Do you know that there is a new trend awaiting to contemporise the décor and augment the spaces for a collective aesthetic makeover? It's the science of aroma with home fragrances, oils and sprays.
Fragrance, like colour, can make rooms feel more inviting, spacious, elegant or festive, say fragrance experts. “The concept of aromacology talks about the effect of odour on mood and emotions, harnessing to provide fragrance and wellness solutions for living, working and mobile spaces,” feels Kiran Ranga, Managing Director of the Mysore-based Ripple Fragrances (NR-Group) and director of NESSO (Natural and Essential Oils), another unit of floral extraction.
The world of fragrance, born with modest incense sticks, has graduated to offering aroma in mind-boggling forms with state-of-the-art technology. Be it the living, dining, pooja or the bedroom, spreading aroma is an art here, very specific to spaces, and the products in the market come in a host of ways: deodorants, perfumes, natural incense oils, aerosols, air fresheners, diffusers, vapourizer, potpourri or aroma candles.
Kiran Ranga, an MBA from the Case Western Reserve University, U.S., graduated in Business and Perfumery from University of Plymouth, U.K., and has represented NESSO at the World Perfumery Congress at Cannes, France where creative perfumers from across the world congregate. He is also a member of FAFA (Fragrances and Flavours Association of India.)
Down the ages…
How did home fragrance gain so much of importance? Says Kiran, “Wearing perfume didn't hit it big until the 17th century when perfumed gloves became the rage in France. The court of Louis XV was even named ‘the perfumed court' because scents were applied every day to skin, clothes, fans and furniture.”
In memory of the birth of modern perfumery, March 21 is celebrated as the fragrance day. This day is about cologne, perfume and all the things that are good-smelling. That even includes potpourri, soaps, lotions and scented candles.
“To talk of newer dimensions,” Kiran Says, “75 per cent of all emotions we generate every day are due to what we smell, not see, 83 per cent of the commercial communication we are exposed to everyday is crafted to appeal to just our eyes. We, as citizens in a branded world, do not use our sense of smell to identify a brand and its uniqueness in terms of experience, brand-personality and brand-familiarity. Considering this as a powerful insight, we at Ripple Fragrance launched the IRIS brand for signature fragrance in business establishments too.”
For living spaces
This is not new to India, says Kiran. The use of flowers and incense in rituals which creates a fragrant, pleasant and peaceful ambience is well entrenched in the Indian culture.
Today, however, there are some key drivers of change in lifestyle which have resulted in a need for new forms for dissipating fragrances.
These are the increase in airconditioned spaces which may create modulars in living spaces and the need for quick and convenient deodorising products.
Another key driver is the need for suitable ambience, he says, “It's a question of pampering oneself whether for distress or relaxation. The Indian market may not ape the West in terms of products or delivery systems, but changing attitudes and lifestyles have created a need for fragrant spaces.”
The array of products that are now available in the market also include fragrant stones and sachets and speciality garden incenses. Some floral, citrus, green and spicy scents too add up to an aromatic homely feel.
The price ranges from Rs. 100 to Rs. 1,000 for each aroma. There are no vaasthu implications here, except the impact of odour on spaces, mood and emotions.
For more details, visit: > www.ripplefragrances.com
