Upcycled and refillable: The edited approach behind Gorgeous Nothings’ debut fragrance
PHOTOGRAPHY BY Lauren Bamford
words by daisy henry
The signature scent.
Melbourne-based perfume house, Gorgeous Nothings, was born out of a rejection of excess. A hard feat to achieve in an industry like beauty. From skincare and makeup to fragrance, there’s a product for every need, every body part, every type of mood. So, how can a new brand stand out? And perhaps more importantly, why try?
It took five years in development before Gorgeous Nothings officially launched its hero scent, Volume I, in February this year. Composed using 95.1 per cent upcycled fragrance concentrate, there’s been a natural intrigue following the launch.
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The woman behind the brand is 32-year-old beauty veteran Avigon Belle Paphitis, the daughter of Aesop founder Dennis Paphitis (though she’s not worked at Aesop herself). While a knack for the industry clearly runs in her bloodline, Avigon has built up an extensive portfolio in her own right across marketing, communications and consulting, giving her a unique insight into the scale and speed that has come to define the beauty landscape.
“Gorgeous Nothings actually came out of a lot of anger and frustration towards the industry,” Avigon told Women’s Wear Daily in January. Although she had no initial dreams of becoming a founder, her desire to do things differently is what led to the inception of Gorgeous Nothings.
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In contrast, the lead-up to Gorgeous Nothings’ launch involved both patience and editing. The team was built slowly and deliberately, with the inaugural scent developed by French master perfumer Pierre Negrin, alongside a small group of technical partners.
Having worked with luxury perfume houses like Tom Ford and Amouage, Pierre admits that using upcycled materials posed a welcome challenge. “It pushed me out of my comfort zone and forced me to rethink how to formulate,” he notes.
The ethanol used, for example, is derived from upcycled sugarcane molasses. Where those pre-existing ingredients are designed to bring irregularity and depth, the remaining lab-made ingredients bring control and precision.
The resulting scent is soft, structured with cedarwood, and anchored by notes of musk and amber. It’s intimate, designed to sit closely to the skin. In Pierre’s words, it’s a “very direct, elegant and straightforward smell; simplicity, minimalism for casual luxury”.
“I would love to encounter it on someone in passing or get trapped in the sillage of that person.” For those of us who aren’t master perfumers, ‘sillage’ refers to a scented trail, a fragrance that lingers in the air when a person leaves a room.
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Volume I is sold in two parts, with the refillable glass vessel and hand-engraved stopper retailing, sold empty, for $300 AUD and a 100ml aluminium bottle containing fragrance for $280. Alternatively, the Complete Collection comes with both items and a glass funnel, which will set you back $540.
Packaging is also entirely plastic-free, instead using pouches made from upcycled silk and any accompanying printed paper is made from bamboo and cotton linters.
So, how can you try the fragrance yourself before making the investment? There are samples available to request via the brand’s website, and it’s stocked at Melbourne retailer, Pan After – the only perfume you’ll find lining the store’s shelves.
Additional launches for Gorgeous Nothings are reportedly on the horizon, with hints that a colour product, a body product and eventually retail outlets are set to roll out.
Keep up with Gorgeous Nothings here.
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