Most fragrances today are made with a marketing strategy that takes precedence over the juice itself. Does it have a quirky name? Is it easy to communicate the notes through the internet? Does it tap into a buzzy Tiktok trend? (Remember last year’s sudden influx of pistachio perfumes, or this year’s slew of ‘skin scents’?)
Of course, all this is understandable: businesses have a bottom line to beat, and indulgent creativity doesn’t always lead to a smash-hit in the mass market. But Merit – the beauty brand firmly focused on strong-minded millennial women – hasn’t taken the easy route with its fragrance debut. Launching today, Retrospect L’Extrait de Parfum is a scent that looks to the old world of perfumery, eschewing the viral notes and influencer catnip to offer something that simply smells really good.
The brand enlisted acclaimed nose Fanny Bal – best known for creating complex blends for the likes of Dries Van Noten and Maison Martin Margiela – to create its signature scent. The relationship began with a conversation, rather than a brief. ‘The direction that became clear is we had more of a relationship with vintage fragrances from our youth; they became incredibly important memories for all of us that were all deeply personal. We felt bringing in vintage notes – aldehydes, rose, and jasmine – but treating them in a modern way, would ground the scent in the nostalgia and nuance we were missing,” says Aila Morin, Chief Marketing Officer of Merit.
Merit Retrospect
Retrospect does smell notably different, and much more complex, to the other buzzy launches hitting the shelves at the moment (think of all those bestsellers causing teenage stampedes at Sephora). ‘When you look at the fragrance market right now, a lot of the scents are linear – they’re focused on one major note (usually one that’s trending on SEO), which makes them easy to slot into a specific category,’ says Morin.
‘Most brands go to perfumers with a specific brief of notes that they know will index on search engines, and sell based on familiarity.’ Merit, however, took a different direction. ‘We approached ours very much from the lens of filling our own emotional white space, wanting to create something that actually made us feel something, which is a lot more challenging to do,’ adds Morin.
‘This is a simplification, but essentially the market is split into three – young, gourmand-heavy scents (often in body spray or less concentrated formats) to serve the Gen-Z and Gen Alpha consumer, that are driven by single notes, layering stories and very literal visual representations in an effort to go viral; heritage fashion house brands that market to us by showing us who we should want to be – a celebrity running through the streets of Paris – yet telling us nothing about the scent; or, niche brands that make more complex scents at a very high price point,’ Morin says. ‘There was clear space for a complex, sophisticated fragrance made for our own age demographic, with craftsmanship and wear-time as focuses, at a price point that made logical sense.’
So, what does it actually smell like? First things first: Retrospect is not a gourmand (fragrance speak for ‘perfume that smells like a dessert.’) While Gen Z may be obsessed with these decadent blends (Huda Beauty has a whole line of them, while TikTok is full of people revealing their dupes for Kilian’s investment-level bottles), Merit believes that most millennial women don’t want to smell like a sticky toffee pudding while in the office or out with friends.
There is a hint of that popular, cosy skin-scent vibe that lies behind many a modern success story (think: Glossier’s You, or Phlur’s Missing Person) but Retrospect has the guts that many of its competitors don’t. There’s a darker grounding that feels richer and more mature than those viral-on-social-media blends: a sophistication that places it closer to classic scents from the designer behemoths.
The snuggly warmth of ambrette is a key note, while complexity comes via rosemary and orris. Yes, there’s that classic vanilla-and-musk duo in the base, but a dose of moss tempers any familiar baby-powder softness.
Unusually for a new perfume, the brand has also used aldehydes (the synthetic scent ‘booster’ that gives Chanel’s No5 its impact). ‘They’re a very vintage callback – you’d remember them from more powdery fragrances particularly in the 80s,’ says Morin. ‘When used on their own, they can feel very old fashioned, but we balanced them with modern notes like pear and musk to provide a nostalgic familiarity that is grounded by modernity.’
To me, the end result doesn’t smell vintage (it’s as far from a heady Poison or No5 as can be), but the old-world complexity is there: with fresh, floral and woody elements all present, you’d struggle to sum up Retrospect on social media before the scrollers have swiped onwards. It’s also impressive to see the brand opt for an Extrait de Parfum: with twice the concentration of a standard Eau de Parfum, the trail sticks around for as long as you do, with no need to lug your bottle around all day.
Indeed, as Morin says, the brand didn’t set out to create something with simple, mass appeal. ‘I love that the fragrance is sparking conversation among those who have tried it so far,’ she says. ‘The way that the market has evolved has left little room for nuance or perspective, and that’s what we hope to bring back to the discourse. Retrospect won’t be for everyone – I promise, we’ve heard it’s not! Our hope is that we’ve crafted something unique that will become a signature scent for some and instead of being liked by many will be loved by few, who will keep it on their vanity for decades to come.’
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