FRAGRANT FUTURE
Armani Beauty is shaking up the fragrance world with the release of its new eco-conscious scent, My Way, and a firm focus on sustainability.
Armani Beauty is shaking up the fragrance world.
“ARMANI BEAUTY IS TRYING TO OFFSET ITS CARBON FOOTPRINT.”
ADRIA ARJONA
Most of us can probably remember a time when we tiptoed into our mother’s bathroom to sneak a spritz of her most-cherished perfume. While our childhood selves simply hoped we wouldn’t be caught in the act, actress Adria Arjona was so inspired by her mother’s fragrance collection as a youngster that she set her sights on a career in perfumery. “When I was young, my biggest dream before becoming an actress was to create the world’s most expensive perfume, and not tell anybody that all the proceeds would go to a foundation of my choice,” she recollects. “I would mix my mother’s perfumes or I would mix my perfumes with my father’s. I never arrived at a good scent because you can only imagine how terrible they all smelled.”
While Arjona’s perfumery aspirations never transpired, given the philanthropic philosophy at the heart of her fragrance dreams, it’s fitting that the actress – who you’ll recognise from Good Omens and True Detective – is the face of Armani Beauty’s latest blockbuster fragrance, My Way. The scent – a bewitching combination of radiant floral notes, hints of zesty citrus, vanilla and cedarwood – marks a dramatic departure from the fragrance world as we know it. Although the fragrance’s ethos of ‘I am what I live’ is undoubtedly captured by the youthful character of the scent’s sparkling notes, it also signifies the bigger change that’s afoot in the industry.
“As a consumer, you are also a supporter,” says Arjona. “A supporter of that brand’s decision to be a positive or a negative influence on our environment.” She’s not wrong – every day we vote with our wallets. We have the power to support brands that align with our beliefs and shun those that don’t. And with many of us growing increasingly wary of the detrimental impact certain industries have on the planet, more of us are looking to invest in brands that align with a more sustainable way of life.
While there may be a handful of flacon collectors out there, the final spritz of a fragrance is usually the end of the road for perfumes. Most bottles meet their demise in the same way time and time again. Although some components of traditional bottles might be recyclable in theory, more often than not, they’re almost impossible to disassemble and end up in a landfill. This is where Armani Beauty is shaking things up in the fragrance world. “The bottle is beautifully designed and its refillability is one of my favourite parts
about it,” explains Arjona. So rather than disposing of your perfume bottle once it’s empty, with My Way simply head to your favourite beauty counter to purchase a refill, unscrew the atomiser and lid, use the refill bottle to replenish your perfume, et voilà! You’ve got a new bottle of perfume.
However, the packaging is only one facet of the eco-conscious scent. “When it comes to climate change, a lot of companies are seeing that where they can have the biggest impact is in terms of their carbon footprint. Armani Beauty is trying to offset its carbon footprint with My Way, and I find that really motivating, not just for this fragrance, but for the fragrance world,” says Arjona. My Way’s carbon neutrality is just one step in the right direction for Armani Beauty – by 2025 it hopes to have achieved carbon neutrality across all its products and have reduced its carbon footprint by 25 per cent.
As natural resources dwindle, transparency and ethical sourcing can no longer afford to be buzzwords in the beauty world. “My Way has two very special natural ingredients: the tuberose from India, which smells amazing, and the vanilla from Madagascar,” explains Arjona. The notes harnessed in My Way favour natural ingredients that are sourced responsibly to ensure sustainability. The vanilla, for example, is sourced via an inclusive sourcing programme in collaboration with local NGO Fanamby, which works with suppliers who provide reliable work and income for vulnerable people who would otherwise be excluded from the labour market. “The coolest thing about all of this is that it’s just the beginning,” says Arjona. “Armani Beauty is taking the first step of what seems to be a really long journey of sustainability, and I’m honoured to be a part of that since they have a continuous plan to make all their products sustainable.”