How do you define the scent that’s right for you? Is it with simple notes of jasmine? Or do you favor something more along the lines of white musk and vanilla? Are you passionate about the way it sits on your skin and stays with you throughout the day or do you select your signature fragrance by the look and feel of the bottle? The name perhaps? For me, it’s a combination of all of these different elements. However, as time, products, and consumer experiences continue to change, so does the beauty and cosmetic industry. When it comes to your fragrance, there’s a new name that’s changing the way we experience our perfumes and colognes. PHLUR is a new, innovative sensory experience that’s redefining how to discover the right scents for you with an entirely new approach that is rooted in the digital age. An experience that’s rich in lifestyle based story telling – marrying technology and education with design and creativity.
It wasn’t until I discovered PHLUR that I really took the time to think about how I purchase my perfumes. Like shoes, there are some things that I simply prefer not to buy online. Just like I need to make sure the shoe fits, I like to test out a fragrance to see how it sits on my skin. Unless you’re purely buying something for aesthetic purposes, I always thought that it was important to purchase these items in person. However, PHLUR fully understands the digital marketplace and has used this as one of its main sources of inspiration for developing its interactive purchasing program. It’s a fully immersive, e-commerce fragrance experience. For the last few years, with the rise of the digital medium, all of our senses are engaged by technology and the digital world, except for scent – until now! PHLUR uses visuals to give scents context that work with different lifestyles. Still a little confused? Read on!
When you visit their website, you will see how unique their approach is: each of their gender neutral fragrances has a visual lifestyle profile image that features the bottle in it’s given “scent setting”. You choose the images and keywords you identify with even before smelling it. This gives you some information on what you can expect from the fragrance and should determine the one that’s going to be the best fit for you! Sounds cool right? It is!
Based on the images, I chose Hanami – “complex and complete, a reflection of serenity and self”. Yes! I TOTALLY identify with these keywords – the emotional response they evoked was definitely working! As I continued to click through, I was given more lifestyle images to choose from and, hopefully, identify with (if not, you can move on to a different scent). I was also given tips on how to use it at home, the form and function of the fragrance, its scent inspiration, as well as meaningful quotes that the fragrance is meant to embody. It’s really quite a beautiful experience that connects you to your signature scent in a whole new light.
The best part is that you’re not expected to buy an entire $85 bottle without testing it out first. A major component of the overall experience is sampling. For $10, you can purchase two samples and try them for yourself at home. They send two sample sized vials that last about a week – giving you enough time to determine which is your signature scent. After you’ve made your selection, you can order the larger-sized bottle and your $10 counts towards your overall purchase! Speaking of bottles, I haven’t even told you about PHLUR’s incredible production value and charity philosophy yet!
The bottle is specially designed with 20% recycled glass – the highest amount you can get in a fragrance bottle today – which is important because it doesn’t put an emphasis on a perfume’s coloring, no colored dyes or stabilizers are added! The opaque bottle is painted with vegetable-based paint as well to protect the fragrance from light damage! Doing their part to make the world a better place? I think so! Not only that, but $5 from every full bottle purchase is donated to improve the outcomes and sustain the livelihoods for the individuals, communities and natural resources that go into creating and making PHLUR a possibility.
I hate to say it, but “I told you so”! PHLUR is truly the embodiment of fragrance redefined in every way possible. Be sure to visit their website and check out this immersive sensory experience for yourself! They are launching today!
Photos by Jessica Alexander
Thank you PHLUR for sponsoring this post.
