Niche Perfumery

Introducing Note Fragrances

08/09/15 09:00:56 

by: Jodi Battershell

www.Atrbazan.com    The Perfume Master in iran

While exploring the Scent Trunk site for my series of articles a few months ago, I encountered several new (and new to me) fragrance houses whose products were available through their subscription service. I earmarked these houses for later research and addition to our site here if they were not already part of it. One of the new houses I discovered there was Note Fragrances, and I was excited to learn they're based not far from me here in Pennsylvania.

The Primetime Emmys Gift Box from Note Fragrances

Scranton, Pennsylvania, where Note Fragrances is based, is probably best known to many as the home of the fictional Dunder-Mifflin paper company from the popular TV series The Office. WIth a population of just over 76,000 (though it's set within a larger metro area whose population exceeds 500,000), it might seem an unlikely place for a perfume studio, but it's also proof of the changing fragrance marketplace and the emergence of the modern fragrance consumer who wants something unique, not mass-produced, and maybe even wants a hand in the creation process.

Fragrance consumers are something Note Fragrances' founder and perfumer, Danielle Fleming (left), knows a great deal about. Formally trained as a mental health counselor, Danielle's interest in the power of scent began when she researched articles on the effect of aroma on mind and body, while pursuing graduate studies in psychology.  With self-education complemented by formal studies at Cinquième Sens and the Fragrance Foundation's Fragrance Academy, Danielle also honed her craft at the Princeton, NJ headquarters of Firmenich, as a Senior Consumer Insights Analyst, where she learned to decode consumer language around fragrances and break it down into actionable steps for fragrance development. In 2003, she launched a line of scented products sold through luxury hotels, boutiques and QVC, under the brand name Danielle & Co, before turning her focus to the custom perfume experience that would become Note Fragrances.

Opened in late November 2013, Note Fragrances has already garnered accolades and success. Note Fragrances was a finalist in the 2014 Martha Stewart American Made Style competition and had their scents included in the "swag bags" for the 2014 Prime Time Emmys (you can purchase the Emmys gift box on the Note Fragrances website). The house logged its 1,000th custom fragrance formulation in November 2014, just before its one-year anniversary in business. Midnight Leather was selected for the January 2015 Olfactif subscription box, and in June, the studio received a Certificate of Excellence from Trip Advisor after consistent high ratings from visitors.

Custom perfume organ reserved for a recent Mother's Day event

Creating Note Fragrances has allowed Danielle to focus solely on connecting people with the power of scent. Note Fragrances' tagline—"discover your scent story"™—invites consumers to explore the love, memories and emotions found in the notes of a fragrance. Note Fragrances has a Signature Collection of eight scents which we'll explore in a moment. Note Fragrances also has a retail boutique and custom perfume studio in downtown Scranton, in which customers can sit down at their own perfumer's organ and work with a trained professional on the creation of a custom fragrance, the formula for which will be stored by Note Fragrances for future custom refills. With the studio's capacity for up to 20 customers at a time, custom fragrance creation parties have become a popular activity for birthdays, bridal showers, "girls' nights out" and other special events.

I'm excited to learn I won't have to travel to France to get a chance at creating my own perfume! Danielle and I are working on coordinating a visit and I will share the experience with Fragrantica readers when it happens. For those who can't make it to Scranton, Note Fragrances also offers bespoke creation service remotely, via Skype.

To give me a taste of what I can expect when I visit in person, Note Fragrances provided samples of all eight fragrances in the Signature Collection.  (Individual samples and the sample set can also be purchased on the Note Fragrances website.)  The chic black and white package arrived with eight 5 ml fragrance sprays in an organza bag. Truly, I've been delighted by all eight scents. All are eau de parfum concentration and have great sillage and longevity that lasts through a typical workday.  (Midnight Leather and Orchid Noir lasted 12+ hours!)  The collection spans the best-loved categories in the fragrance world and has something for everybody.

Let's take a closer look at all eight scents.

Coconut Sugar: I was expecting a tropical suntan lotion fragrance but this is a surprisingly complex gourmand enhanced by a warm basmati rice heart and which dries down to pleasant musky notes. Youthful but not out of the realm for a woman of a certain age (ahem), and perfect for the warm weather. 

Pink Peony: There are so many peony fragrances out there, many of which fall short of capturing the true essence of the flower. Note Fragrances' Pink Peony does a great job here of encapsulating the green and fruity nuances (almost apple-like, really) of the beautiful blossom. This is a great daytime/office scent for any season of the year.

Yuzu Vanilla: A tea and coffee shop not far from my home offers some unique varieties of tea made from boiled water poured over fruit preserves and rinds. The effect is vastly different from the ho-hum Lipton tea of my youth. Yuzu Vanilla reminds me of one of these teas: a pleasant mix of sweet and tart fruits, with earthy vanilla extract and patchouli for balance. Yuzu Vanilla is one of my favorites of the collection.

Honey Blossom:  This is a comfort scent for me. There's a beautiful clover honey scent in the opening, after which the pear dominates, grounded by soft oriental notes of sandalwood and frankincense. Honey Blossom is warm, pleasant, not too sweet but deeply feminine and an absolute pleasure to wear. Easily another favorite.

Santal Woods:  A timeless masculine fragrance, with cypress and oakmoss lending a "barbershop" tone to the drydown. Santal Woods can certainly be worn by women, too, but the scent of this one conjured pleasant memories of Dad, his shaving cream and some forgotten classic fougère cologne from the 1970s.  

White Pepper Mandarin: If you love traditional eau de colognes but bemoan their weak longevity, you'll want to try White Pepper Mandarin.  That bracing splash of citrus that is the hallmark of the genre lasts all day long with this fragrance. Danielle designed this one for her husband, though women who enjoy citrus and aquatic fragrances will find it suitable as well. Another scent that's great for daytime/office.

Orchid Noir: Ladies, if you picked Pink Peony or White Pepper Mandarin for your daytime scents, Orchid Noir is a great alternative for your nights. A lush oriental that will delight fans of fragrances like Coco Mademoiselle or Flowerbomb, Orchid Noir is dense, multi-faceted and unabashedly sexy.  Flowers and black currant dance in and out of heavy-hitting base notes of cocoa, vanilla, amber, patchouli and musk. The effect is rich and gorgeous.

Midnight Leather: In a blind sniff test, I would have guessed this one was something from a Middle Eastern perfume house, or a European one with strong Middle Eastern influences, such as Montale. Midnight Leather is my favorite of the "masculine"-leaning scents. Inspired by a rainy night in Italy, Midnight Leather fuses such diverse notes as gunflint, coffee, tobacco and coriander into its spellbinding blend of leather and vetiver.

If you're in the Scranton area, visit the Note Fragrances boutique and custom studio at 401 Spruce Street. (The Note Fragrances website even has a section with tips and suggestions for food, lodging and other points of interest for visitors to Scranton.)  No appointment is needed for the custom studio, though they do recommend reservations for parties of two or more. The Studio is reserved for private parties on Sundays and Mondays.

Can't visit in person? The Signature Collection—samples and full-size 30 ml or 60 ml fragrances—are available for purchase on the official Note Fragrances website.

Thank you to Danielle and Note Fragrances for the opportunity to try the Signature Collection, and I look forward to creating my custom fragrance with you soon!