Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Believe Loves CB's I Hate Perfume


Christopher Brosius is an odd fellow. We admit it. But he is a talented odd fellow. It seems Christopher was born with a natural nose--a rare gift that allows the owner to have a heightened sense of smell that is exactly on target...like a singer with a perfect pitch. He has elevated perfume to an art form. You might say that Believe Beauty Lounge is one of his art galleries, where we showcase his works of art--CB Perfumes.
Christopher considered becoming a scientist when he was a child. We are glad he didn't because we would have missed his innovative scents that have won awards, been featured in museums and are worn by some of the planets most interesting people (which makes his perfumes perfect for Believe customers.)
A natural nose comes in handy if one is a gourmand food taster, a world-class vintner or a legendary perfumer. Christopher Brosius is the latter. His company is named CB I Hate Perfume.
In 1992, Christopher moved back to his parent’s farm in Pennsylvania and, while there, read a life-changing book, “ A Natural History Of The Senses.” The chapter on scent so captivated him; he began making some scents using essential oils. He soon branched out into trying to replicate scents in nature that inspired him…like the smell of freshly turned earth in his garden. He made a perfume that replicated that scent. It was a smash success when it was introduced at a New York department store.
Soon he was creating scents from many things in nature and his next choice, Snow, was also wildly popular.
In 2003, 70 of Christopher’s scents were included in the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum’s Triennial exhibition. It was the first time that a major art museum recognized that scent was designed.  
Christopher relocated his studio to Williamsburg in Brooklyn, opened the CB I Hate Perfume Gallery, and began trying to capture every possible pleasant scent. 
True, some are scents that have never been seen as perfume scents (like the award-winning Snow) but each helps the wearer discover their own unique expression of self.
Asked to sum up his work in only three words, Christopher said,
"Scent is life.” He continues, “ The sense of smell is our first link to the world around us. It reminds us of what (and who) we love. Smell is perhaps the most complex sense we possess and none of the other senses can touch us so profoundly. Not even music can stir the mind & heart so powerfully.”
With his perfumes, Christopher hopes to help each of us achieve the essence of our individuality. “Scent is always individual,” he says. “Your sense of smell is one of the most unique things about you – more individual than your fingerprints, the shape of your ear, the pattern of your retina. Your sense of smell is one of the most important factors that define you as YOU. The way you respond to any scent is unlike anyone else’s – no one remembers what you do, no one feels what you feel. There is a reason you remember certain scents so fondly. Scent is the record of your own special life – it’s your experience."
No animal-derived ingredients are used in Christopher’s perfume, nor is alcohol used, as he believes it evaporates too quickly. Some of Christopher’s perfumes, using lighter ingredients like citrus and jasmine, do wear off sooner than ones with stronger ingredients like sandalwood or leather, but his perfumes are so concentrated, only a little is needed. (Also because natural ingredients are used, if properly stores, the perfumes don’t lose or change their smells even years later.)
CB I Hate Perfume scents can also be used by either men or women and Christopher encourages layering of scents to create the perfect scent for you.
Christopher sums his work as a perfumer up this way:
“Perfume is an art that shows us who we can be if we dare – an invisible portrait of who we are.”
We are proud to support Christopher in his mission to help each of us recognize how we are totally unique and are delighted to carry CB I Hate Perfume scents at Believe Beauty Lounge. Come and discover your scent at Believe