It’s a fact! Smells are intrinsically linked to a culture. It has been proven that tradition, gastronomy, climate, etc. influence the way we perceive and interpret smells. The smell of lavender, typical of Provence, does not have the same connotations for a French person as it does to people from Turkey, who are more accustomed to the piquant smell of spices. At Eurofragance we understand these differences and create fragrances designed to delight different target audiences.
Although our fragrances are found in more than 60 countries, our deep understanding of raw materials and consumer preferences in the Middle East and the Gulf area has made us a leading company in this market.
The Middle Eastern perfumery palette
How do Middle Eastern and Western World palettes differ? Truth be told, there is a growing trend to use exotic raw ingredients in perfumes all over the world. One example of this is the famous sandalwood, which shows up in extremely refined fragrances, adding its characteristic woody, creamy, velvety nuances. With a gently warm, floral side, it is used as an ingredient in fine perfumery and cosmetics around the world.
However, there are some ingredients that appeal far more in the markets of the Gulf region. One of these is oudh, one of our favorite raw materials, and the star ingredient in our Nomad Tales collection. Also known as black gold by perfumers, oudh is an extremely expensive raw material used only in the perfumery industry. This essence is produced when the Aquilaria trees, known as Agar, become infected by fungus. This ‘natural accident’ occurs when wounds appear in the tree bark, and the tree produces a dense, dark and fragrant resin that, once extracted, has a unique smell: powerful, woody, smoky and animal. This resin has been burnt in the Persian Gulf for hundreds of years as a way of welcoming guests. If you like fresh, fruity and floral fragrances, then oudh is not for you. Nevertheless, it is turning up more and more frequent in the Western World. You may have smelt a perfume that contains oudh, albeit in tiny doses.
We also use spicy scents like saffron and cardamom essential oil to give fragrances a more Arabic appeal. And while we are on the subject of combining raw ingredients, we must mention shamama attar -another of the stars of Nomad Tales-, a mixture of wild flowers, aromatic plants, spices and wood, which is distilled in sandalwood. Each producer changes the proportion of the ingredients, which is sometimes a family secret.
At Eurofragance we understand raw ingredients and our expertise in the Gulf area enables us to create fragrances tailored to all segments and products. In other words, we use global resources to meet local needs.
