“Fragrance Reviews” by Beth Carsten
Originally appeared on Fragrantica on October 27, 2020
Click here to view the original publication.
Hope Night Parfum in a specially designed flacon by Marc Rosen was recently launched. A couple of people left comments at the end of that article and were curious about its smell, so I followed up by (virtually) sitting down with the founder of the Hope Fragrances brand, Audrey Gruss, for a conversation and was also able to sample the new parfum.
Beth Carsten: You founded a research foundation (Hope for Depression Research Foundation) in 2006, and all profits from the sales of your perfumes go toward this research. But why perfumes?
Audrey Gruss: My mother, who was named Hope, loved fragrances, especially white florals such as jasmine, tuberose, gardenia, and lily-of-the-valley. She suffered from depression for many years, but she loved to layer these notes in various ways and was uplifted by their scent. That is why I chose these floral notes to be the foundation of my fragrances — they are gorgeous and uplifting, and fragrances raise awareness to the public about depression and other mental illnesses.
BC: Tell me more about the new Hope Night Parfum. For example, how long was it in development?
AG: Hope Night Parfum follows on the heels of three other Hope Fragrances: Hope Classic (2018), Hope Sport (2020), and Hope Night (2020; an eau de parfum). Night Parfum is a beautiful fragrance — very calming, comforting, and romantic! Bergdorf-Goodman approached me about developing a pure parfum for their stores, as they have the biggest market share for pure parfum of anyone in the country (USA). I was immediately intrigued and contacted Marc Rosen. I was formerly a director of advertising and creative services in the skin care industry, and he was the packaging director. I knew he would come up with a beautiful bottle in which to house the parfum, and it only took him a few weeks to present sketches to me. The parfum itself was in development for about eight months at Firmenich.
BC: Do you have a perfumer with whom you prefer to work?
AG: Not necessarily. Some perfumers are better on sporty type fragrances and some are better on nighttime fragrances. I simply send over a brief, and they determine who is in the country and available for the project. The first two Hope Fragrances (Classic and Sport) were the brainchild of Honorine Blanc, and Night EDP and Night Parfum were developed by Pierre Negrin and myself.
BC: What’s next for your brand?
AG: We are currently considering and studying brand product extensions. My true belief is that the beauty of the fragrances will come across to the variety of consumers for which they are meant. We look forward to maximizing sales at Bergdorf and then exploring other avenues of distribution!
Inspired by the hope in all of us
BC: Which perfume is your favorite?
AG: My personal favorite is Hope Night Parfum in the crystal bottle designed by Marc Rosen. Others will love it! It’s important to be good to ourselves because self-care right now is so important. Your readers can order all Hope Fragrances, a body cream, and a candle online at HopeFragrances.com or at Bergdorf-Goodman.
All net profits go to depression research. The mission of the Hope for Depression Research Foundation (HDRF) is to fund cutting-edge, scientific research into the origins, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of depression and its related mood and other emotional disorders – bipolar disorder, postpartum depression, post-traumatic stress syndrome, anxiety disorder, and suicide. (Info from the brand’s website.)
So you might be thinking…what does it smell like?! Oh, my goodness. I think I swooned a bit when I applied it, and I’m certain my eyes rolled back in my head! (I also received repeated compliments from my car guy.) It’s a powdery, floral delight, and it smells amazing! I’d classify it as a “candied floral” for an olfactory family, which isn’t a thing, except now I’ve made it one!
I don’t get a lot of patchouli or vetiver (luckily for me, as it’s my kryptonite note), but the plum gives it a syrupy-ness, and the gardenia is mild, lovely, and not at all overly heady. The drydown on this parfum is simply divine — amber and lots and lots of vanilla! — and I promptly moved it to my top shelf. Instant love! I also love how proceeds from the sale of these fragrances go toward the charitable research of something that has affected me personally: I suffered with terrible postpartum depression after the birth of my second child over a dozen years ago. It is an illness I would never wish on anyone, and for that reason alone, the price of this gorgeous parfum makes it worth it to me.
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In order to enter the giveaway for a bottle of Hope Night Eau de Parfum, please leave a comment below, answering this question: If you or someone you know suffers from depression, anxiety, or another mental illness, what are some coping strategies you/they employ? Does perfume or aromatherapy play a part in your/their wellness strategy?
The giveaway will close at 1800 CDT (United States time zone) on Friday, October 30, 2020, and the winner will be contacted by private message (PM) and announced in the article once a reply is received. This giveaway is only open to readers with a United States mailing address.
Yes, one of their coping skills is to write down their thoughts and feelings in a journal. Aromatherapy and scents have been incorporated in their daily routine and proven beneficial.
Hi Audrey!
Perfume is always a good choice to gift someone else. Thanks for sharing this beautiful article with us!