Paying lip service: Makeup and scent

Beauty products usually have a distinct smell, and today we’re talking about makeup and scent.

If you grew up in the ’80s, chances are you swiped more than your fair share of L’Oréal Paris’ Iridescent lipstick across your mouth. It was the rule. And its shimmery, lustrous, pink colour with undertones of blue sparkled like Madonna’s Lucky Star, while making you feel as stunning as supermodel Carol Alt. But arguably, the best part was the tube’s distinct, and slightly plastic, crystalized-rose smell. Somehow its perfume embodied status and possibility, delivering a confidence synonymous with wearing the right brand.

Thirty years later, beauty brands know well the power of perfume. When it comes to lipsticks—and often many of their other lotions, powders and potions—companies know well the dangers of deviating from their signature scents. After all, their bottom lines depend on trademark fragrances to reinforce corporate identity, and love of certain scents also builds brand loyalty. Some companies are, however, experimenting with new, fragrant configurations.

“Cosmetics had a very perfume-y smell in the ’80s,” affirms Valerie MacKenzie, the vice-president of global product innovation for M.A.C Cosmetics in Canada. “Especially the powerhouse European brands whose products were predominantly rose-scented.”

ROMANTIC SCENTS, EDIBLE SCENTS

French luxury houses Chanel and Lancôme’s lipsticks were no exception and continue to be saturated with the prestigious scent of roses: Chanel’s a delicate bloom; Lancôme’s a waxier bud. Yves Saint Laurent’s tubes of colour, on the other hand, waft an edgier fruit-like quality. Renowned for its powdery, floral-smelling lipstick, Givenchy’s new Couture Collection (shown at left) has mix-mastered a statement scent with delicate notes of mimosa, black current and benzoin to align—yet subtly distinguish—the collection from the brand’s everyday stable of lip colours.

Estée Lauder too, is dabbling in perfumed variations. Celebrated for its powdered-petal and honey-smelling lip, the matriarch of American beauty is integrating a hint of passion fruit and guava-lychee flavour into its limited-edition lineup of Pure Color Sheer RollerGloss lipglosses this summer, perhaps to attract a younger clientele while simultaneously accommodating regular enthusiasts. And M.A.C Cosmetics, ever the pioneer in setting standards, continues to compliment its signature vanilla-infused lip products with notes such as coffee, strawberry and kiwi.

SCENT TO SOOTHE AND COMFORT

“Recognizing the scent in your cosmetics is your comfort-zone,” explains M.A.C’s MacKenzie. “It evokes memories, a time, a feeling. Based on how a lipstick smells is what you will gravitate towards—it nurtures us. So a lipstick’s smell has to be consistent, no matter what you add to it.”

Creating that signature scent isn’t an easy task. It’s methodical; strategic. When M.A.C founders—Canadians Frank Toskan, a makeup artist and photographer, and Frank Angelo, a beauty salon owner—launched the now Estée Lauder-owned cosmetics line in 1984 they wanted to distinguish themselves from the pack. “They wanted something that would appeal to the masses, that everyone could wear,” says MacKenzie. “Because, you know, the company’s motto is ‘All ages. All races. All sexes.’” The men landed on vanilla, choosing it for its alluring sexy and sweet smell. “They wanted a scent that every single person could identify with,” MacKenzie says.

THE SMELL OF A BRAND’S DNA

Fragrance plays into our subconscious, so cosmetics companies choose the scent they feel best represents their culture, their identity. “We go back to the one we best identify with, because it is familiar,” says Mackenzie.

Those who have playful memories of childhood may opt for NARS lipgloss with its Crayola-crayon smell. Others, seeking the relaxed ease of mom’s kitchen might choose CoverGirl’s Outlast lip stains for their good-enough-to-eat berry/cake notes, while a desire for all things elegant may attract you to Guerlain’s lipsticks which are laced with a slightly powdery, perfume-quality, violet note. And lip treatments, replete with healing eucalyptus are our go-to when we crave a little TLC. Even organic and unscented lip products, like: Korres and Burt’s Bees posses a fresh, natural, waxy clean smell.

As for the addition of scent, be it overt, natural or synthetic: It’s a must. The wax and gel bases used by all cosmetics companies in all lip products have distinct oily smells and tastes, explains MacKenzie. “Like extra-virgin olive oil,” she adds. “It’s not horrible, but it’s also not pleasant to wear on your lips all day long.”

Scent is the obvious solution. And what a stylish solution.