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Tag: perfumery

Top 10 UAE perfume brands at Beautyworld

Top UAE Fragrances Visual

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

The Ultimate Perfume Creation Guide Are you in the process of designing your own 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 Should you use Synthetic or Natural Ingredients in Perfume Design? Let’s dive in to some key points: Firstly, it is a common misunderstanding that synthetic ingredients are always cheaper than natural ones – this in fact is not always the case. 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 perfume 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? Fragrance concentration 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 and our other blog, Fragrance Notes Explained, if you wish to know more. Perfume Market Knowledge Understanding the dynamics of the wholesale and retail trade for perfumery in your country is essential. 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. To dive deeper […]

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Sustainability in perfumery

Sustainability in Perfumery visual concept and bottle design

Why is sustainability in perfumery important? Sustainability in perfumery has become increasingly important for younger consumers. This is the impetus for brands to innovate and adopt sustainable packaging, such as refillable perfume bottle options. Interestingly, most smaller brands have failed to rise to this challenge due to the increased cost and complexity of sourcing sustainable packaging. In contrast, some larger brands are investing in sustainable perfumery packaging for their new perfume launches. According to Mintel research, brands must keep their sustainability promises in order to maintain the trust of younger consumers. Which brands lead in sustainable perfumery? So which big names have been leading the way in sustainable perfumery packaging? Many brands have implemented refillable perfume bottle options for their fragrances to appeal to consumers that are more eco-conscious, and to be more considerate towards sustainability in perfumery. For example, Chanel has introduced refillable perfume options for some of its iconic perfumes. The Chanel No.5 L’Eau offers a refillable bottle option. Keep reading to explore more refillable perfume bottles from various brands. Refillable Perfume Bottles for Sustainability in Perfumery: Lancome Lancôme launched Idôle fragrance in an ultra slim, refillable bottle. La vie est belle is also available in a refill option. Refill stations have been set up in various stores, encouraging clients to bring the empty bottles for a refill. Guerlain Guerlain also considers sustainability in perfumery as it focuses on eco friendly packaging and refill stations. Guerlain’s iconic bee bottle , which is used for the Aqua Allegoria range, can be refilled at select boutiques. Lancome Idole Lancome La Vie Est Belle Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Le labo This is a great example of refillable perfume bottles; Le Labo customers can bring back their empty bottles for a refill to all le labo stores, ensuring the packaging is reused multiple times. Christian Dior The launch of Sauvage had sustainability in perfumery in mind, launching with a refillable perfume bottle. The bottle can be refilled with a specially designed refill canister, so it is not as sustainable as a refill in store, but more convenient for consumers. Hermes There are refill options available for its popular fragrances such as Terre d’Hermes. Offering refillable perfume bottle options adds to the brands elegance. Le Labo Dior Sauvage Terre D Hermes Cartier Cartier. There are refillable perfume bottle options for its high end fragrances. The brand manages to retain its luxury appeal while being environmentally friendly with its elegant refillable bottles. Maison Francis Kurkdijian Maison Francis Kurkdjian offers various refillable perfume bottle options for its luxury fragrances. Thierry Mugler Thierry Mugler is another brand that considers sustainability in perfumery. It is possible to refill Mugler perfumes in store as well as with the use of a refill kit at home. This makes the refillable perfume bottles accessible to clients. Armani Armani My Way is now available in a refill bottle which can be used to refill the original bottle. Kilian Paris Various Kilian Paris perfumes can be refilled at home using the bespoke refill kit. All of the big brands mentioned in this blog post are  achieving greater sustainability in perfumery packaging. However, they have still only managed to make a small percentage of their products sustainable. What are the obstacles to achieving full sustainability? Sustainability in Perfumery Packaging: Overcoming the challenges. Material limitations. It can be difficult to match the aesthetic and functional properties of traditional packaging materials. Glass is heavy and energy intensive to produce. It is also difficult to add a large percentage of recycled glass into virgin glass, as this affects its strength. Biodegradable plastics may not be as durable and have the same look and properties as non biodegradable versions. Cost implications. Sustainable materials often cost more. For many brands the cost can be prohibitive. Biodegradable plastics cost about 50% more than normal plastics, FSC paper is around 20 percent more. Consumer habits. Many consumers are not ready for sustainable options. They do not want the extra work to hunt out refill stations. Some people want ease of use rather than refillable options. Sustainability in perfumery is not always a popular choice if it makes life more complicated. Regulatory challenges. Changing legislation  packaging materials and waste management can create challenges for brands to overcome. How to launch a brand with Anisha’s sustainable packaging support Anisha collaborates with a wide network of suppliers to provide sustainable packaging solutions. If you want to take small steps toward sustainability, email our team at info@anisha.agency. For more insights check out our article ‘ Top 5 sustainable perfume brands’ […]

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Should perfume or packaging come first?

Angel perfume by Thierry Mugler

Thierry Mugler Angel perfume advert How perfume or packaging communicate Should perfume or packaging design come first?  The design of a perfume’s packaging communicates via small elements such as name, font and colour selection. Textures on the box and accessories on the bottle complete the visual cues.This visual journey gives the consumer an expectation of the personality and quality of fragrance he or she is buying.A perfume communicates in terms of a person’s memory or association with different fragrance notes. For example, vanilla or sweet notes might bring back childhood memories. Fragrances with very green notes might bring you back to nature and feeling calm and relaxed. Many perfumes underperform in terms of fragrance communication because they do not match  what the packaging is communicating.  This can explain why so many perfume brands fail. This is particularly the case in mass market perfumes, but it can happen for luxury and niche perfumes too. Sometimes the packaging is telling one story but the perfume is communicating a  different story which undermines its credibility. The creative story of Angel perfume In the case of designer and niche perfumery, the answer to the question  ‘perfume or packaging’ is always PERFUME. Let’s look at the extremely popular fragrance by Thierry Mugler Angel. The company gave a brief to perfumers to capture memories of the childhood smells of the fairground. For this reason notes of candy floss, caramel and chocolate are in the fragrance.  The team combined this with patchouli to balance out the sweetness. This was one of the first major gourmand fragrances in the designer perfumery industry. For additional information about the brand development story read more here.  One could argue that the final name ‘Angel’, the blue box colors and advertising campaign don’t communicate anything of the fairground and therefore the concept is not clear. However, this perfume is not completely sweet, it asp has heavy notes of patchouli and oud. This concept may have started off in the fairground, but it finished somewhere else. The name Angel really has nothing to do with the original fairground concept. Often an original idea will lead in a different direction when true creativity is unleashed. Angel perfume itself managed to trigger enough fond past memories of sweet smells.  However, maybe ladies attributed the sweet notes in the fragrance to other memories from their life. Perfume design – a clue to fragrance intensity Let’s look at a famous men’s fragrance: Drakkar Noir by Guy Laroche. This classic Aromatic Fougère scent is bold, spicy, and rich. Now, imagine we packaged our version of this fragrance in a white or silver box. The deep, aromatic sensuality of the scent wouldn’t come across. Customers might subconsciously expect something lighter, fresher, or more aquatic instead of a strong, spicy fragrance. Both elements of  ‘perfume or packaging’ must work in harmony to communicate. For mass market perfumery people often select the perfume after the new product development is completed. The question of ‘should perfume or packaging first’ can be forgotten in the rush to get products to market fast. Many mass market perfume manufacturers who are too afraid to take a risk will simply choose a top selling designer fragrance and ask the fragrance house to supply something similar.   In designer perfumery the whole creation process starts with the concept and we give briefs to perfumers to develop a fragrance to communicate the essence of the idea.We develop packaging later to reinforce the fragrance message. This gives a more credible result, the perfume and the packaging are communicating the same story. We create a perfume to arouse memories and to communicate an emotion. Drakkar noir 1980s ad Explore perfume is selling very well in Africa Mass Market perfume design Mass market perfumery often solves the issues related to ‘perfume or packaging’ in a haphazard, disorganised way. In West Africa one UAE export perfume Explorer has been a popular product.  However, when you look at the packaging, it is extremely simple and there is nothing very special about it. The cap has been used time and time again by other fragrance manufacturers and the bottle is a simple square shape. But the reason why this brand sells well is the perfume. Extremely spicy and long lasting and if you spray it accidentally, then it doesn’t wash off your skin for days. Which is exactly what the market wants. A fragrance with this profile has a heavy price per kilo.  Does perfume or packaging drive repeat purchase? In short, great packaging of a brand will persuade a client to buy first time, so it is a big influencer on decision making. But the fragrance itself cannot be overlooked and selected on a whim as a last minute thought, as this is the main factor which determines the likelihood of repeat purchase. Perfume factories should try whenever possible to ensure that the fragrance selection is reinforcing the packaging imagery and communication to achieve maximum credibility for the product. If you enjoy reading articles about perfume trends, why not try our article about the market growth in unisex perfumes.   […]

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