Spritzing to Success… With the Woman Who Brought an Industry to Its Senses+ Tribute to Annette Green Draw

Annette Green, Fragrance Authority and Visionary. Photo courtesy of Annette Green Spritzing To Success

The most recent time I met up with Annette Green was in July 2018 in NYC, when she invited me to join her for “tea and crumpets” (sic) at a place near her apartment. This seemed appropriate since I figured she would be exhausted after all day meetings about her upcoming book launch. As it turns out, this ‘place’ was an ultra trendy bar. Annette came blasting in, chic and energetic, maneuvering her cane with verve, charming everyone in her path, and immediately ordered us two glasses of wine. My mentor had arrived! Spritzing to Success = Annette Green = Fragrance Authority and Visionary = Inspiration. I see SPRITZING TO SUCCESS as a series of inspiring life-lessons for us all in an historic and highly entertaining memoire. Sharp and fast-paced, written with the same energy and humor with which it was lived — a life-story of passion, devotion to a cause, hard work, and success.

Spritzing To Success Book Cover. Photo courtesy of Annette Green Spritzing To Success

Lesson One: Find your passion where it is.

Annette doesn’t make any bones about the fact that she was not happy when in the late 1950s, fresh out of journalism school, she was offered a job with American Druggist, a pharmaceutical magazine, and not at Harper’s Bazaar, where she had hoped to become a fashion editor. She accepted the job anyway, found her passion in the beauty industry, and never looked back.

Lesson Two: Be open and keep a sharp eye for what’s going on.

Noticing an unprecedented number of young women turning up in the fragrance aisles of drug stores and shops near her office, Annette picked up on their increasing interest in perfumes and eagerness to try them out. I can imagine Annette thinking, “Hmmmm…what an amazing amount of new young energy and interest in fragrances. There might be an opportunity to help these people and the perfume industry at the same time. Wonder what would happen if…”

Lesson Three: Work like a dog.   

Listening to what young women wanted and needed, Annette took it upon herself to write articles for and about them, offer coaching and education about wearing and choosing fragrances, and to do PR about it through her newly founded firm, Annette Green Associates. In response to women’s demands, the perfume houses increased the number and variety of their fragrances.

Annette at one of her numerous speaking engagements, speaking for and about women and fragrances. Photo courtesy of Annette Green Spritzing To Success.

Thirty years later, at the 1991 Fragrance Foundation awards, the chairman of the board, Philip Shearer, made this now famous statement: “Annette has long been the workhorse of the Fragrance Foundation. Tonight she is our muse!”

 Bonus Lesson: Hard work pays off !

Lesson Four: Help your friends.

While in the middle of a luncheon, Annette received an urgent call from long time friend, Jack Mohr (VP Fragrances at Revlon), asking if she could meet him immediately. She excused herself from the luncheon, and hopped a cab.

Lesson Five: Say YES, state your conditions, and then figure it out.

At the meeting, Jack Mohr, along with Joseph Danilek (Mary Chess), Paul Martinot (Caron), and Sydney Friend (IFF) asked if she could help save the, then floundering, Fragrance Foundation, a non-profit, educational organization – pro bono. Annette said, “Yes”, and then stated two conditions: a) that they give her free reign to do what she wanted, and b) that they recognize her as an experienced and successful businesswoman, and NOT, as they had been calling her, the ‘nice little lady’. They accepted without a moment’s hesitation !

Annette served as Executive Director and President of the Fragrance Foundation for 40 years. The challenge she faced was nothing less than that of resuscitating what was then a low six-figure industry in the American Market. I can imagine Annette thinking, “Hmmmm…there’s surely something I can do to help this struggling little perfume industry. Wonder what would happen if…”

Annette Green Making an Entrance at the FiFi Awards. Photo courtesy of Annette Green Spritzing To Success

An interesting fact that will shock readers familiar with today’s market: only three fragrances were introduced in the US that year, English Leather by MEM, Diorama by Dior, and Moustache by Parfums Rochas.

Lesson Six:  Tune out the ‘Nay Sayers’ and follow through on your convictions.

Committed to sharing her conviction that perfume is an art, and recognizing that people like to be rewarded for excellence, Annette wondered why the perfume industry didn’t have something similar to the Academy Awards for films. She dreamed of filling a theatre the size of Radio City Music Hall with perfume industry members feting each other’s success.

Fragrance Foundation Awards Ceremony at Radio City Music Hall. Photo courtesy of Annette Green Spritzing To Success

I can imagine Annette thinking, “Hmmmm… how do we get people to come out in droves? Why not invite some of the movie stars who are beginning to create their own perfumes? What about somebody like Liz Taylor? Preposterous?  You’ll never know unless you ask….”

Annette Green greeting the glamorous Elizabeth Taylor. Photo courtesy of Annette Green Spritzing To Success

Annette did ask, and years later we know exactly what happened.  Not only did Liz Taylor accept, so did Zaza Gabor, Isabella Rosselini, and many more.

Annette Green at the  15th Annual FiFi Awards. Photo courtesy of Annette Green Spritzing To Success

The spectacular and highly publicized success of the Fragrance Foundation Awards, later dubbed the FiFi Awards by John Ledes, is credited as being one of the turning points in the transition of the fragrance industry from ‘ho-hum’, to its dazzling success of international stature.

Letter in which The President of Christian Dior Perfumes dubs Annette “The High Priestess of the Fragrance World”. Photo courtesy of Annette Green Spritzing To Success

Lesson Seven: Share your wealth, knowledge, and success.

In addition to organizing and speaking at exhibitions, symposiums, and conferences, Annette founded The Annette Green Museum at The Fragrance Foundation [now housed at The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising Museum & Galleries (FIDM) in Los Angeles]. She also established The Annette Green/Fragrance Foundation Studio at The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York City – the first fragrance laboratory ever in an American University. 

After coining the term, “Aroma-chology”, Annette worked tirelessly to open the way for more teaching and understanding about how the sense of smell influences people’s response to stress, sleep, relaxation, social relationships, and performance.

Purchase of her book, Spritzing To Success, will help support students in the bachelor’s degree program in fragrance and beauty marketing at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and the Annette Green Perfume Museum at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles.

Annette with FIT Students. Photo courtesy of Annette Green Spritzing To Success

Lesson Eight: Take care of yourself.

During all those years, Annette stayed in shape by working out at the gym, and eating a ‘Mediterranean’ diet (long before it was popular).  Today, she still goes to the gym regularly, and apparently hasn’t touched meat for over 30 years.

Lesson Nine: Enjoy your life.

Annette describes her years as Executive Director at the Fragrance Foundation as, “…a 40 year joy ride, (speed bumps, road blocks, pot holes, and all)!”.

Editors note: To smooth the bumps, reliable sources claim to have sighted her cruising around in a 1966 silver and black Mustang convertible.  You go, girl!

Annette Green dancing the Tango in the grand ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel to a standing ovation from the audience of more than 2,500 people. Photo courtesy of Annette Green Spritzing To Success

Lesson Ten: Stay forever young!

Today, Annette is relishing the excitement of her successful book launch. Knowing her as I do, I can assure you she’s thinking, “Hmmmm… what next?  Wonder what would happen if…”  OMG, Watch, out, world!

But, don’t just take it from me. Check out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oGDv1JPIvs to hear it straight from the (work) horse’s mouth.

Sarah Colton, Guest Contributor, Author of the book, Bad Girls Perfume.

Sarah Colton and Annette Green at the 2017 Perfumed Plume Awards Ceremony in NYC. Photo Courtesy of Catherine Villeminot

Thanks to the generosity of Annette Green and Dog Ear Publishers, we have two autographed copies for 1 registered reader in the U.S, and 1 registered reader in Europe. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what appeals to you about Spritzing To Success based on Sarah’s review, what lesson resonated with you and where you live.   Available on Amazon.com Draw ends 12/20/2018.

I first met Annette Green not through the Fragrance World or The Fragrance Foundation but in the last 90s when she had a summer home next door to my dear friends. Each time I see her at industry events, she remembers our first encounter! -Michelyn Camen

We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like ÇaFleureBon and use our blog feed … or your dream prize  will be spilled perfume 

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16 comments

  • I live in Russia which means I’m not eligible for the draw but I just had to say: what a fantastic woman!

  • Monica Beaton says:

    Beautiful story about an amazing woman Sarah! Wonderful words to live by and a wonderful woman to look up to. Finding your passion and enjoying your life are words I try to live by. I live in Australia so not eligible.

  • What a go-getter! Thanks for bringing this dynamo to our attention. Such an inspiration of innovative hard work. Hard to believe there was a year with only 3 fragrance releases. Love the live lessons!! I will be buying this book if I am not the lucky winner. USA

  • What an amazing woman. I can’t say which rule I like more: say yes to everything but name your conditions, or keep a sharp eye for what’s happening now. I am in the US and would love to win this generous draw. What a great article!

  • An amazing story of a fulfilled, successful and confident woman! I love features of women who make their marks in society. ‘Take care of yourself ‘- this is what every person should do, oftentimes the successful ones mainly focus on the physical aspect, and they tend to forget to take care of their emotional and spiritual wellbeing. Annette is such an inspiration! Thanks for this article. – California, USA

  • Great write-up and informative. So I have Ms Green to blame for my inability to keep up with the various fragrance release. I guess its better to suffer from not be able to experience the many release than only have 3 in a year. She was a game changer. Lessons 5, 6, and 8 are my takeaways-California, USA

  • Wow, I did not know about Annette so thanks Sarah for this article! All advices are simple and wise, my favorite is bonus❤️Would love to win one copy, that would be extremely interesting reading. Germany, thanks

  • Wow, this is an example of how your dream life should be pursued. I liked the classy touch that she had and the impact of her work. I loved lesson 4 about inviting your friends, speaks tons about her principles. Having that copy would be a gem to read. Thanks. USA

  • Very interesting article about this wonderful woman ! Thank you for the lessons Sarah ! Believe in your dreams ✨

  • I like reading about women, who with hard work and resilience, pave their own path, and then follow the path with grace and continued hard work. I like lesson 10: stay young forever, I think work can do that.
    I live in the USA.

  • I like reading about wormed and learning more about the professional begone world. My favorite lesson is enjoy your life…. I take it to mean, no matter where you are or what you are doing, nothing is stopping me from enjoying what I can about my life. Thank you for the review and the generous draw, in the us

  • So many good lessons here from a person who has lived life to its fullest and who has succeeded on her own merits through tireless hard work, there is much to be admired about Annette Green. I have now read several books on the history of perfumery and the larger than life powerhouse figures that have shaped the industry, and would like to learn more about Ms. Green’s path to success as well as the solid advice she has to give. Thank you for this chance, I live in the US.

  • What an inspiring interview ! I didn’t know about Annette Green and all her advises are excellent. Lesson 2 and lesson 8 are relevant with my actual research and situation and I will definitely keep these two in mind.
    I really wish I could read her book to know more about her philosophy of life and the way she enjoyed and take advantage of everything that happened to her.

  • Great review… Lesson 8 and 9 & 10 all resonated with this girl, but each one was good. Ms. Green has given much to the Fragrance world and is an inspiration to all. I am in the US

  • What an interesting review! Thank you for sharing such an inspiring story. Such good life lessons! Makes me want to read the book 🙂