It's fascinating that we remember only five percent of what we see, but 35 percent of what we smell. Yet, in a generation that is all for standing out and crafting a unique self, we surprisingly don't care much for creating our own scent for others to remember us by.
We put all that effort into our (terrible) hairstyles, our (lacklustre) clothing choices, but deem our natural smells good enough. Or at best, slap on a luxury scent and be satisfied that we could smell like the hundreds others who could afford the same fragrance, and hope we somehow won't ever cross paths.
Maybe it's time we thought about this different.
It's exactly what founder Johanna Monange wants to introduce to our culture. The once Global Director of L'Oreal, who oversaw the creation of over 18 brands in its Luxury Division, left it behind to pursue this revolution—democratising bespoke perfume.
The '21G' is lifted from Dr. Duncan Macdougall's study of the 21 grams of weight that is lost after death, which he believed was the weight of the soul. 'Scent of your soul' sounds like quite the statement, but smells are a carnal, poetic thing. It's human instinct, as biology has shown, to use our nose to inform our perceptions. So let's get to it.
You can make your selection based on ingredients, occasion, or even by taking a personality quiz. Quiz results are tailored to age, skin tone, and gender. Or think gender is a social construct? There's a gender-free choice. With 65 options to choose from, there's over 600 possible combinations.
In store, you'd get to see the specialised sustainable technology Monange developed to dispense your fragrance in just 30 seconds. Otherwise, you can mix it by hand from the comfort of your home after choosing from the quiz result recommendations and having them delivered to your doorstep.
Packaging is unisex, and you can take customisation to the next level by having any photo, design, or text laser printed on. Now you'll want to sit down as we reveal the price for this advanced, highly-personalised service. Not because it's ridiculously expensive like the Dior Toile de Jouy straw set, but because the phthalates, CMRs, NGOs, formaldehydes, and cruelty free, 90 percent biodegradable fragrance retails at just SGD69.
Private Atelier sessions, including bridal and corporate, are available by appointment via website.
Maison 21G is located at 77 Duxton Road, Singapore 089536.
