Katrina Rosales
Discontinued perfumes can sometimes make a comeback, but it's not a guarantee. Perfumes are usually discontinued due to a lack of commercial success or profitability, and companies may decide to bring them back if demand increases or if they can reformulate the product to their satisfaction. When perfumes do come back, they often have a different formula, packaging, or scent, which can be due to changes in regulations, ingredients, and materials. Limited-edition perfumes may also find their way into the regular brand line, but it's not common. For those seeking discontinued perfumes, specialised perfume boutiques may be able to help find similar alternatives or recreate the scent through private labelling.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Do discontinued perfumes ever come back? | Rarely, but sometimes they do. |
| Why are perfumes discontinued? | Perfumes are discontinued mainly due to a lack of commercial success. This could be because of slow demand, high production costs, or new regulations. |
| What happens when discontinued perfumes come back? | They are usually altered in some way. The scent may be different, the bottle and packaging may change, and the perfume may be harder to get your hands on. |
| What can you do if your favourite perfume is discontinued? | You can try to find a similar scent, or you can try to recreate the perfume yourself with a private label company. |
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What You'll Learn
Perfumes rarely return in their original form
While some discontinued perfumes do make a comeback, it is rare for them to return in their original form. Perfumes are discontinued for a variety of reasons, including slow demand, production costs, new regulations, and availability of ingredients. When they are brought back, it is often with a different formula or packaging. For example, a perfume that was once an EDT may come back as an EDP, as was the case with London by Paul Smith.
Even when brands attempt to recreate the original scent, it is challenging to achieve an exact replica due to changes in suppliers, ingredients, and regulations. This can lead to a new formula that may be significantly different from the original. For instance, the 2018 version of L'Interdit by Givenchy was inspired by the 1957 original but featured different notes and packaging.
Limited edition perfumes may also find their way into the regular line of a brand, but this is not a common occurrence. In some cases, brands may bring back discontinued perfumes as part of an exclusive or limited edition line, but these releases are typically short-lived.
For those seeking their favourite discontinued perfumes, it is possible to find similar alternatives. Specialised perfume boutiques may offer expert advice and suggest perfumes with similar scents. Additionally, private label companies can replicate discontinued perfumes, creating a close reproduction for customers.
While it is possible for discontinued perfumes to make a comeback, it is important to manage expectations as they rarely return in their original form. Changes in the fragrance industry, including new regulations and ingredient availability, often lead to alterations in the formula and overall presentation of the perfume.
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Limited editions sometimes return as regulars
Discontinued perfumes can sometimes make a comeback, but it's not very common. When they do return, they are often altered in some way, whether that's the formula, the bottle, or the packaging. This is often due to changes in regulations, ingredients, and materials availability.
Limited edition perfumes sometimes find their way into the regular line of the brand long after the limited edition round is over. For example, Jo Malone has released limited edition perfumes that have later become part of another round of limited editions. However, this is not a common occurrence, and it's important to manage your expectations.
When perfumes are discontinued, it's often because they are not profitable, due to slow demand or high production costs. In some cases, it may be possible to bring back a discontinued perfume with a private label. This involves working with a company that specializes in creating private label perfumes to replicate the original scent as closely as possible. This option provides more flexibility than the industry standard of a minimum of 10,000 bottles, with a minimum of 500 bottles for your own private line.
If you're hoping for a discontinued perfume to make a comeback, it's worth considering that it may not be the same as you remember it, and it may not be available in your region.
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Brands may relaunch with a new formula
While it is uncommon for discontinued perfumes to make a comeback, it is not unheard of for brands to relaunch their fragrances with a new formula. This can be due to changes in regulations, ingredient availability, or simply economic decisions.
For example, London by Paul Smith was originally an EDT but was relaunched as an EDP with new packaging. Similarly, Extravagance d'Amarige by Givenchy was reintroduced with a similar design, and Velvet Gardenia by Tom Ford was included in a new collection years after its initial launch.
When brands bring back discontinued perfumes, they often tweak the original composition, resulting in a different scent. This can be due to the unavailability of certain ingredients or the need to comply with new regulations. For instance, Guerlain's LPRN was reinterpreted by their in-house perfumer, Thierry Wasser, who made the fragrance more widely available while retaining the overall theme and notes.
In some cases, discontinued perfumes are relaunched as limited editions or exclusive lines. For example, Fol Arôme Guerlain was relaunched as a limited edition, and Jean-Paul Gaultier "Gaultier 2" was brought back due to popular demand in a customer poll.
While it is challenging to recreate the exact same scent, it is possible for brands to reformulate discontinued perfumes and bring them back with a new formula. This can be driven by customer demand, a desire to stoke interest, or changes in the availability of ingredients and regulations.
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Fragrances may be reformulated due to new regulations
The fragrance industry is highly regulated, with organisations such as the IFRA and the EU constantly updating their rules and regulations to ensure that products are allergen-free. As a result, certain ingredients that may be essential for a fragrance can be limited in concentration or banned entirely. For example, the use of certain allergenic raw materials like oakmoss has been restricted in Europe, prompting fragrance companies to reformulate their scents.
Another example is animal-based notes such as civet or castoreum, which have been banned due to ethical concerns. In some cases, these ingredients may be replaced with synthetic replicas, while in other cases, the fragrance may be discontinued altogether.
Regulatory changes can also impact the availability of ingredients. For instance, natural ingredients such as Oud, formed from the rotting wood of an Agar tree, or Ambergris, a rare occurrence of whale excrement, may be in short supply or becoming extinct. Companies may choose to discontinue a fragrance rather than replace these ingredients with synthetic alternatives.
Additionally, regulations may also influence the types of ingredients that can be used in fragrances. For instance, there has been a growing demand for more natural and sustainable fragrances, leading companies to change their scents to include more environmentally friendly ingredients.
While reformulation due to new regulations can be challenging for both perfumers and consumers, it also presents an opportunity for creativity and experimentation with new ingredients and formulas.
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Recreating a scent is difficult due to secret formulae
Recreating a scent is a complex process due to the intricate combination of ingredients and the secrecy surrounding perfume formulae. Perfumes can contain anywhere from a few dozen to over a hundred ingredients, and the specific combination of these ingredients is carefully crafted by perfumers to create a unique scent.
While some ingredients may be listed on the box, such as allergen ingredients like Linalool and Limonene, the full formula remains a closely guarded secret. This secrecy is due in part to the fact that perfume formulae cannot be patented and are therefore not protected against plagiarism. As a result, perfumers rely on cosmetic regulations to keep their formulas confidential, only disclosing the ingredients that comprise the "fragrance" or "parfum" on the ingredient list.
To recreate a scent, one would need access to advanced laboratory equipment and the expertise of a perfume analyst. The process involves passing a perfume sample through a chromatography machine, which can separate the formula into its individual components. The resulting chromatograph is then analysed by an expert nose who works alongside advanced software to reconstitute the formula.
Even with these advanced techniques, recreating a discontinued perfume can be challenging. This is because some ingredients may no longer be available or may have been banned. Additionally, using the same ingredients from a different supplier can also result in a slightly different scent.
Despite these challenges, some companies specialise in creating private label perfumes and can attempt to replicate discontinued fragrances. By breaking down the notes and researching the original fragrance, they can create a similar scent, though it may not be identical to the original.
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Frequently asked questions
Discontinued perfumes rarely make a comeback, and if they do, they are often reformulated and repackaged. This is due to changes in regulations, ingredients, and materials availability.
Perfumes are discontinued for a variety of reasons, mainly due to a lack of commercial success or profitability. This could be due to slow demand, high production costs, or outdated formulas.
If your favourite perfume has been discontinued, you could try visiting specialised perfume boutiques to find similar scents. You could also consider creating your own private label perfume by replicating the discontinued scent as closely as possible.
