10 Questions with Art de Parfum French Perfume Brand

Ruta Degutyte, founder & CEO of Art De Parfum

We all know that French women have a certain Je ne sais quoi when it comes to style. But did you know that french women smell incredible, in fact, they never leave the house without a spritz of their favourite perfume. We spoke to the founder and CEO of Art de Parfum Ruta Degutyte about her award-winning french perfume brand and how we too can smell as good as french women. And believe us when we say you will smell incrediblé.

Read – 3 Simple French Beauty Secrets, French Women Swear By

1. What do you feel makes Art de Parfum different to other French beauty brands?

The wish to create an independent niche brand was driven by the desire to make a platform for young progressive creatives, to realize their dreams with an honest outlook on the traditional and commercial products that were dominating the market in 2015.

Very low market entry barriers in recent years have made the competition savage and the market overcluttered. Needless to say, it’s not enough to successfully launch the brand, what is much more important and demanding is to maintain it and create a legacy behind it.

2. How much of the design and manufacturing of the product are you involved in? 

I am pretty much hands-on in every area of the business whether it’s HR, logistics, sales or marketing strategy and particularly in the formulation, design and production side as these are the most crucial parts of the business which contribute to the success. 

3. Can you explain why french perfume is so much better than the way other countries make it?  

Firstly, it’s a lot to do with the French “savoir-faire” (know-how). One could argue that Egypt should be included in the same pot as the French as they have been making perfume longer, however, they have largely failed to sustain the consistency required. Besides, perfume wearing in France is an inherent part of its culture.

It’s also worth mentioning that the French are second to none at matching scent with the occasion. It’s almost abusive to wear intense fragrances around small children as well as in the close company of vulnerable people or in any work environment where people have different levels of perfume tolerance. Smelling nice is of utmost importance, but so is the etiquette of the moment. 

4. Where did the inspiration for the perfume Le Joker come from?

I felt that the time was right for a scent that was both avant-garde and also courageous. I wanted to add to the brand, a fragrance that was a little more evocative whilst also serving to provoke.

I was also inspired by the thought-provoking themes raised by the divisive cartoon and movie characters’ portrait of a ‘Joker’, but also inspired by the zeitgeist, this spirit of our time, where once-taboo topics such as mental health can be discussed and addressed more openly than ever before so a new fragrance was the perfect medium to highlight these more challenging issues via my more personal interpretation of the joker figure. 

I also felt it was time to expand the topical and inspirational boundaries of Art de Parfum as a brand and as a creative concept. Evoking the ethos of the brand name itself, through the medium of the arts; whether film, music, art itself or even perfume, I passionately believe that artistic expression in all its forms, creates a space to effect social change by holding up a mirror to reflect society’s problems.

So with Le Joker,  I aimed to awaken different emotions in different people; inviting the wearer to be more daring, more evocative and not afraid to make a statement or challenge the status quo.

Read – Sustainable, Ethical & Curiously Conscious with Besma

5. How does it feel to receive so many prestigious beauty awards? 

Smiles…It’s not something I take for granted at all and I feel blessed to receive them, but an industry ‘pat on the back can only serve as encouragement and in my darkest most exhausting hour, they definitely provide me with that extra little bit of motivation and strength required to keep driving me forward.

To be completely honest, they are in a way a barometer, a kind of reality check and a chance to benchmark yourself against your competition. It is an honour and a pleasure to be involved in the creative process, but it’s like the Olympics to an athlete, it keeps one fit sustaining ourselves in an already highly crowded industry.

6. What does sustainability mean to you and what is your company doing to make a difference? 

Sustainability really is at the heart of the business, we have a strict code of ethics. It’s so important to us in these highly disposable times, that we leave no harmful imprint on the environment and that no animals were involved in testing our products and that our bottles and packaging will biodegrade in a natural way. 

It took a pivotal role when I launched in 2016 and I consistently assess our supply chain extremely carefully from sourcing of the perfume ingredients and packaging materials to the order fulfilment

7. Which is your personal favourite to wear? 

I would lie if I would pick one. It goes in phases, but in a nutshell, I am a big fan of clean vibrant fragrances, so yes to Kimono Vert, Le Joker, Gin and Tonic Cologne from Art de Parfum range. 

8. Will we be seeing any more products added to your fragrance line?

Yes, I am currently working on a new scent that will be hopefully a unique addition to the family.

9. What is your best piece of beauty advice? 

Whatever works for you! Some women tend to invest a lot in a whole variety of beauty products and treatments. I belong to the category of those who buy a single luxury item but wear simple hydrants and sprays on a daily basis. As for beauty treatments, I do wish I treated myself more often than I do though (my baby daughter has clearly shifted my priorities).

So “less is more” in choosing beauty products for me. Living in a hot Mediterranean climate makes life so much easier and free of city pretence. I can proudly say I became ‘masks off when I moved here to Grasse. What you see is what you get. Lastly, fresh air and lots of physical activities do wonders.

10. What can we expect to see from Art de Parfum over the next few years? 

Keeping up with the status quo in new product development as well as introducing the brand to new markets is probably the main focus of the company’s short-term future.

Shop – www.artdeparfum.com

Follow – @artdeparfum

By Natalie Dixon [Editor]