Ann Gottlieb, the president of the fragrance consulting company Ann Gottlieb Associates, who helped develop scents like Calvin Klein Obsession and all of the Axe body sprays, said that the current trend toward sweet is not just because of Angel but also a result of inexpensive vanilla and coconut body lotions and bath gels that women scoop up at places like Bath and Body Works, for which she was once a consultant.
— Read more at A Little Confection Behind the Ear at the New York Times.
Doesn’t it come back to the question of WHY women were/are scooping up vanilla & coconut body products? I mean they are not always less expensive than the floral/fruity ones they could have been scooping up instead.
They seem to be implying that it’s due to the economic downturn, but that’s not a very satisfactory explanation for anyone who’s been watching BBW for the past 10 years. Seems more likely that people just like sweet things generally, always have, always will.
I wondered about that too, Merlin. BBW has been selling floral and fruity products forever and the pricing on the coconut/vanilla/food-y things they sell is the same. I tend to agree with Robin; people just like the smell of things like vanilla (comfort, perhaps?).
Seems like I remember some old “the scent of sexy” research study said that men find the scents of vanilla and cinnamon to be “sexy” because of associations with being nurtured by mom or whatever. I dunno that THAT really answers the question, but maybe?
I’m glad Ellena was interviewed. I was beginning to wonder if those of us who don’t like sweet gourmands were going to get a look in. I wonder does he ever actually eat ice cream? I’d love to see that!
He does NOT give ice cream its due
Oh, that NY Times ‘Style’ section… always on the cutting edge.
Exactly! Took them a wee bit to notice.
If you like sweet perfumes, you’re easy? (I wonder if Ellena knows “easy” is slang for sexually willing). If the gourmand I like is Les Carrottes, what does that make me?
I have a very sweet tooth, unfortunately, but I really don’t want to smell like candy.
In addition I think wearing a chocolate note would trigger my chocolate addiction. (Give my brain a little chocolate, it immediately says more chocolate).
I wonder if the strength and intrusiveness of other products has something to do with the popularity of coconut and vanilla. My husband always buys coconut shampoo (a very cheap brand) because the other scents are so strong they knock him sideways. Coconut is mellow, familiar, comforting, but also not a brutal fruity-floral.