Nez - N° 22 The Olfactory Magazine

Petite Robe noire or Grand Amour ? A little air freshener or a great classic? Petitgrain or jasmine grandiflorum? Budget price or high-end perfumery? While the receptors nestled deep in- side our noses are theoretically capable of distinguishing billions of different scents, the molecules behind this phenomenon are one-millionth of a millimeter in size. In this dizzying balancing act, our sense of smell seems just as at ease with the infinitely small as with the infinitely large, even if it sometimes struggles to find the right measure to gauge exactly what it perceives.
As for fragrances, while miniatures and giant replicas have had their moment of glory, their size continues to adapt to the times, with containers slipping into a pocket or taking center stage on tiny screens. And since the goal is most often to drive sales figures ever higher, how do some smaller brands ever manage to compete in the big leagues?