What Does Love, Peace, Detox, Courage and Prosperity smell like?
MEET GINO
FULL NAME: Gino Percontino
OCCUPATION: Perfumer (likes to break the mold and create sophisticated scents that are unexpected and extraordinary)
ASCENTION FRAGRANCES HE CREATED:
ASCENT TO COURAGE | ASCENT TO LOVE
Why did you want to work on ASCENTION?
Working on new brands from their inception is always inspiring because our fragrances become the brand’s olfactive identity. Greta’s vision for the brand is compelling and we wanted to be a part of bringing it to life.
What did you envision when creating your fragrances based on the need states (love and courage)?
I liked how Greta associated a crystal with a need state. This combination naturally lent itself to mood-enhancing aromatherapy ingredients such as the rose for Love, and the fire-roasted citrus for Courage.
What do you hope the consumer feels when they smell it?
I hope that the consumer feels empowered to make changes in their life.
How do you describe your perfumer palette/style?
I try to create in an unexpected way, taking someone’s olfactive idea and turning it upside down by using ingredients in a surprising way.
What is your favorite inspirational quote?
“Talent means nothing, while experience, acquired in humility and hard work, means everything.” – Patrick Susskind
Tell us a joke...
I'm creating a fragrance for introverts.
It's called "leavemethefuh" cologne.
(If you're looking for me, I'm dead-haha)
MEET CLAUDE
FULL NAME: Claude Dir
OCCUPATION: Perfumer (loves to work with nature and is an expert at nailing addictive, earthy, sophisticated fragrances)
ASCENTION FRAGRANCES HE CREATED:
ASCENT TO DETOX
Why did you want to work on ASCENTION?
With the emergence of the clean (fragrance) movement, I found great inspiration and challenge to tap into this all natural trend. I like the idea of creating a perfume that encompasses a wealth of natural resources that are clean and pure.
What did you envision when creating your fragrance based on the need states (detox).
I imagined an enhanced detox experience via the use of all natural ingredients. With the fragrance plus the crystals and the rituals, we are able to provide a sensorial experience to the end user, resulting in pure rejuvenation, serenity and peace.
What do you hope the consumer feels when they smell it?
I hope they sense a strong connection with nature, transporting the state of mind to the depths of lush vegetation and water elements to create an overall feeling of well-being in their soul.
How do you describe your perfumer palette/style?
My style is quite well-suited for this particular project actually….. my mentor as a young perfumer who always told me “When creating perfume, take the inspiration from the elements of the earth and nature’s bouquet… you can never go wrong.”
My palette is very much inspired from the South of France where I spent my childhood and early years studying perfumery. We have beautiful resources of natural florals such as Lavender, Mimosa, Jasmine, Tuberose, and of course la Rose de Mai.
Tell us a joke....
Q: Why is a roach clip called a roach clip?
A: Because pot holder was taken.
(If you don't know, now you know... haha)
MEET PATRICIA
FULL NAME: Patricia Choux
OCCUPATION: Perfumer (Expert at breaking boundaries and creating bad-ass, sophisticated clean fragrances)
ASCENTION FRAGRANCES SHE CREATED:
ASCENT TO PEACE | ASCENT TO PROSPERITY
Why did you want to work on ASCENTION?
Because I knew Greta and her olfactive style from previous collaborations together, and it was a wonderful, fun and creative experience. I liked her olfactive approach so I was thrilled to collaborate with her again.
What did you envision when creating your fragrances based on the need states (peace & prosperity)?
I was mainly inspired by the color of the crystals; since I have studied painting, color really leads my olfactive process.
What do you hope the consumer feels when they smell it?
I do hope the consumer will feel the energy we tried to achieve in each of the perfumes, the sensation of freedom and connection with our own feelings, our personal state of mind.
What is your favorite inspirational quote?
“Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.” --Confucius
But I am also a runner and this is my running quote:
“We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline and effort.” --Jesse Owens.
How do you describe your perfumer palette/style?
I like to create in an unconventional way, beating my own path rather than being a follower. I don't follow any social media, for example; I follow my own rules.
It’s my style to go after a masculine floral creation, or a salty-spicy fruit, or a nice floral contrasted with dark touches. Some of my favorite ingredients include dry amber wood, orange flower, shiso, and boozy notes.
Tell us a joke....
Okay, but I have to admit that it’s a French perfumer dirty joke: “Quelle est la différence entre un soixante neuf et un Pastis? Au moins avec un Pastis on a le nez dans l’anis.”
(This is the best thing I translated today - haha)