Those celeb fragrances that were once so popular are seeing a major decline in sales as natural perfume moves in. Personal fragrance has evolved and you are going to want in on this beautifully-scented action.

According to NPD Group Inc., sales for celebrity fragrances in the U.K. market saw a decline from 2015 to 2016 of 22%. Those star-backed scents are beginning to stink here in the U.S. too as sales plummeted from 12% of the market in 2012 to a mere 4% in 2016. Not sweet.

Artisanal and niche fragrances, however, are the fastest growing segments of the fragrance market, and some big names are getting in on the sweet-smelling action. Take Jason Wu, for example. The designer is creating his first fragrance with ingredients he chose personally. Estee Lauder recently acquired Le Labo fragrance brand that has a following amongst those looking for an artisanal feel. And cosmetic giant L’Oreal is also dabbling in niche perfumery.

The market hype surrounding many of these new fragrances comes with the word “niche”. While natural beauty is still often referred to using this term, it doesn’t necessarily signify that the product is made completely with natural ingredients and no synthetic ingredients, including fragrance ingredients. “Niche” can simply imply a more hand-crafted, apothecary style vibe.

As with all natural beauty shopping, it’s important to know what is in a product in order to tell if it is truly natural. And this can get particularly tricky with fragrance. You may know which ingredients to avoid and how to read product labels, but if the ingredients aren’t listed that can be a problem.

It’s not uncommon for a brand, conventional or natural, to use the term “fragrance” on ingredient listings. Laws protect manufacturers’ trade secrets and they are not required to list out each individual fragrance ingredient they use. This is particularly important for perfume creators, but may soon change with the new Procter & Gamble initiative to disclose fragrance ingredients.

The first place to look on a brand website, if full ingredient listings are not available, is the ingredient commitment page. Does the brand share how they choose ingredients? Do they give a list of ingredients they never use? If not, it’s time to do more digging.

Some larger retailers, like Nordstrom and Amazon, will give full ingredient listings for many products. If you come up against that slick blanket term “fragrance” and there is no notation like “made from natural ingredients” or “naturally sourced” it’s safe to assume some synthetic fragrance ingredients are involved.

As Josh Rosebrook, Founder of Josh Rosebrook Skin and Hair Care, puts it, “Conventional synthetic perfumers are not going to offer completely pure formulations in their perfumes. They might add a few essential oils and market their whole product as natural, but they will probably always use synthetic aromas and fixatives for staying power and boosting fragrances.”

Not surprisingly, price is also a factor in choosing the healthiest ingredients for perfumes. “Pure, unadulterated essential oils and absolutes are also very expensive,” said Rosebrook,  “and do not lend to the margins major conventional perfume brands need to rake in huge profits per unit.”

Any awareness of natural beauty is productive. The natural beauty market as a whole is seeing huge growth. But it’s super important to follow and support brands who are authentic and using high-quality, naturals, and who are willing to share the whole story with you on what they use in products.

Nadine Artemis, Cofounder of Living Libations, literally wrote the book on natural perfumery. In “Renegade Beauty”, Artemis’ forthcoming book on natural fragrance, she says that “pure plant perfumes” are not only safer than synthetic fragrance ingredients but “are immune enhancing and are the remedy to many synthetic-stimulated issues.”

Now, you may be wondering if completely natural fragrance lives up to traditional perfume status in terms of performance. It’s true that in the past natural fragrance had a few important components missing. First, because essential oils played a starring role in most fragrance combinations, they were earthy and less refined. Secondly, the scent seemed to disappear within minutes. Good for instant aromatherapy? Sure. To keep you smelling lovely all day? Not so much.

Like all natural cosmetics, natural perfumes have come a long way, too. Today’s natural scents rival conventional perfumes in scent quality and staying power. They are meticulously crafted blends designed to offer intricate scent combinations that last a longer time. As Rosebrook said, “The most aromatic and long-lasting ingredients for perfuming are of the highest quality, organic, or wild-harvested from trusted farms.”

4 Natural Perfumes to Try

1. Josh Rosebrook Ethereal

If you are new to naturals, this is the one to get you started. An all natural and organic combination, this perfume is spicy and warm, but soft enough to please even the most sensitive sniffers.

2. Living Libations Night Flight to Venus

Like frolicking through a fairy tale forest, these exquisitely blended perfumes are essential oil combos with a base of biodynamic grape alcohol to make the scent last. Night Flight to Venus, a mix of vanilla and jasmine, is the perfect scent for those who love a warm floral.

3. Vered Organic Botanical Blue Violet Perfume

It doesn’t have to be summer to indulge your senses in a fresh floral. This beauty melds jasmine and violet with citrus for a crisp aroma.

4. Strange Invisible L’Invisible

A delicately-scented citrus vanilla aroma with undertones of florals. This soft, fresh scent is both luxe and feminine.

*Disclaimer: Help support EcoSalon! Our site is dedicated to helping people live a conscious lifestyle. We’ve provided some affiliate links above in case you wish to purchase any of these products.

Related on EcoSalon
5 Totally Natural Floral Perfumes for When You’re So Over Rose
How to Not Sweat (or Stink) With Natural Deodorant
9 Organic Beauty Shops Around the World You Have to Try

The post Natural Perfume In the Spotlight As Traditional Fragrance Sales Plummet appeared first on EcoSalon.

One thing is for sure this time of year: Whether the weather is hot and sunny, wet and dreary, or cool and crisp … we are ready for fall! Evoke the season no matter what it’s like outside with fresh, natural  perfumes and scents.

You may not be wearing your chunky sweaters and ankle boots just yet (darn it!) but this doesn’t mean you can’t add a bit of autumn to you style. What’s light, invokes a sense of fall, and appropriate for any weather?

Fall scents! And natural perfumes lend that crisp, seasonal feel without the artificial fragrance side effects. Feeling something warm and earthy? Kick your cozy socked (or bare) feet up and peruse our list of the best fall perfumes to get your hands on now.

The list includes both perfume oils and sprays. What’s the diff? Oils do not contain the alcohol that makes a perfume spray-able. Oils also tend to be longer lasting, have a longer shelf life and richer aroma, and are less likely to cause an allergic reaction, like headache or skin irritation.

How to choose? If you have ultra-sensitive skin, choose a perfume oil. If you prefer to spritz like crazy and like a lighter scent, go for a spray.

5 Fall Scents to Get Your Autumn Started

1. Honoré Des Prés Vamp A NY is classic style meets modern woman. Tuberose and rum unite to create a delightful spritz-able scent Spirit Demerson deems “everything I love about autumn in a fragrance”.

2. For those who love floral scents year round, Strange Invisible Epic Gardenia Perfume is the way to go. The intense flower is grounded with velvety spiciness in this spray perfume.

Vanilla and cacao in a woodsy fusion? Yes, please! This is what you get in Tsi-La Organics L’Absolu Vanille Eau De Parfum, a universal oil blend.

And now for something completely different. Osmia Organics Cedar Smoke Perfume Oil is tantalizingly unique. Less sitting-around-the-campfire, more walk-in-the-forest. Created in Colorado, this baby is mountain living at its best.

Rose lovers rejoice. Lurk Made TBPV1 Perfume Oil combines traditional tuberose with black pepper in this modern throwback perfume oil. Think classic elegance meets contemporary style.

*Disclaimer: Help support EcoSalon! Our site is dedicated to helping people live a conscious lifestyle. We’ve provided some affiliate links above in case you wish to purchase any of these products.

Related on EcoSalon

5 Natural Perfumes That Actually Smell Great

Denim Jackets and Vests for Early Fall: Friday Finds

5 Fall Makeup Colors We Can’t Wait to Wear

Image of woman applying perfume via Shutterstock

The post 5 Natural Perfumes That Evoke Autumn’s Warm Earthiness appeared first on EcoSalon.

Welcome to the sixth installment of our seven-part Eco Salon Eco-Beauty Approved Guide: Fragrance Products. Coming up next is:

SUN

We’ve worked really hard to gather this list from professionals in the field, including Kristen Arnett, Paige Padgett, Jessa Blades, Greta Eagan, Sophie Uliano, Todra Payne, Renee Loux, Starre Vartan and others, along with our very own editors and writers. We’ve looked at ingredients, brand missions and philosophies, considered skin and hair types, all types of concerns and tested several products in each line. We’ve broken it down by category, with multiple options in each, so get ready for lots of options.

We’ve also considered price and tried very hard to include a broad range from luxury to affordable for just about any budget. Even though we’ve listed just one or two product recommendations per brand, it’s hard to go wrong with these companies, so experiment until you find your new must have products! Without further ado, please read on for the 2013 EcoSalon Approved Eco-Beauty Guide!

THE FRAGRANCE LIST

1. A Perfume Organic 

A Perfume Organic is passionately committed to offering the finest certified organic perfumes possible. Amanda Walker’s ever- expanding range offers finely crafted fragrance items for life, travel & home and brings distinctive design, ecological consideration and attention to the smallest details.

Product Pick:

Urban Organic (for everyone, light & fresh, cirrus)

2. Aveda 

Aveda’s mission is to care for the world we live in, from the products they make to the ways in which they give back to society. Aveda strives to set an example by connecting beauty, environment and well being.

Product Pick: Personal Blends (have your own scent made)

 3. Honore Des Pres

Honore Des Pres delivers messages of happiness and is created for urban people who long for simplicity and nature. Dynamic and cheeky, their products contain no petrochemicals or synthetic perfumes.

Product Pick:

Vamp A NY (for everyone, tuberose & autumn in a bottle)

4. La Bella Figura 

Using natural, organic and wild crafted whole plant ingredients, sustainably sourced and known for their botanic therapeutic power to create performance driven products that work to protect, repair, and prevent skin conditions for the most efficacious yet gentle anti aging effects and radiant skin.

Product Picks:

Paris (lightly floral with hints of wood and vanilla

Buenos Aires (exotic, citrusy & floral)

5. Perspehenie

A Los Angeles based aromatherapist and perfumer, specializing in natural, botanical perfumery.

Product Pick:

Neroli Infusion Organic Body Oil (decadent all over scent plus rich moisture)

6. Simplers Botanicals 

A small herbalist-operated company in Northern California with a passion for providing the highest therapeutic grade organic essential oils and extracts available.

Product Pick:

Perfume Oils (for everyone, single note essential oil perfumes)

Read Eco Salon’s 2013 Eco Beauty Approved Guide Part 1: 19 Bath & Body Products here.

Part 2: 41 Facial Care Products.

Part 3: 11 Hair Care Products.

Part 4: 17 Makeup & Color Products.

Part 5: Personal Care & Hygiene Products.

Looking to try healthy beauty products before you buy?  Goodebox delivers 6-7 personalized samples per month to take the guess work out of cleaning up your beauty routine. Try Goodebox today.

The post EcoSalon’s 2013 Eco-Beauty Approved Guide Part 6: 6 Fragrance Products appeared first on EcoSalon.