New Technology discussions included a forum on “DNA Technology Derived from Plants,” by James Heyward, CEO, Applied DNA Sciences; “Advanced Technologies for Smart Skin Care Products and Antiaging,” by Sam Shefer, executive vice president, Salvona Technologies; “Consumable Beauty: Products that Enhance Beauty from Within,” by Michael Natale, director of marketing, Bell Flavors & Fragrances, Inc.; and a comprehensive discussion of “Ayurvedic Medicine for Antiaging and Skin Care Cosmetics: Crodarom,” by Suellen Bennett, marketing manager, botanicals, Croda, Inc.
Wednesday’s program opened with addresses by Jim Chastain, managing partner and founder of Reality Check Consulting Network, discussing “Well-being: Defining a Mega Trend,” that reflected contemporary consumer tastes and styles; a discussion of “Amazonian Oils and Active Ingredients from the Brazilian Rainforest,” by Brian Jones, technical sales manager, Jarchem Industries, which introduced the latest findings from the source; an exploration of fragrance, including “Aroma As a Pathway to Emotions,” by Helen Feygin, president, Intuiscent LLC; and “Using Scent to Communicate Well-being,” by Avery Gilbert, PhD, president of Synesthetics Inc., who discussed both emotional and cognitive response to fragrance.
The packaging track was opened by Marc Gobé, chairman and CEO of Desgrippe Gobé, who presented BrandJam: Humanizing Brands through Emotional Design, which supported the value of the collaborative process in creating emotional response with corporations and consumers alike. Speakers Herve Bouix, corporate vice president of packaging, new venture and special projects, The Estée Lauder Companies, discussed Technology Transfer in Packaging Innovation, noting the automotive industry’s paints and coatings potential for application to cosmetic packaging; and Tammy Vaserstein, creative director and principal, Moxie, Inc., spoke about the appeal of packaging design targeting the Latino market, within the health and beauty category, in her discussion, Que Pasa USA?
HBA announced its 16th Annual HBA Global Expo and Educational conference will take place on September 9–11, 2008, at the Javits Center in New York, and the 7th Annual HBA Industry Awards dinner will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2008, at the Marriott Marquis in New York. Additional information is available at www.hbaexpo.com.
IFF Explores Culinary Trends
International Flavors and Fragrances (IFF) hosted an exploration of the culinary world on Feb. 21, 2008, in a presentation titled, Culinary Trends Influence Fragrance Creation. The event, one of a series of regularly hosted quarterly press days designed to introduce the press to IFF’s creation process, had a distinctive flavor. IFF, which works with flavors and fragrances, serving external customers as well as inspiring its own perfumers with innovative perspectives and experiences, created an olfactive journey based on connections with diverse foods and cultures.
Amanda Anastasiou, global marketing manager, IFF, with 11 years of flavors experience at the company, and Alexandra Niel-Jones, global marketing manager, IFF, whose 12 years with the company have been in flavors and fragrance, with responsibility for fragrance in fabric care, hosted the journey, noting their objective was to create scents that people love and set the trends from an olfactive and creative standpoint.
“Looking at flavors is one of the ways to provide IFF perfumers with new creative inspiration,” said Niel-Jones.They searched recipes, chef’s Web sites and cooking shows. “We searched the latest ingredients to draw inspiration, not to recreate a precise flavor,” she said, citing the example of the Szechuan pepper, “but to add some of that flavor to use as a building block in a fragrance.”
Identifying three major trend categories, Fusion, Culinary Tourism and Feel Good, the journey explored the “importance of fragrance in driving differentiation and success in a product, whether it is fine fragrance or dishwashing liquid,” said Niel-Jones. Fusion described the creation of new, unique taste experiences, with sensorial clues and blends of ingredients, including the “molecular gastronomy” that is changing the definition of cooking by combining food and science with textures, smells, scented air and a blend of art and science involving all the senses. Crediting Ferran Adria, considered the founder of molecular gastronomy, with these avant-garde creations, Anastasiou noted a dish called Trout Roe, featured at Chicago’s Alinea Restaurant, which combines freeze-dried coconut milk, pineapple air and hand-harvested trout roe. Chaos and Harmony, a sub-trend of Fusion, united such diverse flavors as saffron and vanilla, as well as herbs with chocolate. Tongue-Tied, another sub-trend of Fusion, combined innovative ingredients with multisensorial applications; for example, a beautiful scented candle with a crackling wick, or the Culture Clash element of Fusion, uniting ginger and lychee. Anastasiou suggested perfumers liked ginger’s clean, fresh scent and could imagine using it to fragrance a home cleaning product. Culinary Tourism, experiencing other cultures through food, enables perfumers to create unique and memorable experiences through scent. Regional Authenticity, which directs interest to specific regions or towns, distinguishes flavors further, citing Oaxacan mole, with its cinnamon, chocolate and chiles, or, in Ingredient Trade Ups, the cachet of a specific region or place of origin, whether Valencia lemon or Brazilian cherry. This approach has already begun in functional fragrances as well as fine fragrances.
The Feel Good trend addressed achieving and maintaining well-being from the inside out; whether in personal care, home care or elsewhere, people want to feel good about what they are eating and how they are living. The sub-trend Culinary World harkens back to simplicity, nourishing body, mind and soul, while the Home Grown sub-trend, refers to wholesome cooking, farm-to-table freshness and local ingredients. Warm and Cozy referenced familiar, indulgent flavors and gourmand notes that translate to fine fragrance, candles and body washes, while Classics Reinvented created luxurious interpretations of “low brow,” or familiar foods, like macaroni and cheese, or new translations of the cupcake, to today’s red velvets with mascarpone.
Finally, Food and Fun looked at updates, such as rhubarb/vanilla candles, where perfumers found rhubarb added a different dimension of fruit and tartness to compositions. Each aspect of the culinary journey demonstrated how the bridge between flavors and fragrances inspires perfumers. Niel-Jones said, “By putting presentations like this together for the Creative Group, we want them to be inspired to think outside the box and ultimately differentiate our customers’ products in the marketplace.”
Symrise Designs for Women’s Lifestyles
On Feb. 14, 2008, Symrise welcomed Sniffapalooza members to a fragrance presentation at its New York City headquarters. Organized by Sniffapalooza, under the direction of Karen Dubin and Karen Adams, Symrise staff shared its fragrance acumen with a look at three women’s lifestyles, aspects of which revealed a fragrance preference profile upon which finished fragrances may be based.
The multisensory workshop, held at Symrise’s Creative Theater, was led by Doreen Bucher, senior director of marketing, fine fragrance, scent and care division, Symrise; and Jeannine Dzuroska, vice president, consumer insights, scent and care division, Symrise. Called “Facets of Femininity,” the presentation focused on three multifaceted archetypes, determined through multiple focus groups in Europe and the U.S., to represent the women who are the current and future consumers of fragrance, fashion and design, and who are impacting fragrance design. The Modern Lover, The Creative Muse and The Poetic Seductress, or combinations thereof, reflected the characteristics that imbue and motivate women today. Sampling four accords within each aspect, attendees were treated to an exceptional range of fragrant blends, from cooling gardenia and violet and vetiver, to nostalgic cannabis notes, floral and woods, and seductive raspberry, praline and acai. The compositions, while not completed, nor fully structured fragrances, opened an expansive range of fragrant possibilities.
Among the Symrise perfumers present was Jean Claude Delville, vice president, senior perfumer, scent and care division, Symrise, whose commentary anchored the presentation. “Perfume is like a collage. The ideas are generated in talking,” he said. Clearly, emotions were at the heart of the fragrance presentation, and the potential for creating fragrances that elicit happiness, sophistication, elegance, confidence or passion are waiting to be created. “It is one of my dreams to custom-blend something for someone with Symrise’s ingredients,” said Delville. “You can really accomplish something unique.”
CEW Product Demo Kicks Off Beauty Award Season
More than 285 brands and nearly 600 new products were showcased at the Cosmetic Executive Women (CEW) Beauty Awards Product Demonstration on Feb. 20, 2008, at New York City’s Metropolitan Pavilion.
The annual beauty event welcomes beauty experts to test, sample and ultimately vote for the best new beauty products of the year. At stake is the industry’s highest honor, the title of “Insider’s Choice,” and the annual list of winners is highly regarded, as the products represent breakthrough innovation in the industry.
Carlotta Jacobson, CEW president, said, “Consumers are ultimately looking for the quick-fix when it comes to beauty products. They don’t have the time to sample everything on the market—that’s our job. CEW members know the best in beauty and are willing to share their expertise.” This year’s race for outstanding products features revised categories and stricter entry requirements created in partnership with The NPD Group, a consumer and retail information provider. “The NPD Group has helped align our categories with what’s happening in the marketplace,” said Jacobson, and “more than ever before, the Beauty Awards will determine the best products in the hottest segments.”
The CEW 2008 Beauty Awards are sponsored by Allure, Givaudan, CVS Pharmacy, Crest Whitestrips Daily Whitening + Tartar Protection, Acuvue Brand Contact Lenses, WWD Beauty Biz, The Royal Promotion Group, Restylane, KraftWorks, Arcade Marketing, MaCher, HBA Global Expo, Beilis Development, VEET, Vidicom, NeoStrata, Rpr Marketing Communications, Suite K and Digital Plus.
The CEW Beauty Awards Luncheon will be held on Friday, May 2, 2008, at the Waldorf-Astoria, where celebrity and TV personalities will announce the winning products.
Sephora’s Summer Launch
Sephora is ready for summer ’08 with a new range of cosmetic offerings and coordinating accessories. At its Feb. 21, 2008, launch event in New York City, Sephora showcased a line of products that captured the essence of the season. First, Kat Von D, star of television’s L.A. Ink, and owner of High Voltage Tattoo, introduced her one-of-a-kind collection exclusively for Sephora. The limited edition line, packaged in black and highlighted by a floral tattoo-inspired design by Kat herself, conveys both Hollywood glamour and rocker appeal. Kat Von D for Sephora, including eyeshadow palettes, eyeliners, and eye brush set and lipsticks in such shades as Misfit (raisin), Lolita (rose), and Hellbent (burgundy), will be available at Sephora in June 2008.
Sephora, which recently collaborated with Marc Jacobs to create a complete Daisy by Marc Jacobs’ line, brings flower child spirit to six new products, including the Charming Candle Collection, Soap Trio Delight, Luxe Vanity Case, Treasure Beauty Case, Cushy Brush Set and Pretty Pouch Trio. Marc Jacobs is part of the Coty Prestige brand portfolio, and all the coordinating products in the line bear its distinctive flower petal gold imprint, while soaps and candles are scented with the essence of Daisy Marc Jacobs.
In addition, to celebrate its 10-year anniversary, Sephora launched the Sephora Book, by Melissa Schweiger, who was on hand to discuss her research for the book, saying, “Over the past 10 years, Sephora has revolutionized the beauty industry so who better to create the ultimate beauty book makeup obsessed gals will go gaga for.” The book is filled with tips and anecdotes from such beauty authorities as Carol Shaw, Laura Mercier, Jean and Jane Ford and Oscar Blandi. It is available at www.sephora.com, www.amazon.com, and at bookstores and Sephora stores.
Sephora’s own new beauty collection includes a makeup and skin care lineup featuring Summer Safari Bronzers, Summer Safari Eyeshadow Palettes, Summer Safari Balm Bons (the lip balm in a ball), the Summer Bronzed Blockbuster, with 24 eyeshadows, 12 lip glosses, two blushes and mini brushes, plus Beach Glow Shimmer Oil Spray, Summer Glow Melted Body Butter and Atomic Volume Mascara. An assortment of Safari printed train and travel cases, totes and organizer bags, in prints of giraffe or zebra, complement the line.
