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I Hate Perfume: A Manifesto
I wrote this manifesto in 1992 when I first decided to make “perfume”. At the time, I thought it very important to answer some questions and lay down some guidelines before I even began. Questions like “what about perfume as it currently exists do I hope to change?” and “exactly what of any relevance do I have to add to the vast, ancient history of perfume?” Although I’ve revised it slightly over the intervening years, my manifesto has been a true and faithful compass ever since I first set out to explore the “invisible country” of Olfaction.
I hate perfume
perfume is too often...
an ethereal corset trapping everyone in the same unnatural shape
a lazy and inelegant concession to fashionable ego
a pale substitute for true allure and style
an opaque shell concealing everything - revealing nothing
a childish masque hiding the insecure and unimaginative
an arrogant slap in the face from across the room
people who smell like everyone else disgust me
perfume is a veil that reveals the soul
perfume is the fanfare of our individuality - sounding differently to everyone who listens
perfume is the signpost to our true selves - a different journey for the brave to travel
perfume is the weather of our inner world bringing life to a personal landscape
perfume is an art that shows us what we can be if we dare - an invisible portrait of who we are
perfume is discovered fully only by our lovers when we are together - naked perfume is an adventure I encourage you to explore
I encourage you to be yourself, please yourself, expand yourself
allow yourself the luxury of your own experience
remember perfume is ALWAYS an experience - ethereal, evocative and, most of all, emotional
THIS is the kind of perfume I love
This is the kind of perfume I make
-CB, 1992 slightly revised 2004, 2018
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