This week, I checked in on the burgeoning world of water-based perfumes, which represents a growing category in the “clean” beauty movement. Additionally, Balmain makes a play for fragrance, Victoria Beckham teams up with Augustinus Bader, and Walmart unveils a new beauty strategy.
Dior and Bella Hadid are foregoing alcohol — when it comes to perfume, that is
Dior Sauvage is sobering up. In August, Dior introduced a new addition to the blockbuster men’s fragrance: Sauvage Eau Forte. Created by Dior in-house perfumer Francis Kurkdjian, the $160 perfume has the same brisk, barbershop aroma of the original Sauvage, with one major difference: the formula is based in water, rather than alcohol.
Sauvage Eau Forte is not just a chance for LVMH to re-up the Dior Sauvage franchise — which is already the best-selling fragrance in the world. It’s also a response to an ever-growing market for “clean” beauty.
Alcohol makes up the majority of most perfumes on the market, ranging from roughly 60-90% alcohol per bottle depending on the concentration of perfume oil. But with the “clean” beauty market still evolving, new perfume launches are experimenting with alternative formulations to stand out in a saturated market and address changing consumer demands. And the category for water-based, alcohol-free perfumes is still ripe for expansion.
Byredo, the once-indie pioneer now owned by Spanish conglomerate Puig, will launch an alcohol-free version of its popular Mojave Ghost scent this fall. Bella Hadid’s Orebella fragrance line, which launched in May with three scents and introduced a fourth perfume in August, describes its alcohol-free formula as “hydrating” on the skin. Last December, Clean Beauty Collective launched the Clean Reserve H2EAU line of water-based fragrances catered to sensitive skin. And the new Sauvage scent comes two years after Dior released J’adore Parfum d’eau, a water-based version of its popular J’adore scent — it has a milky color and texture, and the look and feel of a face serum rather than traditional perfume.
“There’s this whole new generation of consumer who’s a lot more conscious about ingredients,” said Olya Bar, head of digital strategy and communications at niche fragrance retailer Twisted Lily. “There’s an interest in skin care merging with all other types of products.”
Like many perfume trends, alcohol-free fragrances have trickled down from the niche market to the mass and prestige brands. Bar cites Hermetica, a water-based niche perfume brand launched in 2018, as an innovator in the style. Other alcohol-free scented products include perfumed hair mists, which have become increasingly popular additions to high-end perfume brands like BDK Parfums and Maison Francis Kurkdjian. Perfume “primers” that promise to nourish the skin and enhance scent longevity have furthered the fragrance-as-skin care category. They include the hyaluronic acid-based primer from indie brand House of Bo and the squalane primer from biotech perfumer brand Future Society.
Bar noted, however, that water-based perfumes don’t last as long or project as much as their alcohol-based counterparts — a potential drawback for the target audience of Dior Sauvage Eau Forte. “This is mostly a female consumer [buying clean perfume],” said Bar. “Men are continuously looking for value when it comes to shopping for fragrances. And in their eyes, value is projection, longevity and, of course, compliments galore.”
Linda Pilkington, founder of niche British perfume house Ormonde Jayne, said she sees the benefit in creating alcohol-free fragrances for users who are in the sun frequently and don’t want alcohol to dry out their skin. But water-based perfumes present a variety of challenges from a formulation perspective. Most notably, unlike alcohol, water repels oil. Orebella sidesteps this issue by touting the fact that its perfume needs to be shaken up to emulsify the oils as a feature, not a bug.
“You would have to put in a preservative to keep that perfume clear,” said Pilkington, regarding water-based formulas. “Even though probably whatever is growing is harmless, there’s going to be bacteria because water itself creates the most bacteria.”
Fragrance developers are investing in new technology to combat those challenges. According to Alpa Shah, director of fragrance technology innovations at Japanese fragrance developer Takasago, there are various avenues to a water-based fragrance. Some, like Dior’s J’adore Parfum d’eau, utilize a nanoemulsion, which contributes to its milky texture. Takasago is responsible for the microemulsion technology in the Clean Reserve H2EAU line, a clear formula that remains stable.
“To be globally compliant and have clean ingredients, remain long-lasting, have good skin feel, maintain a clear system and be stable, and all within a certain cost, that was a lot,” said Shah of the development. “Getting the correct spray pattern can also be very important in a water-based system because the viscosity and evaporation are quite different compared to an ethanol-based formula, which is much lighter.”
But given alcohol’s ubiquity and efficacy, creating a high-performing water alternative may not be worth the struggle for many. “[Alcohol] is just a very good carrier to absorb scent oils,” said Pilkington. “ I can’t see alcohol going out in fashion, to be perfectly honest, in perfumery.”
News to know:
- Estée Lauder launches Balmain’s beauty line with a focus on premium fragrances. Led by Balmain creative director Olivier Rousteing, the line will be Balmain’s first foray into cosmetics. The launch opens with a collection of eight fragrances designed by perfumers including Quentin Bisch and Calice Becker, and features both new scents and redesigns of classic Balmain perfumes such as Vent Vert.
- Victoria Beckham Beauty launches a concealer in partnership with luxury skin-care line Augustinus Bader. The concealer pen features Augustinus Bader’s proprietary TFC8 complex, a blend of amino acids and vitamins that claims to revitalize the skin. The concealer will retail for $68 and be available in 16 shades.
- Walmart is doubling down on premium beauty with the expansion of its online Marketplace. The big box retailer will add premium beauty brands like Cosrx and Foreo to the online platform, offering a challenge to Amazon’s increasing portfolio of premium beauty brands to its digital storefronts.
- Luxury perfume brand Kilian announces British actor Lucien Laviscount as its first-ever spokesperson. The “Emily in Paris” star fronts a campaign for Kilian’s new Old Fashion scent, and is part of an ever-growing cohort of male stars fronting luxury perfume campaigns, such as Tom Hardy for Jo Malone, which like Kilian is owned by Estée Lauder.
Stat of the week:
According to Milk Makeup owner Waldencast, Milk sold one of its viral Water Jelly Tint blush sticks every 30 seconds in the first quarter of 2024. Those blockbuster sales helped propel Milk’s revenue to $28.7 million during Q2 2024, or a growth of 20% compared to Q2 2023.
In the headlines:
The dangers of ‘casualising’ injectables. Gucci Westman is hitting the spot. Along the Gowanus Canal, notes of tar and manure. Did you even go to the U.S. Open if you didn’t get a hat? How Evolvetogether grew beyond face masks to transform into a personal care brand. Fighting for beauty behind prison walls.
Listen in:
Industry veteran Sarah Creal joins the Glossy Beauty Podcast to discuss the creation of her namesake brand, which arrives at Sephora in September and targets beauty for women over 40.
Need a Glossy recap?
After unprecedented beauty growth, Ulta Beauty braces for a slowdown. Alo debuts its first running shoe, the Alo Runner. Tennis enters its WAG era: How Morgan Riddle became the sport’s MVP. Victoria’s Secret reports sales of $1.4 billion, talks challenges of modernizing the VS Fashion Show. How earlier seasonal sales are affecting the 2024 retail calendar. With the launch of Silverist, gray hair enters the beauty conversation.
