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Why Were These Great Perfumes Flops? 3 Fabulous Discontinued Fragrances That Deserved More Success

Claire Smith

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Why do some great perfumes become bestsellers, while others are discontinued despite being loved by fragrance enthusiasts and critics?

In today's video, we're looking at 3 designer fragrances that didn't achieve the commercial success their brands hoped for. These aren't necessarily bad perfumes — in fact, they were all critically acclaimed, award-winning and have developed cult followings after discontinuation.

So what went wrong?

From Florabotanica by Balenciaga and its unusual green, minty rose, to the extravagant Marc Jacobs Decadence and the controversial Gucci Mémoire d'une Odeur, we're looking at why these fragrances struggled to become major commercial successes.

We'll explore the perfume market, fragrance trends, branding, bottle design, marketing, flankers, shelf space and the importance of having a distinctive identity in the incredibly competitive designer fragrance market.

🌹 Florabotanica – Was Balenciaga's unusual green rose simply ahead of its time?

👜 Marc Jacobs Decadence – Why didn't this iconic bottle and distinctive fragrance become the next Daisy?

🌿 Gucci Mémoire d'une Odeur – Was chamomile simply too unusual for a mainstream designer fragrance?

One of the biggest themes running through all of these fragrances is that commercial success doesn't necessarily mean a perfume is better. Sometimes a fragrance can be original, beautifully made and loved by passionate perfume collectors, but still fail to sell in sufficient numbers to survive in the mainstream market.

If you love discontinued perfumes, forgotten fragrances, perfume history and the business of fragrance, you'll enjoy this video.

What perfume do you love that you think should have been much more successful? I'd love to read your examples of underrated or discontinued fragrances.

If you enjoy perfume reviews, fragrance history, perfume science, perfumer profiles and discussions about the fragrance industry, please subscribe for more.

Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
2:06 Balenciaga Florabotanica
6:40 Marc Jacobs Decadence
13:27 Gucci Mémoire d'une Odeur
19:37 Final thoughts

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20 Comments

@cmk9495 1 month ago

They love to discontinue unique fragrances or just really good ones.

@carayoshizumi7503 1 month ago

Who thought discussions of perfume could be intelligent and cultural? Very entertaining. Thanks!

@wendisparadeofperfumes5034 1 month ago

I've read that Chanel Coco Mademoiselle from 2001 was an accident in that they didn't expect it to become one of the best selling perfumes of all time, even decades on😂 So ... sometimes you just don't know.

@ganeden8442 1 month ago (edited)

Florabotanica was my wedding perfume in 2013. It is such a beautiful fragrance. The marriage is over, but I still have my bottle of Florabotanica which I use sparingly to make it last.

@Robin-l1o9k 1 month ago (edited)

Same with Chloe Nomade Absolu which they discontinued. For me the best of the line. It fees quite niche but apparently was not commercially successful enough.
And I noticed that all further Nomade flankers were not by Bisch anymore and felt more designer/mainstream.
Chloe took a risk with the Original Nomade and it worked but then they apparently decided to continue on a safer route.

@samillien 1 month ago

I've been lucky with Florabotanica. I purchased my first bottle at the end of 2021 from perfumania. The sales woman told me that was the last bottle in the entire region. It took me a few years to finish it, then I was able to score a 100 ml bottle with about 85 mils left from mercari for a reasonable price, especially since it is so overpriced now if you can find it. Then I found a 30 ml bottle for about $70 on mercari. I ended up buying that one too because I just don't want to run out.

@theprousteffect9717 1 month ago

Your content is always original, intelligent, and educational. As you're well aware, those qualities unfortunately don't always "sell" and get the most views;) But the smaller group that appreciates that content really does, Claire.

@romulusthemainecoon3047 1 month ago

I’m still mourning the discontinuation of Omnia by Bulgari, in the brown bottle. It was warm and spicy and perfect!

@theprousteffect9717 1 month ago

Another perfect example is Kate Walsh's Boyfriend fragrance. The marketing was some of the cringiest I've ever seen; Boyfriend EDP was supposed to evoke the scent of your boyfriend's cologne that's left on you after an encounter, mixed with your own perfume. It was also a very resinous, ambery, dense unisex fragrance released in late 2010 when fruity florals and gourmands were still the popular options for women. It didn't smell like anything at Sephora at the time lol and would have made more sense being sold at Luckyscent and marketed as unisex. I actually loved the scent itself and wore it for years, but the marketing and branding really cheapened it.

@bngrays 1 month ago (edited)

Decadence was an immediate love for me. I bought 3 bottles before it was discontinued. I still sometimes look around for it. It was literally perfection!!!!! And I was a Daisy lover, too. It was a sad day when this fragrance was gone. 😢

@cfischer3027 1 month ago

Bottega veneta by Bottega veneta EDP. I miss this perfume so much. I can remember that my first thought was: bitter-menthol. After some wears I found it addictive like an embrace of a loved person.❤

@ApricusInaros 1 month ago (edited)

Hi Claire. Would you consider making a video about perfume advertisements? I do have fond memories of fragrance advertisements. I miss advertisements like the video with the building and the women in it yelling "égoiste" for the release of Chanel Égoiste. In the past perfume advertisements had a more artistic approach, I perceive. So it would be interesting to hear you talk about past and present perfume advertisements and your observation and analysis. Cheers from Switzerland.

@mamoni7703 1 month ago

Florabotanica truly was unusual and unique for the fragrance market then and even now with the gourmand and skin musk scents trend. The mint and rose combo is truly refreshing and cooling. The cannabis note, unfortunately, really bothered my nose. Nevertheless, it’s a beautiful scent.

Terracotta by Guerlain hasn’t really been discontinued, it’s been repackaged into their Legendaires bottle, but it feels like a discontinued fragrance to me now. I truly dislike those Chanel knock-off bottles so much. I’m cherishing my little bit left in the original round bottle and once it’s gone I will see if I miss it enough to pay double for a cheaper looking bottle for it. I’m actually so disappointed in Guerlain for creating such gorgeous scents to then repackage them into clunky bottle designs and charging us way more for them.

Very interesting topic, Claire.

@Tina-wi7we 1 month ago

I'm loving my florabotanica! So glad I've kept it 💚✨

@mediterranean_penguin_1863 1 month ago

Hi Claire, this video made my think about Rive Gauche pour homme, Manifesto and Cinema by YSL; the first two of them belongs to Jacques Cavallier-Belletrud, he works with Bvlgari and LV now. There is a recent comment on Parfumo's page of Manifesto says: "we still talk about you" 😊 YSL lost a lot in the last decade I guess.

@EauDeLux 1 month ago

I really like Marc Jacob’s
Decadence. I tried to find a full bottle a couple of years ago and was disappointed to find it discontinued😕
Thanks for the video!

@ems_smells 1 month ago

Loved your analyses here, Claire. Very interesting ❤

@nagasolaire8462 1 month ago

I will never forget Kenzo Air. Many years passed and I still love it so so much. It's so unfair that it was discontinued so fast😢

@pleiadesneptunes 1 month ago

my mom used to work in Balenciaga‘s fashion wing, making first casts of runway fashion. We were on the list for stuff, so I ended up with a bunch of Florabotanica, also from others who did not like it so much and gave their bottles to me. I ❤ it, got good stock for the future. ahhhhhh love Memoire. Discontinued?😢bummer!