Behind the scenes with the noses behind Avon’s latest fragrance: Far Away Beyond The Moon

To celebrate the launch of Far Away Beyond The Moon, we flew some journalist and influencer friends of Avon over to Paris for an exclusive, behind the scenes look at the creation of our latest fragrance.

Just a stone’s throw from the Arc de Triomphe, you’ll find the impressive Givaudan Perfumery School: the birthplace of some of world’s best known fragrances.

We were hosted by the brilliant Eugenie Briot, Perfume Historian and Program Manager of the Perfumery School. We explored the developments in iconic female fragrances through time that have led us to today, and the exciting launch of Far Away Beyond The Moon.

From there, we put our perfume knowledge to the test in a perfumery insight session with Calice Becker, Perfumery School Director. Calice taught us some of the techniques used to train world-class perfumers and gave our noses a workout in an exercise smelling raw ingredients.

Givaudan is famous for its abundant and beautiful gardens and there we discovered Scent Trek technology, which was used in the creation of Avon’s latest scent, Far Away Beyond The Moon. Its middle note of Belle de Nuit, a flower that blooms in the full intensity of moonlight, was sustainably captured from the Hawaiian island of Kauai using this fascinating technology, which doesn’t require flowers to be picked or the environment disturbed.

After seeing the labs, immersing ourselves in harvesting fragrances and experimenting with our own unique Far Away Beyond The Moon fragrance blends, we were treated to exclusive time with Givaudan Perfumer, Hernan Figoli. Originally from Brazil, Hernan has worked at Givaudan for over 22 years and is the creator of Far Away Beyond The Moon. Hernan’s style has a strong technical component, but his most important source of inspiration is his imagination. Hernan’s unique interpretation gives his perfumery its vivid signature.

We learned so much from the experts during our trip. Of everything we discovered, here are the top five lessons that we think everyone should know…

• Fragrances are a fusion of alcohol with varying concentrations of fragrance oils. The higher the concentration of fragrance oils, the longer it lasts on your skin. A parfum has between 16-40% potency, Eau de Parfum 15-20-%, Eau de Toilette 5-15%, Eau de Cologne 2-5% and Eau Fraîche 1-3%.
• Heard of top, middle and base notes? These are the different layers of a fragrance. The top notes are what you notice first, you either love it and grab it or hate it and toss it. Top notes don’t stick around for very long, so never judge a scent too quickly! The middle notes are known as the heart of the fragrance. These are exclusive scents that set them apart from other perfumes and are often what gives the perfume its personality. Base notes start to shine once the top and middle notes fade into the ether. These also last the longest on your skin. Together, these notes work in harmony with each other and are often described as part of a fragrance family: floral, oriental, woody, citrus or fruity.
• The longevity of your favourite scent depends on you. If you choose a light scent, you can expect it to last up to 8 hours; splurge on a more concentrated parfum and you’ll be basking in scent heaven way longer than that. Help your perfume go the distance by timing it right. The best time to spritz is directly after your shower when your skin is still warm and your pores are still open. Don’t forget to moisturise first because perfume tends to evaporate at lightning speed when your skin is dry. By layering different products with the same scent – like a perfume with its corresponding body lotion - you’ll help increase the staying power of the scent and prevent it from fading throughout the day.
• Application can make a difference to the way a scent behaves. The best spots to spritz are your pulse points – your neck, wrists, inside your elbows and behind your ears. These areas give off extra heat and help your scent to diffuse more quickly. Spray 3-5 inches away from your skin to prevent the scent from being too overpowering and, whatever you do, do not rub it in! This breaks down the notes prematurely, altering the scent and causing it to evaporate more quickly. Just spritz and go!

And that’s a wrap! Now you can wear your perfect perfume with confidence.