Anisha International DWC is a perfume design and supply specialist based in Dubai
Anisha International DWC is a perfume design and supply specialist based in Dubai

Tag: luxury perfume

Who are the top 10 UAE perfume brands

an image of the front entrance to beautyworld dubai

Who were the top 10 UAE perfume brands at Beautyworld Dubai this year? Fierce competition to be the stand out perfume brand The competition was intense at this year’s Beautyworld Dubai.  Many UAE perfume brands fought to stand out as the biggest and the best. But which brands truly made their mark? Here’s a look at the top 10 UAE perfume brands that dominated the exhibition. With significant investments in marketing, product innovation, and impressive exhibition stands, only the most ambitious brands earned a place on this list. As Dubai’s luxury fragrance industry continues to grow, the stakes get higher every year. This proves that bold strategies and big spending set the leaders apart in this market. What does the market need? The Middle Eastern market is highly demanding, always seeking the next big thing. A typical customer in Saudi Arabia or Dubai will ask, “What’s new?”—year after year. Loyalty to brands is less important than the excitement of fresh releases. Brands like Lattafa, Sterling, and Fragrance World have mastered this demand, consistently delivering new and innovative fragrances to keep up with ever-changing trends. Longstanding giants of the perfume industry—Rasasi, Swiss Arabian, Ajmal, and Al Haramain—all secured a spot at this year’s Beautyworld Dubai exhibition. Before COVID, they didn’t see the need to participate. However with competition in the fragrance market intensifying, having a presence is now essential to stay relevant and avoid being overlooked. 1. Sterling Perfumes Sterling Perfumes made a powerful impact at Beautyworld Dubai, not just with their massive exhibition stands but also with an aggressive marketing strategy. As the title sponsor, they went all out—hosting two grand stands: one for Hamidi and another for their popular Armaf range. To maximize visibility, they flew in top perfume influencers from around the world, offering them a VIP Dubai experience. Sterling is also heavily investing in new product development, with the Club de Nuit range soaring in popularity. Now, they’re innovating with fresh packaging designs for Flavia and launching exciting new products to stay ahead in the competitive fragrance market. 2. Lattafa Perfumes A UAE top performing brand also well known overseas Lattafa had an enormous stand and had invested heavily in producing at least twenty new bottle moulds and packaging designs. Their style definitely caters mostly to the middle Eastern maximalist style perfume design market they had spent an eye watering amount on new product development. At the moment their combination of competitive pricing and the emphasis on new product development is keeping them at in the top 10 local perfume brands. No. 3. out of the top 10 UAE brands Fragrance World Lattafa had an enormous stand and had invested heavily in producing at least twenty new bottle moulds and packaging designs. Their style definitely caters mostly to the middle Eastern maximalist style perfume design market they had spent an eye watering amount on new product development. 4. My Perfumes My Perfumes is currently focusing on its luxury oriental range Arabiyat Prestige. It has launched a small range of new moulds which have the right level of simplicity and oriental design. The company doesn’t launch so many new products each year, but each one that it launches is thoughtfully designed and has a good quality long lasting perfume inside. It also has a range of luxury perfumes in the My perfumes select range. 5. Afnan Afnan is a relative newcomer to the industry considering the sales volume it has achieved during that period. It invests heavily in its own product development. Afnan doesn’t rely on the manufacture of copycat products to boost its sales, unlike many of the other perfume companies. They prefer to build collections of perfumes and add to the range rather than creating special bottles and caps for every new perfume launched. This helps them to build brands rather than just unusual packaging. In the future we expect Afnan to rank higher up the list of the top 10 UAE perfume brands. 6. Emper This mass market brand used to be the performing UAE perfume brand Emper used to be number one on the list of the top 10 UAE perfume brands.  Prior to that it was Nabeel with its Chris Adams range, but they have both lost their place at the top. Emper still continues to launch new products and is still popular in the MENA region, but is not ‘the main brand to follow’ any more. 7. Al Rayhaan Al Rayhaan is a new perfume company owned by the Rasasi family. Rasasi company has a long perfume heritage in the MENA region. They have  modern packaging combined with good quality perfumes. They align this simple approach with modern decorative trends to make desirable products . Al Rayhaan always has a big kiosk at the exhibition near to the main entrance which is very effective for brand awareness. No. 8. of the top 10 UAE brands Shaikh Mohammed Saeed Est Shaikh Mohammed Saeed Est is the oldest distribution company for perfumes in Dubai. They started seling and distributing mass market French perfumes in the 1960s when Dubai was still a sleepy backwater. But the second generation of the family Mohammed Ali has launched his own ranges of perfumes. First  the Giovanni Bacci range was launched, followed by more luxurious fragrances. As a retailer of luxury oils at his Deira stores, the company knows a quality perfume when it sees it. Shaikh Mohammed Saeed deserves its place in the top 10 UAE perfume brands even if we only consider how long it has been operating in the UAE. 9. Swiss Arabian Perfumes Swiss Arabian perfumes is one of the oldest and best known brands of the UAE. It has distribution of its products anywhere from petrol stations through to kiosks in malls and luxury boutiques. The recent launches are mostly collections of high quality and high price perfumes. 10. Ajmal An old player, still competing to be in the list of top 10 UAE brands Although Ajmal has been well known in UAE […]

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How to Design a Perfume

various ingredient for perfumery

Are you in the early stages of designing a new perfume? Or maybe looking to brush up on your perfume design skills ? Our ultimate guide on how to design a perfume will cover the main areas of perfume selection, formulation, packaging design, filling and marketing your perfume. Perfume ingredients Perfume ingredients fall into two categories: natural and synthetic. Natural ingredients can vary with each harvest. This means that fragrances with a high percentage of natural essences may vary from batch to batch. These natural extracts come from plants, spices, barks, grasses, mosses, and even animal-derived sources. Their uniqueness and complexity make them highly valued in perfumery, offering depth and richness which synthetic alternatives cannot  fully replicate. How to design a perfume : Choosing between Synthetic or Natural ingredients Are synthetic perfume ingredients cheaper than natural ones? Not always. Some synthetic ingredients are highly sophisticated and can be just as expensive as natural extracts. In fact, synthetics allow perfumers to create unique scent profiles that closely mimic natural aromas. They also offer a more sustainable and eco-friendly alternative. They reduce the reliance on rare or endangered natural resources in fragrance production. Without synthetics, perfume houses could not create such a wide range of quality perfume nowadays. See the explanation of the importance of synthetics  ingredients here. Natural perfume ingredients – citrus and floral notes Many people say that synthetic ingredients are ‘endocrine disruptors’. IFRA – the International Fragrance Association – strictly regulates the quantity of the allergenic ingredients which can be used in each formulation. An allergen is a chemical which has been proven to cause an irritation when applied to the skin. It tests ingredients and sets guidelines on the quantity of certain ingredients allowed in a formula. You must write all allergens on the outer packaging of perfumes in most regulated countries. Essential oils (natural perfumes) can also cause allergic reactions. IFRA is currently considering adding some essential oils to the list of known allergens. Your perfume supplier can provide an allergen list for the fragrances you select. How to design a perfume – selecting the right formulation When we plan how to design a perfume what is better – a formulation with or without alcohol? In ancient times people made perfumes without alcohol using waxes or oils to hold the perfume. Nowadays we mostly make perfumes with a combination of distilled water, ethanol alcohol and perfume oil. The decision of which formulation depends on the market you operate in and your target audience. In countries with a predominantly muslim population,  non-alcoholic perfume may perform better. You can also use alternative carriers such as water, oil, wax or resin  to dilute and mix the perfume oils. In markets where alcoholic perfumes have been traditionally used, changing consumer behaviour can be challenging. Formulations with alcohol allow the top notes of a perfume to open up quickly, which  can create a performance challenge for non alcoholic perfumes. Consumers often base their buying decisions on the first impression, preferring powerful or strong top notes. Fragrance concentration How much perfume should I put in my formulation? The amount of perfume that you put in your formulation should align with market preferences . For example,  Saudi Arabia favours a very high concentration of up to 25 or 30% fragrance oil, while the UK market usually prefers a lower concentration of maximum 15% fragrance. In markets unaccustomed to heavy fragrances, a very high concentration can be irritating. Pricing of the oil will also influence how much you add. In high-end fragrances, increasing  fragrance oil by just one or two percent will significantly impact the product cost. How much fragrance oil does my perfume contain? Eau fraiche has 3% or less fragrance oil. Eau de cologne has 2 to 5% fragrance oil. Eau de toilette contains 10% usually. Eau de parfum has 8 to 15% fragrance oil. Soie de parfum has 15 to 18% fragrance oil. Parfum has between 15 to 30% fragrance oil. How to design a perfume and fragrance notes A perfume will undergo different phases after being sprayed onto your skin.  Most perfumes consists of different ‘notes’ which open up at different times after application. Each phase will last for different lengths of time. TOP NOTES  are the first notes which give a burst of smell right after spraying the perfume and typically last for 10-15 minutes. These notes are usually more volatile and they are often citrus, fruity or floral. MIDDLE NOTES  are also called heart notes and these take 15 to 30 minutes to fully develop on the skin. They usually contain florals and aromatic plant notes and are the notes by which the fragrance is classified. BASE NOTES last the longest and help to slow down the evaporation of the more volatile molecules. Typical ingredients for a base note are woody, vanilla, musk, cedar and sandalwood. A perfume which does not change from initial spray to its final dry down is a linear perfume.  It does not contain top, middle or base notes. The most popular linear fragrance at the moment is Baccarat rouge by Francis Kurkidjan. There is a recognised classification system of perfumes which was developed by Michael Edwards. The main types are floral/ amber/ Woody and fresh with sub classifications for each type. Check out the Michael Edwards fragrance wheel online if you wish to know more. Perfume market knowledge Understand the dynamics of the wholesale and retail trade for perfumery in your country. A detailed retail survey of the market place gives you an idea of market size and what is selling. It is vitally important to understand the wholesale and retail margins. From this you can calculate the price to sell your product in the market in order to make a profit. Consumer knowledge A good description of your perfume will assist in selling it to buyers. But first you need to understand the market and what it needs. There is no point creating a concept which will not suit your market and […]

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15 Luxury Middle Eastern perfumes

What are the noteworthy arabic perfumes?

Which are the noteworthy luxury Middle Eastern Perfumes? How are they capitalising on the growth of the local perfume market?The Middle East has been a market with high per capita consumption of luxury perfumes since time immemorial and the figures continue to grow. Euromonitor predicts Middle East and Africa perfume market growth from 5.7 billion USD in 2018 to 8.5 billion USD by 2021. The strong demand in niche luxury perfumery sales in this region has encouraged long established and new local perfumery brands to create new interesting perfume concepts. The Saudi, Omani and UAE markets are more traditional in perfume choice, whereas Kuwaitis are more experimental and enjoy East meets West fragrance partnerships. There are many more perfume houses targeting the Middle East market with oriental creations who are manufacturing abroad. Such as the House of Oud, Amouroud, Xerjoff, Sospiro, Memo, Nejma, Montale, and Frederick Malle, to mention but a few. Due to current consumption rates, the Middle Eastern perfume market continues to be a highly attractive proposition. In this blog post we focus only on the local oriental brands born and bred in the Middle East. It is surprising, given the relative size and consumption of the market, that the Saudi market has not developed any noteworthy luxury perfume brands. Arabian Oud is a noteworthy fragrance company making quality perfumes, however its activities have not yet been focused on the higher priced luxury market, more mid luxury. Ahjaar – UAE This is a product creation developed for Paris Gallery to sell exclusively in their luxury perfume retail chain. Its simplistic yet luxurious packaging approach revives memories of Guerlain’s Encens Mythique d’orient. Amouage – Oman Amouage is a long standing perfume house with the backing of the Omani royal family. Amouage has gone from strength to strength to place its brands in the most luxurious exclusive points of sale the world over over the last twenty years. At the early part of the 2000s Amouage was still very much a regional player with a very oriental approach in packaging and presentation. I recall buying Cristal Gold by Amouage in the late 1990s. Despite the beauty and opulence of the old style packaging, it is doubtful that Amouage would have achieved such wide appeal if it had not changed later to a simpler ‘East meets West’ style of packaging and presentation. Amouage Silver Cristal – also available in gold colour. The brand has managed to reinvent itself as a sleek luxury brand with sophistication and wide appeal thanks to the expertise of Christopher Chong who was their in-house marketing expert until 2019. Each new range has a clear story behind it and the fragrances have mostly oriental notes, yet are very popular the world over. Amouage has achieved great success from Russia to Australia, a success emulated by many. Amna al Habtoor, UAE resident from a prominent local family, has recently launched Arcadia perfumes by Amna. The perfumes are based on oriental nostalgia and each perfume comes with a booklet explaining the story behind it. Anfas by Assim Al Qassim – UAE A creation of Assim al Qassim, a nostalgic approach to niche oriental perfumery, combining old trusted ingredients with some unexpected notes such as mango. The new collection WATAN (nation) is inspired by endless love. Designer Shaik – Bahrain The brand Chic Shaikh brand is only widely available in the Middle East region and some limited distribution in other countries. It has created truly innovative packaging unlike any perfume in the world, complete with perfume bottle refill stations at certain point of sale. One of the great things of the brand is that bottles are refillable and the luxurious packaging can be sent away for refurbishment to maintain its beauty. Ghawali – UAE This is a relatively new niche brand owned and launched by Chalhoub perfume distribution group with its own range of body care and perfumes. The products are largely distributed in their own bespoke retail outlets located in areas heavily frequented by local Arabs. The perfumes are based on Middle Eastern heritage using combinations of ingredients popular in the region to create unisex creations. Its simple packaging is elegant and understated. Kayali – UAE Kayali perfume is a recent entrant to the Middle East perfume market. Launched by the Kattan sisters of the huge Dubai based cosmetics company Huda Beauty, the brand has been launched exclusively in Sephora retail outlets. With fragrances such as vanilla, white flowers, musk and citrus, the perfume is based on layering principles, you need more than one to build up your fragrance and match your mood. Khaltat blends of Love – UAE This is a niche luxury perfume brand sold mainly in private luxury kiosks in the most popular shopping malls. It is the creation of the Mohamed Hilal group. Not satisfied with the success of its oriental oil perfumes – Hind al Oud, the Hilal Group has now entered the luxury spray niche perfume market. This brand will also be sold in the new luxury concept stores HOB where new colour cosmetics ranges will also be on sale. Majan Perfumes – Oman The packaging of the brand is slightly reminiscent of the Kuwaiti brand The Fragrance Kitchen, as all perfumes are housed in the same size round tall bottle. However, the decoration is more pretty and oriental than the Fragrance Kitchen which prefers a more modern, illustrative style for each bottle. Odict – Kuwait Odict is a collaboration between two friends of Saudi and Kuwaiti descent. Inspiration comes from typical Middle Eastern ingredients such as oud, frankincense, amber and saffron and are mixed with contemporary notes such as fresh smelling bergamot, orange blossom and grapefruit. The packaging is minamalistic and ultra modern. The brand has used the region’s heritage of pearl diving as a starting point for the creative inspiration of its brand imagery. Oman Luxury – Oman A relatively new entrant into niche luxury perfumery which was developed in collaboration with french perfumers and Hamid Merati- Kashani from Firmenich. […]

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The Niche Bandwagon

Floraiku niche Perfume

What is a niche perfume? What is a niche perfume? Basically it is any perfume which is sold in limited distribution, in certain selected outlets only. We refer to the niche bandwagon as a phenomenon where everyone wants to jump on board this sector and gain sales from it. Niche perfume packaging design is evolving to adapt to the more crowded sales arena. Recently Niche perfumes have been growing their market share worldwide. This is largely because of the increased desire for individuality, a need for higher quality, bespoke products. Niche perfumery  has traditionally been the most creative sector of perfumery. Small companies create new trends and experiment in limited quantities. Niche perfumery aimed to push the boundaries of perfumery. It tested out new ideas for the fearless few who don’t want to smell like everyone else. Niche perfumery has also attracted a certain amount of snobbery and many feel that the perfumes are always superior to the high street brands. However, limited distribution  is not always a guarantee of better perfume. Nowadays  niche perfumery is a high growth sector, this growth is fuelled by many ‘me too’ brands. Such brands don’t always have the same drive to create and be different.. Traditional packaging approaches Traditionally niche perfumes  had ultra simple packaging, often a paper label on a standard bottle, in order to communicate that the focus is on the fragrance, not on packaging gimmicks. It was all about the quality of the perfume essence. The perfumer had freedom to express his originality and creativity. Because there used to be so few niche brands, this approach was highly effective. Added value to niche perfume packaging design However nowadays the market is different. We have seen many new entrants into niche perfumery in recent years, attracted by the growth in this sector. Nowadays it’s difficult to get a place for your brand in selective perfumery outlets just because it smells great. You must display added value in terms of packaging to attract clients. Not always an easy thing to achieve when you are a fledgling company and have limited funds to invest. A new cap or some other packaging design feature might give  you a point of difference to will make it easier to sell to new clients.  Brands such as Stephanie Humbert et Lucas, AK France, Kemi, Naso di Raza, Simimi and Tola are good examples of products with standard bottles and custom made caps to give brand differentiation. Combining standard perfume bottles with custom made caps Nasengold, Perris and Escentric Molecules have all used standard bottles in an interesting way. Some of the bottles don’t bother to put a cache pump or supply a cap, having a strictly modern and ‘less is more’ approach. In mass market perfumery, it would be seen as a way of cutting costs and thus ‘cheapening’ the brand. But in niche perfumery it can be seen positively, as a creative force. Heavy investment in new moulds Other brands such as House of Sillage, House of Oud, Moresque, and Menditorossa have invested heavily in creative new packaging and are reaping the rewards by having a brand which has a unique personality and attraction. Niche perfumery popularity will continue to grow for some time until it reaches a saturation point and some of the brands who do not have a strong personality or reputation for outstanding, creative fragrances will inevitably fail. In the meantime, brands who do not consider creative packaging a worthwhile investment will find that it is more difficult to gain entry to the traditional niche perfumery retail points. We are very interested in the growth of niche perfumery, if you would like to know more about the niche bandwagon, why not ready our other article about the growth of niche perfumery. Its growing popularity might threaten its very existence. […]

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