New fragrances in 2009: Ego Facto - a critical view

With EgoFacto we see the end of Niche Era - at least what we understand now by niche. Until now niche perfumes had at least 2 attributes - unusual notes (different from mainstream) and a special distribution. Boutique, niche corner or anything else. Last week I discovered special fragrances in a large distribution channel, right in the middle of the store, with no reference to anything like "exclusive aura". Aprox 2 years ago, Etat Libre d'Orange came out with special fragrances (and names) and only one shop in Paris. But French people love democracy and they like "couture on street" and "the street in a couture salon". It sounds as if the creator of Ego Facto thought to democratize the niche and refresh the distribution with a new type of scents, leaving the snobbery only in the choice of the bird - pawn. It will change for sure the perception of other fragrances and the attitude of other great brands. That's easy to understand - Artisan (within their boutiques) were not competing directly with Dior or other known brands. With 7 fragrances in Marionnaud it has the same "weight" as other brands (think how many perfumes has Ricci on sale). It works like Frédéric Malle, but for a wider audience, said a friend to me yesterday when we exchanged impressions on the perfumes.
Except Me Myself and I, the entire range is built on accords / ideas that already exist in several major launches, but each time a note or an unusual ingredient is overdosed to suggest a niche, uncommon appeal. This is usually revealed after 48 hours on the dry downs. It's not something to blame, this is not Frédéric Malle nor Serge Lutens. This is not the "elite" - but good, unusual notes for a wider audience. Maybe that's why the perfumes are not "polychromatic" in terms of accords, but rather bipolar (2-3 ideas, contrasts, easy to recognize and remember, unlike l'Artisan where almost the entire spectrum of shades is used to express a single idea).

Me Myself and I (Jean and Aurélien Guichard)
The fragrance created by Guichard father and son is by far the best of the line and the best fragrance since a long period. It is both original and well crafted, a rare quality today. The perfume is not the simple addition of tuberose and vetiver. Au contraire, it's the perfect match of 2 contradictory ideas - the soft, creamy and opulent flower plus the dry, smoky, oily wood. It is like a massive block of liquid marble invading the space. It is a perfume with no start and no end. After 2 days it has not "decomposed" into fragments but retained the same character as if Jean Carles was there to dictate the precise order of ingredients. More, you do not smell or identify tuberose, neither vetiver. They are perfectly locked. When I smell tuberose absolute, vetiver Java essence and ylang-ylang extra essence, there is something in common - a sharp note, pungent and violent. Something almost metallic like in saffron. It is around this analogy that the perfume is built. The vetiver inside seems either a special distillation or an accord with unusual molecules and some creamy sandalwood notes. It smells perfect and requires further investigation from me. Very creative, daring and unexpected.

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Fragrance is the 8th Art - Octavian Coifan - Le Parfum est le 8ème Art