Solid Cologne, Wax Perfume, Solid Fragrance…what’s it all mean?

Terminology in the fragrance world has never been easy to understand. Whether you’re talking Eau de Colognes vs Eau de Toilets or Parfum versus “perfume,” it’s all a lot to take in. Today, we wanted to give you a quick rundown on our Solids, and why you normally see us use the phrase “Solid Fragrance” to describe our line.

When we began our journey with Fulton & Roark more than ten years ago, we had the vision of rethinking fragrance and personal care products with a focus on better performance and a better experience for the user.

At the top of our list of products to reimagine was traditional spray fragrances. In an era where many of us were on planes a couple of times a week, or got ready at the gym many mornings, the idea that the only way to smell great was to bring along a glass bottle of flammable liquid seemed crazy to us. So, we worked to create unique fragrances that captured the imagination, rather than shooting for the typical “department store” scents. Then, rather than putting them in a standard spray bottle, we developed a proprietary mix of waxes, oils, and carrier materials to serve as a base for our fragrances. The idea was to make the base totally colorless and odorless, so that the fragrances would really stand out. Further more, we wanted a skin-safe product that was easy to use, difficult to over-apply, and had real lasting power. When we decided that we had created a product we were truly proud of, we worked to design a container that was easy to use, travel-friendly, and understated enough to work well with nearly anyone’s sense of style.

When we launched our product, there was nothing like what we had created on the market as far as we could tell, so we also had the task of naming our creation. We called the line, “Solid Cologne,” because it seemed like the most obvious term—something everyone would intuitively understand. And, for the most part, the term seemed to work. But as time went on, and as many other solids hit the market, we found ourselves a bit discontent with the term.

We realized that for many people, the word “cologne,” was a loaded one. Numerous individuals heard the word and thought about the sharp, overpowering scent that belonged to someone who covered themselves in a noxious fragrance, making everyone's experience a little worse just by walking through the door. We were surprised to learn how many people said they wanted a product to help them smell great, but many of those same people found the idea of a “cologne” unappealing. We were also learning that many of our scents appealed to a diverse range of people, and “cologne” seemed to have a certain connotation within the word.

In our conversations with potential customers and retailers alike, we realized that people seemed to make fewer negative assumptions about a “Solid Fragrance” than they did “Solid Cologne.” Some people called it “wax cologne,” and while it didn’t bother us, that never seemed entirely accurate, since wax was only a small percentage of the total ingredients.

Over the years, we have continued to expand our line, our number of scents, and we have grown quite a lot in terms of our customer base. We’re delighted by all of it. And, whether you like to call what we make a “Solid Fragrance,” “Wax Perfume,” “Travel Fragrance,” or something totally new, that’s fine by us. Our priority is making a scent that helps you feel like your very best self: a fragrance that speaks to your sense of style, and unique perspective. Try it for yourself.