Rose Week 2016
Last week, I mentioned (or rambled) on Twitter that I don’t understand the AERIN line. This came after the news of Estee Lauder launching a “Millennials” brand, Estée Edit that will be exclusive to Sephora. This new brand will be targeted to the 18-34 year old demographic according to WWD. I understand why Lauder is doing this. They want a younger audience but I don’t know how it will go for them. I feel like that age group will shop with the sister company, MAC, or buy (cheaper) cosmetics that have a cult-following on social media platforms like Instagram (i.e. ColourPop or Anastasia Beverly Hills). I really don’t see Lauder, even with a Jenner on their side, really doing well with this because the competition in this Millennial market is fierce, especially in the “edgy”, inexpensive and cruelty-free arenas. The WWD article also mentioned that the Estée Lauder demographic is 45+ years old. That’s practically ANCIENT to the beauty industry, apparently. So, my question, who is AERIN for? There’s an eleven year gap between Estée Edit and Estée Lauder. Is AERIN for those women in their 30’s-40’s? Nope, I don’t think so. If you’re in that age range, I guess you have to stain your cheeks with beetroots because it looks the beauty industry is just not interested in you!
Quick history – Aerin Lauder is Estée’s granddaughter. She is the epitome of the American heiress. She’s very elegant, beautiful and well-educated…and rich. She has a lifestyle brand that sells everything from floor lamps to $125 bottle stoppers to sensible yet stylish pointed-toe flats. And one can’t be a lifestyle brand without beauty products, right? Beauty is this woman’s empire. Like business, beauty is in her genes. Anyway, it doesn’t surprise me that Aerin has a line. What surprises me is the line AERIN because it seems like a separate line but it’s often sold at Estée Lauder counters, in stores that don’t sell the rest of the “World of Aerin“.
After the launch of Rose de Grasse, it finally occurred to me. AERIN is Estée Lauder’s attempt to branch out as a “luxury” or aspirational brand! Well, that only took me a few years to realize…maybe they should work on that message other than with price tags.
Now that I’ve figured that out, let’s get to the review.
Rose de Grasse opens as an alcoholic rose…meaning that it smells like a rose that had too much brown liquor the night before but is now seated next to you on the train. This quickly passes (like 45-60 seconds). Rose de Grasse is an airy, delicate rose with a hint of fruity raspberry. It’s not as anemic as rosewater nor is it a thick, dense rose parfum. Rose de Grasse is pink roses and peonies with a lot of lemon-y rose geranium. The heart adds a slightly spicy cedar to the bouquet of pink roses and peonies. The dry-down is clean, vegetal musk with a hint of fruitiness and those generic “clean woods” that do so well with these sort of airy florals.
One of the problems with being really into something, is that you’ll eventually become jaded. I’m not jaded, but I have tried so many rose perfumes and products. Instead of feeling jaded, I feel picky. Rose de Grasse is a lovely rose soliflore. The issue is that the market is saturated with many roses like this, especially at this price point. I think it’s a very pleasant rose, but as of today, I think it’s unremarkable in comparison to its competition. When I want something like this, I wear HEELEY Hippie Rose or even Stella McCartney Stella. But, don’t get me wrong. This is a very pretty pink bouquet rose but the price turns me off. If it had the regular ‘ole “45+ years old” Estée Lauder price tag, I’d be more tempted by it.
Notes listed include ambrette, watery notes, rose, woody notes, amber and musk. Launched in 2015.
Give Rose de Grasse if you like rose perfumes. Or if you like perfumes like Byredo Rose of No Man’s Land, Lancôme Mille et Une Roses, Serge Lutens Fille de Berlin, Juliette Has a Gun Miss Charming and/or HEELEY Hippie Rose.
Projection and longevity is above average. Actually, a creepy guy on mass transit complimented me on my “delightful aroma”. Thanks, Aerin!
The 1.7 oz bottle retails for $185 at Nordstrom.
Victoria’s Final EauPINION – Pretty pink rose. It’s a really good rose soliflore. It really is. But, I have so many roses (that I’m actually happy with) and because of that, I talk myself out of “luxury” roses. If someone were to give me a bottle, yeah, I’d wear it.
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*Sample obtained by me. Product pic from Fragrantica. Mylene Demongeot from Post contains an affiliate link. Thanks!
I’ve only sampled one AERIN scent and I liked it (Amber Musk), although I’m sure there are probably better and possibly even cheaper comparable scents out there. Lasting power left something to be desired though.
Wild uneducated guess here but I think a lot of marketing/R&D firms that deal with the beauty industry and perhaps even the fashion industry still operate under the antiquated notion that women in their 30s/40s are in the midst of juggling a spouse/children/jobs/households and therefore don’t have the money/interest/time to invest in higher end beauty/fashion. They think women in that target market primarily still do their beauty shopping while waiting for prescriptions to get filled at the pharmacy or while at the grocery to pick up bread and milk. They’re painting the whole target market with a broad stroke and lazily relying on old data to base their decisions on. Hopefully in time the old guard brands like Estee Lauder will wake up and realize that that’s not really the case anymore.
I actually don’t have any beef with AERIN fragrances. They actually remind me of Jo Malone London which is an aesthetic that I’m not personally drawn to but many people are. They are “easy to wear” perfumes. However, I do think there are cheaper alternatives out there for each of the scents (mainly because the fragrance market is so saturated, dupes are easier to find than ever).
I think you’re right. I think in general when it comes to products traditionally marketed to women, they think women in that age range are too busy. They’re being advertised baby products, healthcare products, and even cleaning supplies. Times are changing and in general it’s harder and harder for marketers to predict an entire group’s behaviors (but easier to predict an individual’s). It’s old.
Before this, I did think AERIN was for the 30/40s demographic. It’s like easy multi-purpose cosmetics, sheer fragrances. It just seemed sort of aspirational (or dare I say Stepford Wives-ish) with its politeness and stereotypical femininity. I will say this though with confidence, that line is most definitely for white women because those colors are so sheer/pale that they look chalky even on me.
And as I continue to ramble…the drugstore makeup scene has really improved over the past few years! There are no shades for most complexions and the formulas are really advanced. I realized that I’m actually emptying more of the drugstore stuff than the department store stuff these days.
That’s funny, I went to Nordstrom to get a sample of the new Jo Malone cardamom mimosa scent because I got a scent strip of it in one of my magazines. The cardamom on it was STRONG so I was super excited to try it out as I love cardamom. Nope, another disappointment. The mimosa was way stronger on me, could barely tell there was any cardamom, my skin ate up the entire scent and it was gone in less than 30 minutes. I’ve never had luck with Jo Malone. Do you have any suggestions for scents that are “slap you in the face” cardamom?
I think one brand that did well for that age range was Bare Minerals. I think the whole mineral makeup trend has petered out a bit though so I don’t think they have the same draw that they once did.
Totally agree about drugstore selections now and honestly I think we have the recession and the rise of beauty bloggers/vloggers to thank for that. I don’t think the push for well made drugstore priced products in a wide selection would have happened otherwise.
I *still* haven’t tried that one. I haven’t been to a department store in months.
OK, let me think. I love cardamom so I’m on this journey:
I have Smell Bent Incensed Short-Fused which is a ton of cardamom in the top and then incense. It reminds me of Egyptian kyphi incense because it’s cardamom, woods and a bit of honey.
House of Cherry Bomb Rose Cardamom is not really what the name sounds like at all. It’s cardamom, neroli and juicy citrus. It’s great for summer.
Hermes Voyage is like Hermes’ take on cardamom and tea.
DSH Perfumes Cardamom and Khyphi makes my mouth water with its cardamom.
But, I’m still on the hunt for a super green cardamom. I may just have to make my own because I wouldn’t mind simple.
Don’t know if you like sweets, but there is this soap that I love. Naiad Cardamom Vanilla. It’s like vanilla custard and cardamom. I usually wouldn’t go for something like this but that cardamom is so “real” and delicious in it that I can’t resist.
Yes, I wonder how they are doing? They have free-standing stores in malls now, so I guess they’re doing OK.
Totally, the recession and boom of social networks around that time has changed the beauty game.
The Smell Bent, Hermes and DSH ones sound lovely. Can’t do neroli or really any of the white flowers for some reason, unless it’s jasmine and it has to be a dirty jasmine. The soap sounds amazing, I’ve never tried a whipped soap before. I stick with body wash now because my skin doesn’t like bar soap anymore for some reason.
If you do decide to make something with cardamom, make a double batch because I would gladly buy some from you!
The Smell Bent one is worth trying because the price for a full-size isn’t going to break the bank. I ended up buying a bottle because it’s hard to find cardamom!
I haven’t looked at the Naiad site in a year. And this makes me wonder if she sells any other body products because I’d love a lotion/cream in that scent.
I’ll let you know! There are plenty of perfumes with cardamom but I want something that is BAM cardamom. Like I just want that fresh, green cardamom to wear alone or put over other things.
I got one of those scratch-and-sniff samplers of this perfume with a Sephora order not too long ago and tbh, it didn’t wow me. I too love rose but there was something about it that just didn’t grab me, and as you point out, the price is kind of a turn off. I don’t mind paying $$ for good quality perfumes but this one didn’t seem worth it. I think your comparison to Jo Malone is apt. I have a bunch of Jo Malone samples but like you I find they are usually not worth the price.
In the “regular” AERIN line there are two that I like, the lilac one and the rose. However, with their longevity issues, I felt like I was better off buying Pacifica French Lilac and Persian Rose. But, that’s just me. I was willing to “settle” for the Pacificas which take care of my linear lilac and rose cravings.
I’ve yet to find a Jo Malone perfume to spend my money on. However, I do like their candles and body oils. To me those are more fragrant than the EDTs!
I work in a high end spa whose demographic is the 30-40 age range because the under 30 can’t afford our prices and the over 45 need more advanced technology or treatments from a dermatologist or plastic surgeon/med spa, but our product lines are geared for the over 45 or under 30. The corporate guys scratch their heads wondering why we can’t sell a $400.00 advanced aging cream to a market age group of 30-40. Sorry to highjack the rose perfume conversation. I can not in good faith recommend a $400.00 moisturizing product to someone who really needs retinol/vitamin C and sunscreen. In my opinion, skincare/makeup manufacturers assumed that they could convince 30-40 year olds that they “need” a product versus listening to this consumer savvy demographic. This demographic is very intelligent and smart with their money. The under 30 age group is even smarter with their their money. The over 45 demographic (which includes me) heads straight to the dermatologist. For the last two years I’ve seen non prestige lines produce some very good skincare and makeup. I believe the next to switch gears will be perfume manufacturers. Notice how Tom Ford and Bulgari are testing the waters with smaller perfume sizes. The “Family Size” bottles of fragrance won’t sell to the under 40 unless they have a signature fragrance, but this age group isn’t brand loyal. Another reason why GWP’s aren’t a draw for consumers under the age of 40. End of rant. I love Fille de Berlin.
I’m actually loving this discussion. I love talking about this stuff.
Your story is really interesting. Because, I do agree with you. There’s acne lines and prevention lines for younger. And of course the “big guns” for more damaged skin (which as far as OTC, especially department store stuff, is a bunch of false promises). The rest is convincing someone they should be in one of these categories. With skincare in general, I think people are much more wise than they were (even all the way up into the early 2000s people made fun of me for using sunscreen!) This has changed drastically. People are more educated on skincare matters. When they buy the $400 cream it’s because they want to. It’s the “because I can” sort of mentality, they know it’s not the same as going to a dermatologist or actually taking care of their skin through a routine.
Yes, I’m with you on your perfume observations 100%. I’ve been saying this for years. They need to stop trying to make these perfumes they think young people will like (which is usually sweet or fruity). Young people just want smaller bottles of nicer perfumes. They want 2-5 small bottles of more sophisticated perfumes. And some brands are getting this and that’s why you see them mentioned a lot in style blogs (or other non-perfume blogs). You see Diptyque, Le Labo solids and even the Malle travel sizes. But, we still have the Guerlains making Petite Robe de Noir de Cherry Diabetic Coma instead of just making their L’Art perfumes in smaller bottles. And they wonder why their sales are dropping. Nothing about under 40 (or 35, whatever marketers) is brand loyal. And really, with so many brands out there. It’s hard. I think even if I weren’t a blogger, I’d be trying all sorts of new brands too.
And finally, I hope your clients are very thankful of your honesty. I’d be!
I love this. Thanks so much for your perspective. I’m in my 30s, and this rings so true to me. I can afford some of the luxuries now that I couldn’t 5+ years ago, so I buy a few of them, but I laugh at most expensive skincare lines. I don’t need them and no amount of marketing is going to convince me that I do. I know how to take care of my skin, I’ve been living with it for 30+ years!
And with perfumes, the bottle size thing is so true. I’m not brand loyal, I want to try different stuff, and I don’t want to spend $200+ on a huge bottle that I will never see the bottom of. I’d rather have 10-20 mL sizes that are cheaper.
I can’t even remember what showed up from a PR company in my inbox a month ago, but I looked and the price for the cream was $500+. I was like, there is no way I’m even going to try it (for free) because I will not have anything nice to say at that price point. I mean, what can it possibly do that would make that “worth” it? Nothing.
I’d rather pay more per mL to have a smaller bottle than the large bottle. I always laugh at the upsell at the perfume counters (department stores) when you buy the 1 oz, they start to push the 3.4 oz because it’s a better value! This isn’t a necessity, I’m not worried about “value”. I just tell them that I go by “cost per wear” and I wear it too infrequently to justify the “better value”.
I actually loved Estée Lauder when I was younger. It was the best I could get at the time. There wasn’t as much competition and the current “cool” brands didn’t exist.
I’ve tried a few Aerin scents and I don’t really care for them. They’re pale washes of perfume on me. Nothing memorable, nothing special. Like you, I feel as though I can get the same results for a fraction of the cost with other brands that are easier on the wallet.
I grew up in the South (and not rich Texas) pre-online shopping. So I had to use what was available to me. At that time, it was the stuff like Clinique, Estee Lauder, Borghese and anything at a drugstore. Oh, and Avon from a grandma’s friend. The reason I stopped using EL makeup was because the eyeshadows just kept getting worse and worse. They were chalky and wouldn’t last long at all. I was better off buying L’Oreal. Now, I liked their lipsticks at that time because they smelled like figs and came in really pretty classic colors (back then it was all those browns and matte brick shades that the kids want now). So Lauder was still carrying pinks, reds and corals. And the packaging was so retro fab. Once they lost all of that and the market expanded, I only paid attention to their perfumes and skincare.
This sounds harsh and I don’t want it to but it’s like there’s a $20 Pacifica equivalent for each of the “regular” AERINs. This one, which is more expensive, smells more expensive but you can get many pretty niche florals in this price range.
[…] It layers nicely with Jessica McClintock or YOSH Sottile. I also love to layer it with roses like Aerin Rose de Grasse and Juliette Has a Gun Miss […]