To begin with, you may be wondering what I know about why perfume is important. Many of you might not know this about me, but my first official job as an adult had nothing to do with finance or writing and content creation. It was actually as a salesgirl at a perfumery chain in Malta. It was during my time here that I started to really love beauty and skincare, especially when I learnt so much more about the industry and what went into making each brand uniquely special.
As time went on, I discovered which brands were right for me, but never really stopped looking for more. In fact, my favourite items change all the time. One of the best things about my new role as a content creator is that I am getting so much exposure to products and brands I had never come across before. Recently, and more specifically, I have been introduced to several luxury niche fragrance houses and I wanted to share these with you too. And so, as I sit here on a flight from New York to London, it got me thinking about why wearing perfume is important and why it plays such a large role in everyday life.
Why Perfume is Important
You see to me, fragrance is just like any other accessory to an outfit – just like a scarf, necklace or pair of earrings. Fragrance is the most intimate way of sharing a little bit about your inner most thoughts and character. We are constantly offered inspiration on fashion trends and wardrobe tips, and whilst those are definitely useful, what about tips on finding a scent that leaves a long-lasting aesthetic impression to all those that engage with you?
Of course, this is only my own personal opinion but to me no other accessory can leave such a mark. This brings me to why perfume is important to wear, which I’ve summarised into 5 main points that define the function of perfume. Let’s just put aside the fact that wearing fragrance is going to keep you smelling good throughout the day. We all know that – but it’s not the only reason we wear it.
The Aromatherapy Factor: Perfumes are essentially a blend of complementary ingredients and essential oils, whether they be citrus, floral, woody or musky (amongst many others notes). Different essential oils have different therapeutic effects on different people. They serve to calm the mind and relax the body. I know that for me personally, I always use an essential oil on my pressure points right before I fall asleep. I find that the scent of eucalyptus acts as a great stress reliever and helps put me to sleep.
Confidence: Going back to my time in the corporate world, I religiously carried a bottle of perfume with me, and would generally spray it before each meeting. It was a habit I had picked up back from my days of working at a perfumery, where we were encouraged to top up our fragrances throughout the day to ensure we are practicing what we preach. It was always such a huge confidence booster for me and made me feel the part. I once read that only around 10% of the impressions you leave on someone is related to the words that actually come out of your mouth, the rest is all about appearance and body language. And so, along with a smart suit, manicured nails and groomed hair, a scent that leaves an impact is a must for me.
Attractiveness: my previous point leads on to this. To me, I feel that confidence is far more attractive than physical looks. In fact, it is the confidence of either a man or a woman that I remember more than how well her makeup is done – she could very well be wearing none at all. With this in mind, it is only natural that if perfume is boosting your confidence, you are likely going to increase your attractiveness. Also, it’s worth remembering that perfumes have a large number of pheromones and these will have their effect on the people that you meet.
Leaving a lasting impression: Which brings me to my next point. If you are feeling confident and therefore attractive, then naturally you will leave a lasting impression. Remember that we are all born with five senses of scent, sight, taste, sound and touch. Scent and sight are going to be the very first impression someone may have of you, but it will likely be scent that leaves a lasting impression. This is the reason that a trailing scent is so important, but I’ll come back to this with a little anecdote later on in this article.
Memories and Thoughts: This is another point I will come back to a little further down, but we associate much of what we experience through our five senses with a certain place, time, person or occasion. For example, I was married on November 5th and for that day, I decided to wear Chanel No 5. I only wore it for that occasion as it is not my everyday fragrance so to this day, that scent takes me back to the best day of my life. And just like one might associate scents with events, we most certainly associate them with people. The originality of your own unique signature fragrance and how it sits on the body becomes your reputation – let it direct peoples’ minds to you so that you can shine amongst a crowd of others who do not have any apparent distinguishing feature.
Manos Gerakinis Parfums
And this brings me to the focal point of this article. An introduction to a fragrance house that I had never come across before until just a few months ago, yet one I have grown to enjoy so much. It’s a fragrance house that fulfills each of those five distinct reasons why fragrance is so important, as well as having a truly interesting background. This is my introduction to Manos Gerakinis.
It was only towards the end of last year that I was introduced to Manos Gerakinis Parfums by London boutique Bel Rebel, based just behind Marble Arch. I was kindly invited to a launch party, where I was able to learn all about the different niche fragrances sold at the boutique. The owner of the boutique kindly talked me through her personal fragrance reviews and favourites. After some time, I came across Manos Gerakinis.
I was immediately drawn to the brand not only for its scents, but also as it was the first time I had ever come across a perfume that had flakes of 100% pure silver. When sprayed, these left little specks of shimmer over the skin that glistened under the light (much to my disappointment this is not currently available). It didn’t take me long to fall in love with the story behind the brand and the perfumes it produced.
Like the true inquisitive writer I am, I of course continued my research at home and read up a whole lot more on this exquisite luxury niche fragrance house from Greece – a mysterious brand which features a black panther with yellow eyes staring right at you as you as soon as you enter the website.
Back at the store though, I continued my search and sampled several of the Manos Gerakinis fragrances including Quintessence, Rose Poetique, Sillage Royal and Immortelle until I finally settled on the Sillage Collection being my favourite. A bottle of Sillage Suave now sits on my dressing table as a reminder of the experience.
The founder of Manos Gerakinis – Manos himself – was born in Northern Greece. Similar to myself and so many others in this day and age, he is a world class traveler who lived overseas for much of his life. Manos was born into a shipping family and was taken all around the world by his grandparents. It was this life of travel that introduced him to different cultures and it formed his love and appreciation of the classical music and fine art. After over ten years of painting classes, he developed his natural talent for it.
As you can probably tell from the images, Manos’ favourite themes are women and flowers – roses in particular. During his youth and travels, he began collecting fragrances so that he could bottle these memories in a scent.
Whilst women may be one of his muses, each Manos Gerakinis fragrance is unisex. He knew since his younger days that a fragrance is one’s little treasure and as such it should be unique, mysterious and poetic. He is the editor of every single fragrance produced to its last detail and each one narrates a story of their own. His scents can take you to various places, from walking down Champs Elysees to the Arab souk markets, from a summer night in Greece to a Japanese flower garden.
The EG logo was designed to blend the initials of its founder Manos, born Emmanouil, and bears resemblance to the Delphic Epsilon. Bit of fun facts for you – the letter epsilon (as a symbol) is directly related to Delphi (the Temple of Apollo) and the connection of man to light. Its placement at the top of the pediment at the Temple of Apollo (the god of sun and light) declares its relationship between the light and perfection.
Manos Gerakinis Stockists
This fine fragrance house redefines luxury through blending tradition, art, poetry, craftsmanship and extravagance to indulge the senses. Manos Gerakinis aims to be internationally recognised as the no. 1 luxury Greek niche perfume brand. It is sold across the world at the following stores:
| Country | City | Type of Stockist | Name of Stockist | |
| UK | London | Niche Perfume Store | BEL REBEL | |
| Bristol | Niche Perfume Store | Shy Mimosa Perfumery | ||
| Belgium | Brussels | Niche Perfume Store | Smell Stories | |
| Czechia | Prague | Niche Perfume Store | Kosmeticke delikatesy Madeleine | |
| Greece (Athens) | Athens | Cosmetics Store | Heaven on Earth | |
| Athens | Niche Perfume Store | King George Hotel Perfumery | ||
| Mykonos | Small Hotel Resort | Apanema Resort | ||
| Mykonos | Luxury Hotel | Cavo Tagoo Hotel | ||
| Mykonos | Luxury Boutique | Jackie O’ Bar Boutique | ||
| Santorini | Luxury Hotel and Suites | Ambassador Aegean Hotel & Suites | ||
| Santorini | Boutique | Comment Boutique | ||
| Russia | Ekaterinburg | Niche Perfume Store | Gold Apple | |
| Saudi Arabia | Al Khobar | Niche Perfume Store | Nobles Scent | |
| Finland | Lappeenranta | Niche Perfume Store | Podium Scandinavia | |
| Latvia | Riga | Niche Perfume Store | Niche Perfume Boutique | |
| United States | Pennsylvania | Niche Perfume Store | Perfumology |
The Sillage Collection
And now on to my favourite – the Sillage Collection. It was created for both men and women who want to leave a long-lasting impression. I feel as though I share a guarded secret as I write this, but the French term ‘sillage’ refers to the scented trail left by the wearer. This is perfectly in line with why I believe wearing perfume is so important. It is the little details that make a lasting impression and a trailing scent does indeed give a reason to be remembered.
There are two fragrances that form the Sillage Collection: Sillage Royal and Sillage Suave. The first of the collection, Sillage Royal, was in fact the first ever fragrance that Manos created in 2014 and took over nine months to complete. Whilst all are memorable, I took a special liking to Sillage Suave, as I felt I could relate to the meaning of it most. Sillage Suave is the second fragrance launched in the summer of 2015 and Manos describes this fragrance as ‘The World’.
It is perfect for both men and women (and it changes scent accordingly once it makes contact with skin) who travel the world to pursue their dreams. This touched home for me as that is exactly what I did in July 2019, where I left the world of finance to live out my dream of building my own business – but that is a whole other story for you to read about when the mood takes you.
To create the fragrance, Manos Gerakinis mixed his favourite woody scents with citrus to create a clean yet sophisticated perfume inspired by Mediterranean culture. The word ‘suave’ means charming and it was named after an anecdote from Manos’ personal life. The trailing scent had an effect on an unknown woman in the streets, who stopped Manos to ask what it was. It is this little anecdote that caused them to launch the fragrance.
Top Notes: Bergamot, Lemon, Bitter green Galbanum, Pink Peppercorn
Heart Notes: Angelica, Galbanum Resin, Orris, Guajac Wood
Base Notes: Sandalwood, Cedarwood, Oud, Musk
Eau de Parfum – 60ml – £180
With Valentine’s Day coming up in just a few short weeks, I thought this was the perfect time to introduce readers to the world of luxury fragrances. This perfume house is particularly interesting as a unisex fragrance, as it would make the perfect gift for men, women or couples. It would also make a great gift for anniversaries – say from kids to parents or between close friends. If this article has intrigued you, there is so much more to learn about this wonderful world of luxury scent and seduction.
What makes it all the most interesting to me is that luxury boutique fragrances are not mainstream, and that adds an air of secrecy. If you were interested in learning more, you can find a lot of info online, but more interestingly, you can attend conferences that focus on luxury boutique fragrances. I had really wanted to visit Esxence 2019 in Milan last year, but hopefully it is something I can attend in years to come!
If you’d like to read more about the fascinating world of fragrance, be sure to check out our articles like Why is Perfume so Expensive, EDP vs EDT and the Different Types of Perfume and How to Make Perfume Last Longer.
All images taken at Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi wearing Never Fully Dressed.
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Sarah is a syndicated freelance writer and editor of Dukes Avenue. She founded Dukes Avenue in 2018 as a creative outlet while working at a London hedge fund. What initially started as a small blog has become a widely read luxury lifestyle online publication targeted at the modern woman, with content curated to inspire readers to live their best and most fulfilled lives. Sarah has lived in London, Malta, and, most recently, the United Arab Emirates and uses her travels and experiences to inspire much of the content.
