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Postmodern Perfumer | Newsletter #5

Bring Back the Rose!

Interview with NASRIN fragrances founder Rosanna Rothenberger

Hi Rosanna, thank you for taking the time for an interview with me. You’ve positioned your young fragrance brand NASRIN in a niche within a niche. Everything revolves around the scent of roses for you. What’s the story behind it?

Hi Matt, thank you so much for inviting me to this interview, I’m really excited about it!

At NASRIN, the rose takes center stage for several reasons. Since I started wearing perfumes, I haven’t put anything else on my skin except rose scents or perfumes with a high rose content. No matter how many new scents I try, the rose remains my go-to — some say it might be because of my name. And therefore, it was clear from the start that my first fragrance line would revolve around the rose!

Many people have reservations about rose perfumes today. They say the rose is a scent note for older ladies. Why do you think that is, and how are you trying to change that?

That's true, unfortunately! The scent of roses is often perceived as "old-fashioned grandma’s rose" or "musty closet scent" — I notice this often in the initial reactions when I mention that NASRIN focuses on roses. Often, I hear responses like, "Ugh, I hate rose scents!".

I think this stems from the fact that the rose, due to its calming and harmonizing effect, was often used in bar soaps, creams, and scented sachets. These scents were often interpreted as powdery or, when combined with lavender, herbal — scent directions we quickly classify as "old-fashioned". Moreover, the rose was one of the first notes in traditional perfumery, especially in the 20th century it experienced great popularity. Thus, it was worn by our grandmothers, aunts, or even great-grandmothers — and as a timeless classic, it naturally evokes a sense of nostalgia. Ultimately, the typical designs featuring roses, often in pink tones with playful and ornate elements, have further solidified our image of the "grandma's rose".

NASRIN, on the other hand, stands for modern rose perfumes for the muses of today, in line with my motto "Bring back the rose!“ — I want to turn an "Ugh, I hate rose scents!" into an "Oh, I actually like this!".

In each of my perfumes, the rose forms the heart. By combining it with distinctive top and base notes, unique interpretations of the various rose types emerge. They show that the rose can be much more than just powdery, herbal, or old-fashioned — it is young and lively, refreshing and spicy, aromatic and fruity, sweet and opulent, profound and mysterious.

Do you have favorites among synthetic fragrance ingredients?

Oh yes, I love aldehydes. Their uniquely metallic warmth has something very attractive and seductive for me. Combined with the rose — a dream!

I’m also planning to launch a fragrance in the coming years. Which challenges should I expect? Which mistakes should I avoid?

Oh, I could do a separate interview with you on that... But first of all — how great, I’m already very excited about it!

The fragrance market is saturated, and even the niche market is getting more crowded. There’s no surefire recipe for success, and in this case, trial and error is key. I received so many —and very different — pieces of advice, even from experts who, in their eyes, knew exactly how to enter the fragrance market successfully and how not to. I tried many of these tips, but most of them didn’t work for me. Therefore, my clear advice is this — listen to yourself, follow your heart, and remain true and authentic; no matter how cliché it may sound. Fragrance is an art that flows from the soul, yearning to be felt. What will convince most is your genuine passion and the unique aspiration you wish to express through your scent and your product. Fragrances are storytellers — tell your story, there is no other like it.

Apart from that, there are of course some "factual" challenges, depending on the budget you have available, the quantities you want to start with, and how much of the development and production process you want or can handle yourself. With smaller budgets and quantities, you will be limited in your choice of partners for the sourcing of fragrance, bottle and packaging components, for designs and materials, for filling and packaging — but you can still find great and reliable partners in Germany and within Europe.

This also affects the time factor. As a small brand, you don’t always have priority with partners, so I recommend time buffers for all steps — for the production of the fragrance oil, for sourcing product components, for safety assessments, for filling, etc. You will also be taking many steps for the first time — so it’s worth planning a bit more time to experiment and sometimes take a few detours. And in the timeline, don't forget the approximately 3-month maturation of the final fragrance composition before it can be introduced to the market.

The market launch is another important aspect, which means more than "just selling". It requires company registration and brand registration, all necessary safety assessments and legally compliant labeling on the product, notification with the cosmetics portal CPNP, a clear pricing structure, possibly EAN codes, and of course a clear branding for external communication. And remember: legal guidelines and regulations are subject to change — so always stay up-to-date, and adjust your products in time to remain market-compliant.

Depending on whether you want to sell offline and/or online, other questions arise — Who is my target audience, and where can I find them? How do I market a fragrance online? How do I design secure shipping packaging? Which model is suitable for distribution through retail partners, both offline and online?

As I mentioned, we could dedicate an entire interview to this topic. However, I want to emphasize that with passion, curiosity, and perseverance, the entire process is not only achievable but also incredibly enjoyable. And — holding your own perfume in your hands, and witnessing your customers' reactions to it, makes every challenge and every tear worthwhile!

When can we expect the launch of your new fragrance?

The next launch is planned for the end of 2024. For those who find that too long to wait — in the meantime, I’m offering some exciting projects in the Frankfurt am Main area, such as fragrance workshops and sensory events with other creatives and artists. More information on this will be available on my website and Instagram.