The history of fragrance usage in the Middle East being so rich … people know to appreciate the emotional value of it," says Karen Khoury, the Estee Lauder perfume "nose", who has created timeless fragrances including Pleasures.
Emotion and scent are undoubtedly entwined, but perhaps not more so for Khoury and Estee Lauder after the death earlier this month of the company's leader Evelyn Lauder, a crusading businesswoman and the spearhead of its groundbreaking breast cancer awareness initiative.
"She struck an interesting balance between a businesswoman and a warm, caring, giving person," said Khoury during a visit to Dubai to launch the company's latest scent, and its first unisex one -- Wood Mystique.
"Wood Mystique is not just our first fragrance influenced by the Middle East. It is also our first unisex perfume. And it is for the first time that I've worked so closely with the local marketing team in the creation of a perfume — to understand the culture and history of the region and the taste of the consumer.
The knowhow
"People can use the same ingredients but it's the knowledge of how to use them that makes all the difference. We know how to do this. What influenced us was also the palette of notes, the desire for strength and the trail the appreciation of fragrance here leaves. It is what indicates the luxury in this region. Secondly, because the history of Estée Lauder fragrances has been one of luxury and using the best materials, we thought we had a chance to connect what's part of our heritage with this consumer in a very special way."
Having worked with the company for more than 30 years with many bestseller perfumes, we wanted to know what she draws inspiration from and how she works it into a masterpiece.
"I was 2 when I started working with them," she laughs, sipping her tea. "I love fragrance and I have lots of ideas. I can be inspired by a piece of art. For example, Pleasures was inspired by Georgia O'Keefe's paintings and Beyond Paradise by a painting I found in a gallery in the old section of Paris. I have fragrances inspired by travels.
"Fifteen years ago when I made my first trip to Turkey, I was enamoured by the spice market. I brought some home and had them analysed and put into fragrances and in Morocco I became obsessed with the smell of thya wood and the beautiful bowls they carved out of it. I took the pieces home and we recreated Bois Marocain for Tom Ford. And I find women incredibly inspiring. I think women in different cultures share common threads but the way in which they are expressed is influenced by the culture. It's so fascinating. When I start to understand that I see certain notes, certain ideas in my mind."
Feeling beautiful
How much do you think beauty matters to a woman, especially someone who's sick?
"Everything. Estée Lauder started the company on the premise that every woman can be beautiful. Beauty is how you feel when you wear a little bit of foundation, a little bit of concealer and it changes your whole outlook. Women today have so little time for themselves that the little touches make up gives them is a little me time and that psychologically it makes women feel a little more in control. Especially when she's sick, it gives her fight, it gives her energy."
Having worked closely with both Estée Lauder and Evelyn Lauder, this is what Khoury had to say of the founder of the Pink Ribbon breast cancer awareness campaign. "As a fragrance developer, the training I received under Mrs Evelyn Lauder was a rare experience. The breast cancer research centre begun by her is very close to our hearts. We are a company founded by a woman with a lot of female executives, and a key part of our customer base is women. It's our way of giving.
"She was very frustrated at the number of women affected by the disease and the lack of progress in research. More than the quality of care, she is strict about the atmosphere there. Earlier, women were treated for breast cancer at facilities that treated all kinds of cancer and these did not understand how the colour of a wall or painting or someone to show you how to do your make-up can be important to these women to survive and overcome the situation. It's reflective of Evelyn Lauder's passion."
The science behind the smell
Wood Mystique is an "oriental wood" scent. It uses three kinds of rose that are extracted in different ways — rose infusion, rose distilled, rose de mai absolute. The different ways of extraction create texture and add dimension to the fragrance, explained Karen Khoury.
It has the spiciness of pink pepper, which is not used very often in perfumery. Opulent flowers form the middle note, a blend of Egyptian jasmine absolute, orris Morocco, ylang and mimosa Provence absolute. Rich natural ingredients. The majestic note, coming from the background of the fragrance, is a hint of raspberry just to give it a more luscious quality. Natural patchouli, extraction of cedarwood along with Benzoin and agar wood. Dh645 for 100ml EDP.
