BOLIVIA: Perfume makers produce knock-offs of famous - much more expensive - brands

Record ID: 601464

  • Title: BOLIVIA: Perfume makers produce knock-offs of famous - much more expensive - brands
  • Date: 26th March 2011
  • Summary: CLOSE-UP OF THE BAG CLOSE-UP OF TANIA MACHIAVELLI ORGANIZING THE LOTIONS IN THE STORE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PERFUME AND LOTION SELLER, TANIA MACHIAVELLI, SAYING: "We are happy to have so many different kinds of clients. Upper class, lower class, everyone comes here. At some point or another everyone comes to Katia perfumes." VARIOUS OF TANIA MACHIAVELLI AND HER DAUGHTE
  • Embargoed: 10th April 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Bolivia, Plurinational State Of
  • Country: Bolivia
  • Topics: Industry,Quirky,Lifestyle
  • Reuters ID: LVA4V40JGK8Q86SYU28U4EXMR7Z3
  • Story Text: Bolivia is not known for it's perfumes.
    Nonetheless, here at the small Katia cosmetics store in the capital La Paz, far from the glitz of Europe, a family has been mixing up fragrances that mimic the world's most well known brands.
    Recently, Guillermo Machiavelli, the owner of the company, set up his perfume displays to sell to clients.
    For 40 years, Machiavelli and his family have been importing top level raw materials, mostly from Germany, to make their concoctions.
    "We've dedicated ourselves to producing lotions and perfumes and the whole cosmetology side, always with the support of foreign companies which provide us with the raw materials which we use to create the product. We have a wide assortment. Thanks to that we have a lot of customers and a lot of people buying our products," he said.
    In a small laboratory, Jose Machiavelli works like an alchemist over a pot, adding drops of oils and scents to the mix until he deems them just right.
    Katia perfumes imports some 50 kilograms of 10 to 15 fragrances a year.
    From these bulk oils, Machiavelli works makes different mixtures that create around 150 perfumes, 100 for women and 50 for women.
    He said a few of the ingredients come from within Bolivia, but most is brought in from Europe.
    "The alcohol is domestic, the liquid vaseline we use is imported. Various additives are domestic like the beeswax, the distilled water, but most of the additives are imported from Germany," he said.
    The process is a long one. Just mixing the perfume takes approximately one month and then the concoction has to sit for months to reach the proper consistency.
    "After it is made it has to be stirred for 15 days and after 15 days we add water to macerate it. Then we store it in a dark place for five or six months so the perfume is thicker," he added.
    Once the product has set, the final step is to add coloring before putting it on the shelves. Similar fragrances in Europe can cost hundreds, even thousands of dollars, but Katia keeps their prices accessible.
    Tania Machiavelli, who runs sales at the store, said this means the scents are reserved just for the upper classes.
    "We are happy to have so many different kinds of clients. Upper class, lower class, everyone comes here. At some point or another everyone comes to Katia perfumes," she said.
    Machiavelli, who works the store with her daughter, recently sold products to Natidad Martinez, a teacher at a cosmetics school. Martinez said Katia's products are superior.
    "I am a teacher at a [cosmetics] institute. I am teaching my students about Katia's products because they are very good and have an affect on your skin. It leaves it very smooth. That's why I buy so much to bring to the girls," she said.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register