oil sharpness)
- Lemon Oil (enhances the powdery effect with Ethyl Vanillin & Cinnamic Alcohol)
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