Let’s continue with the second part of my interview with Joy Isaacs from ARgENTUM. I already published the first part, Joy Isaacs from ARgENTUM in an interview – The energy of archetypes, yesterday. If you missed it, you can read it again at the link above. 😊 As a special highlight, there is also a really great raffle in addition to the interview! ✨
The beautiful packaging of ARgENTUM products is so rich in detail and made with a lot of love. Can you tell us a little about it? What aspects were particularly important to you here?
From the beginning, our vision was to create a collection that inspires love ~skincare that feels divine on the skin and looks beautiful on the shelf or dressing table. We cherish our illustrated world and aspire to delve deeper, cultivating a unique experience that embodies ARgENTUM as we always imagined. We want every moment spent with ARgENTUM to feel exceptional.
That’s why we designed our packaging to lead customers intuitively and elegantly through the unboxing journey. From the moment they slide off the sleeve to the moment they unveil their product, every detail has been crafted with them in mind. I particularly love hearing how people feel when they open our products ~ they fall in love, and that’s what we’ve always wanted.
There are four Discovery Sets with the elements fire, air, water and earth. Who should the different sets appeal to? What properties do the fragrances in each set have?
Our fragrances are unisex, but it always surprises me when certain people who present a specific way are drawn to a particular element or archetype that does not fit their image. If I was going to generalise, I would say that our WATER fragrance collection, comprising of LOVER, INNOCENT and JESTER, has a softer, more flowing and lighter feel compared to our FIRE collection which is heavier, warm and spicy. Each of our element kits also contains BECOME, which is our signature scent and the fragrance we created to embody all 4 elements of fire, air, earth, and water.
You worked with the perfumer Delphine Thierry. How did the collaboration work?
We met Delphine Thierry 13 years ago and she was involved in the creation of our signature scent BECOME, which was originally developed for our skincare. It was a magical meeting, and she was briefed in tarot to encapsulate what the product was doing and to incorporate all the elements. So, when we decided to create scent for each of the archetypes it was incredible to work with her again. I recognized that this project should not be rushed and that she needed to feel the energies.
We spent lots of time talking about the feelings and emotions of these archetype energies so that she could creatively capture each of energy, interpreted as scent. My involvement was to reinforce and inspire ideas around each energy, but it was hers to create and capture the magic of each archetype, and she has delivered on this marvelously and beyond expectation.
Did you have a particular scent or theme in mind beforehand?
No, we did not restrict ourselves, we allowed Delphine to have complete creative freedom. She would ask me to blind test an archetype and see if we aligned. Conversation would ensue, and then she would either rework an element’s composition or feel confident to move onto the next.
All in all, from concept to launch, the whole project took 7 years, as we also needed to adapt and develop the fragrances to work with the WPE technology and ensure our packaging elements of protective violet glass and silver talisman were true to our vision. The journey was not without its challenges, especially technical!
What approach would you recommend to those who want to get to know your brand’s fragrances? Is there a particular fragrance or collection that is particularly suitable for beginners?
Fragrance is personal and completely unique to the individual, and also one is drawn to different archetypes at different times; at times several archetypes might be prevalent at the same time.
This is a personal exploration that can be left to chance. The key is to smell the fragrance, without judgement as to whether this is something you usually wear. Instead, observe the archetypical energy and then consider if this is a facet of your character that you would like to express. Lots of our customers pull a card at random and work with the archetype that has been drawn to them.
Do you currently have a favorite raw material that inspires you?
That would have to be silver and even though our fragrances do not contain this ingredient our deluxe fragrances all include a solid silver 925 hallmarked talisman that can be worn as a piece of jewellery. I would like to work with Delphine again to produce a scent of the MOON which is symbolic of silver ~ what would that smell like, I cannot wait.
When you think of your childhood, is there a particular scent that comes to mind?
I am weirdly comfortable with the smell of petrol as it reminds me of my childhood in South Africa. I have fond memories of a particular petrol attendant who would make me, and my siblings laugh so much that we would roll around in the back of the car squawking with delight. I wonder whether he’d imagine that nearly half a century later, a grown woman would hold such fond memories in her heart. Here’s to you, ‘Funny Man’.
What can we expect from your label in the future?
We are working on many different projects that expand ARgENTUM into Lifestyle, in such a way that it incorporates the ritual of skincare and fragrance into the day-to-day realm of connection, balance and wellness.
Dear Joy, thank you very much for taking the time to answer my questions.
Giveaway
We are giving away the following treasures from ARgENTUM, for which we would like to thank the distributor boté cosmetics:
- 6 x Discovery Set Full Collection (13 x 2 ml) with the fragrances Creator, Sage, Magician, Caregiver, Hero, Jester, Innocent, Rebel, Explorer, Ruler, Everyman, Lover and the signature fragrance Become by ARgENTUM
How do you get into the lottery pot? Very simple! Leave us a comment below this article by Friday, October 18, 2024 and tell us what particularly fascinates you about ARgENTUM. We will inform the lucky winners by email on Monday, 21.10.2024.
For all those who would like to read up again: You can find the articles on ARgENTUM here.
You can find the conditions of participation here.
We wish you good luck 🙂
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