perfume design Archives

Who are the top 10 UAE perfume brands

November 15, 2024

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 […]

How to Design a Perfume

August 27, 2024

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 […]

Top 5 sustainable perfume brands

October 21, 2019

Swarovski perfumes are refillable So is there a better alternative to refill packaging?Unfortunately refill packaging also requires additional packaging – new bottles, boxes and closures. So the most environmentally friendly option is the fragrance refill bar. Kilian perfumes offer refill opportunities for its perfumesEden Perfumes in the UK offer a refill option where you post the empty bottle back to their factory to be refilled and then sent back out to you. Other big brands have limited refill stations in select outlets and cities, largely in Europe. Such as Guerlain in their flagship store in Paris, Roja Dove offers a refill option in Harrods using Daum crystal dispensers. Le Labo offers refilling in France primarily and selected European outlets. Caron offers a refill station at Fortnum and Mason in London.In the past only bottles with removable screw pumps could be refilled. But now technology from French company Techniplast allows even bottles where you cannot remove the pump to be refilled. Thierry Mugler refill bars for perfumes available in selected storesThierry Mugler has dispensers in store where consumers can refill their perfume bottles at a lower cost.Chic Shaik in the Middle East has had perfumery refill bars in its larger distribution outlets since their launch and offer a lifetime refill service for their bottles. They also will do refurbishment of their beautiful bottles (at a cost) to ensure that they last a lifetime. Hopefully this is the way forward and more companies will start to buy into this new technology to allow more recycling of bottles in the future. However, this requires not only investment from brand owners, but also cooperation from retail outlets. Until there is more pressure from consumers or penalties imposed by governments to encourage more recycling, this approach is unlikely to become available in your local perfume retail outlet.Probably pressure from younger consumers will have an effect on brands as time goes on so that more perfume brands are environmentally friendly. Let us hope for the sake of the planet that this time comes sooner rather than later. Atelier cologne offers refill options for its bottlesThe threat of global warming has meant that many of us are rethinking the way we shop and what we buy. However, for cosmetics and perfumery brands how feasible is it to recycle perfume packaging? Which perfume brands are environmentally friendly?Most perfume sets are a combination of materials : glass, plastic, aluminum, zinc alloy or wood which makes it difficult to recycle packaging. Nearly all perfume bottles sold have crimp pumps on them which has made it impossible in the past to refill them.So which companies currently offer refill at home options for bottles […]

Top 20 Innovators and Rule Breakers in perfumery packaging

August 25, 2019

luxury perfume from the House Of Sillage

the top innovators in Middle Eastern perfumery packaging […]

How do we design perfumes?

May 26, 2019

How are new perfumes made? What are the stages in the process? Establish the target market Establish the concept Sketch the concept Make 3D model of the bottle Make 3D printing mock up Final animation render presentation to show how it looks Make moulds ready for plastics and bottle Make pre production samples This short video will show you the stages of perfume design and development. Here we show the creative process and also the technical problems solved by our team at Anisha. For a deeper understanding of perfume design and creation, why not read our article . This will explain all the considerations – from design to filling, pricing and distributing your perfume. […]

How can we afford to innovate in a recession?

May 31, 2018

The Ultimate Guide to Perfume – Consumer knowledge Yes, times are tough. The perfumery market has been hit hard all over the world and nowhere more than the middle East, it has been hit very badly due to the economic crisis in Saudi Arabia and other neighboring countries which are struggling with conflicts and monetary restrictions.At Gulf Beauty exhibition this year it struck me how few new designs and concepts were on display, the majority of perfume houses preferring to display the items they developed a few years ago.During hard times it’s an easy decision to cut back on innovation and instead to focus on areas which bring in short term money. It takes a strong leadership to back innovation in this climate to help a company to reach its long-term strategic objectives. Apple iPod was launched during a technology recession Many successful companies use the recession as a chance to get ahead of the competition. While others are cutting costs and downsizing, a savvy company will develop new products which are satisfying new consumer needs and positioning the company as a leader instead of a follower. As a good example of this strategy you can take the Apple iPod which was launched in 2001 – the same year that the Nasdaq 100 took a 30% hit. Operating costs are cheaper generally in a recession and talent is easier to find due to layoffs by other companies. Competition is less fierce because so many other players are laying low, choosing to wait until the recession is over to fund their own innovation. Whatever innovations are created during a recession, they will stand out strongly due to the decreased level of competition. Consumers don’t stop buying goods altogether in a recession. But they do become more discriminatory and more selective in their approach. They buy products which resonate with them and have meaningful additions which somehow change their lives or understand a need which has so far not been met by the current products on sale. So in-depth market research going hand in hand with a development team who understand how a product is used or why it is purchased will give the best results. Sometimes it is better to outsource innovation to other companies if you cannot afford to hire your own team of innovators. Our company Anisha perfumes offers design resources to our regular perfumery clients free of charge, the design innovation charges are included in the cost of the final packaging supply. This model works well for smaller factories who do not have the time and expertise to pay for their own team of product and graphic designers or the time to fly around the world finding the right supply partners who can produce the new crazy ideas.It takes a strong leader to continue to innovate in a recession, as it’s too easy to prune resources which are not going to give an immediate return. But lack of product innovation means that you will lose your long term differentiation and competitive advantage, therefore your company will lose out on long term sales to your competition. It has been historically shown that a period of economic boom three times as long as the recession itself usually follows a downturn , so it makes more sense to prepare for the upturn. […]

How to judge a design as a non designer

April 20, 2018

cultural considerations are important for each design

Many non designers may lack confidence in their ability to judge a design and feel shy to give their own honest feedback to experienced professionals in design meetings. They may find it difficult to explain in detail what is wrong and how to improve the design. They hold back from saying anything in design meetings due to lack of creative confidence, feeling that the professional designers have the monopoly on creativity and design understanding. It is true to say that most non designers are the people who judge designs on a daily basis, as they make up 99% of the population who are buying the designs. They can understand when things don’t look aesthetically pleasing or have a great user experience but often lack the ability to pinpoint exactly why the design isn’t working out well. Many say that design preferences are subjective, like art. But this is not true because graphic and product design must generally follow rules in order to be effective. And one can only truly judge the effectiveness of a design if we know what was the original brief – what were the creative problems which the design has to solve? If there is no clear brief as a starting point, then the design can only be judged on aesthetics and its ability to communicate a message clearly. What is a good design? Here are some points to help non designers to be confident in their design choices and analyze better why some designs don’t seem to work: 1 . Does the design fix the problem which it set out to resolve? If it doesn’t do this then it’s best to go back to the drawing board and not go any further. 2. Is it appropriate for the target audience? Is it the right tone and does it give the right image to position the brand correctly? Are all the graphical elements and fonts all communicating the same image and message or are they conflicting? 3. Is it easy to read, is it clear and easy to use? No point having a beautiful design with text you can’t read it properly. Is the focal point of the design clear or do you find your eye is looking in two conflicting directions? 4. Is it appropriate for the market in which it is going to be shown? Cultural considerations can be important for design. 5. Does it look attractive? This is the area where most non designers might struggle most to articulate themselves. The key elements to bear in mind for this evaluation are as follows : Layout – are the elements within the layout having balance and harmony? Sometimes a designer might deliberately put design elements in unusual positions in a design to disrupt and avoid predictability, but still achieves an overall harmonious composition. Is there a clear hierarchy and focal point within the design to show what is the most important information? Colors – are the appropriate colors used to display the right emotion and appeal to the required audience? Don’t forget cultural differences for colors here and that different colors appeal to different age groups. Style – are the fonts and other graphical elements all consistently communicating the same style which is appropriate to the target audience? Are these elements solving the problem set out in the client brief?Spacing and positioning. Sometimes changing the spacing between elements can have a dramatic effect. Fonts – how many fonts have been chosen and do they contrast well and work in harmony? Generally a rule of thumb is that 2 to three fonts maximum work best in any design. More than this creates confusion. Industry norms – certain design norms must be followed in some industries in order for the design to be recognized as relevant to that industry and appealing to certain members of the target audience. Is the product recognizable as a product within a certain product and price sector and, if it differs greatly, is there a good reason for it to break out of the norms? Was this the requirement of the client brief? Non designers – don’t be afraid to speak out when you don’t agree with a creative concept. But also don’t forget to think about what the design team were briefed to do, which problems to solve and whether they have managed to do this in a clear and appropriate way. If a design can clearly communicate the message, people understand what it is and what it represents, then the design has done its job, whether you like it or not. […]