February 2022 - fragroom

February 26, 2022February 26, 2022

Best Byredo Fragrances: 12 Releases From The Swedish Niche Brand To Get Your Nose On

A rhetorical question before I get to my best Byredo fragrances selection: is there a cooler perfume brand founder than Ben Gorham (pictured, below)? The fine arts graduate and professional basketball player-turned-entrepreneur launched his fragrance company in Stockholm, Sweden, in 2006.

Image: Byredo.

Within a few years, Byredo secured its position as a leading niche house with straightforward yet distinctive compositions that range from the crowd-pleasing to the more daringly unusual.

Some recent releases haven’t hit the heights of earlier ones, but there’s still no shortage of best Byredo fragrances.

Where known, the name of the perfumer is included in brackets after the name of the fragrance.

Do you have any best Byredo fragrances?

BYREDO GYPSY WATER EDP

All successful niche brands make their name with specific releases. This 2008 EDP put Byredo firmly on the fragrance map.

A celebration of Romany culture in a most romantic way, the olfactory homage begins in delicately fresh style, with notes of juniper berries, bergamot and lemon capturing the imagination. Seductive mystery wafts throughout in the form of smoky incense and aromatic pine needle notes. And then it’s time for a terrific trio of vanilla, amber and sandalwood to lay on the creaminess.

No surprises, it’s been a best-seller since its launch and remains the perfect intro to the house.

BYREDO BLANCHE EDP

This 2009 release epitomises the brand’s simple yet effective approach to perfumery.

There’s a big blast of aldehydes in the opening. Most well known for its use in Chanel No 5, this synthetic gives this EDP a fresh, soapy vibe. A trio of florals – rose centifolia, peony, violet – are given the powdery treatment. Clean and sensual at the same time, the drydown features musk and sandalwood.

With the aldehydic prominence, even though used in a modern way, this fragrance is not for everyone, but will appeal to those looking for something offbeat.

BYREDO BAL D’AFRIQUE EDP (JÉRÔME EPINETTE)

Inspired by 1920s Paris and its obsession with African culture in all its forms, there’s something very joyful and uplifting about this 2009 release. It’s probably my favourite in this best Byredo fragrances round-up.

The tone is set from the opening, with its mix of citrus freshness (lemon, bergamot, neroli). Notes of rich marigold and black currant-ish buchu give it a truly African quality, with soft florals in the background. The smokiness of vetiver is perfectly partnered with musk and Moroccan cedarwood in the drydown.

It’s one of the sweeter vetiver fragrances on the market and holds the attention from start to finish.

BYREDO LA TULIPE EDP (JÉRÔME EPINETTE)

Who says tulips aren’t fragrant? While most varieties are indeed odourless, this 2010 release showcases the floral in spectacularly scented style.

The intro of cyclamen, freesia and rhubarb notes creates a fresh spring-like mood. The rendition of tulip builds on that freshness in a lush green, slightly spicy style. It’s impressively realistic and not sweet in the least. The vetiver in the drydown maintains the green freshness, while blonde woods (the synthetic Cashmeran) brings smooth muskiness.

One of the best in the genre, it stands out for all the right reasons.

BYREDO OUD IMMORTEL EDP

Oud is regarded as one of the most precious ingredients in perfumery and this 2010 release does a fine job of approximating its appeal through skilful use of ingredients.

The intro sees the resinous spice of cardamom infused with the smoke of incense. The combination of richly floral Brazilian rosewood, smoky papyrus and earthy patchouli notes come together to create a remarkable oud-like result. Notes of oakmoss and tobacco maintain the illusion in the drydown.

The brand’s Accord Oud is also recommended, if you’re looking for a fruitier, leathery take on the theme.

BYREDO BLACK SAFFRON EDP

Inspired by Ben Gorham’s heritage (his mother is Indian) and the importance of saffron in Hinduism, this 2012 release is not as abstinent as it sounds.

The leathery qualities of spicy saffron are played up in the intro, with a fresh hint of juniper berries and grapefruit in the background. A gently animalic leather accord is sweetened with a note of fruity raspberry and powdery violet, while Cashmeran brings a warm musky vibe to the composition.

If you’re in the market for a sophisticated leather fragrance, Byredo Saffron deserves a place in your collection.

BYREDO MOJAVE GHOST EDP

The Mojave Desert makes for surprisingly fertile inspiration in this 2014 release.

The intro features the silkiness of ambrette, the vegetal musk. Its pear-like fruitiness is partnered with the fresh sweetness of Jamaican naseberry, a tropical note that’s not used much in perfumery. The floral freshness of powdery violet and citrus-y magnolia is contrasted with the creamy warmth of sandalwood and more musk.

A softly evocative skin scent with a clean feel, it’s Byredo at its crowd-pleasing best.

BYREDO ROSE OF NO MAN’S LAND EDP

Taking its cue from the nickname given by soldiers to the courageous, life-saving nurses during the First World War, this 2015 release is the one for you if you’re looking for a gentle intro to a rose fragrance.

It opens with notes of Turkish rose petals, complemented by the rosy spiciness of pink peppercorns. The centrepiece is softly enveloping Turkish rose absolute, with the fruity-floral hues of raspberry blossom in the background.

Finished with an amber accord and the aromatic woodiness of papyrus, it’s a warm and agreeable fragrance that errs on the side of subtlety to make an impact.

BYREDO BIBLIOTHÈQUE EDP

As its name suggests, this 2017 release (originally the brand’s most popular candle) is inspired by the ambience of a library featuring old leather books on wooden shelves.

It’s a well-executed concept that begins in fruity mode with sweet (but not too sweet) notes of peach and especially plum. The slight sweetness is further developed in the floral heart featuring peony. A violet note brings an earthy and powdery aspect.

A leather accord completes the EDP, with notes of patchouli and vetiver adding to the intimate feel of being immersed in a world of old books.

BYREDO VELVET HAZE EDP (JÉRÔME EPINETTE)

A 2017 release from the Swedish niche brand that’s not as crowd-friendly as some of its other fragrances such as Gypsy Water and Bal d’Afrique, and is all the better for it.

It debuts with the lightly tropical fruity tones of coconut water and then the patchouli – earthy, rich and perhaps too powerful for some – kicks in, in a big way. When the patchouli subsides, it’s complemented by earthy cacao and wafts of musk.

There’s something BO-ish about this scent, not in an off-putting way, more seductive…

BYREDO SLOW DANCE EDP (JÉRÔME EPINETTE)

I don’t always buy into the story of a fragrance, but the one for this 2019 release works a charm – “a rites-of-passage moment… high school clichés mingle…” – both in its inspiration and execution.

Jérôme Epinette conjures a suitably sweet and sticky experience with notes of opoponax, labdanum, vanilla and patchouli notes featuring prominently in the warm, almost candyfloss-y ambience.

I can almost feel the teachers scanning the young couples for any unacceptable behaviour as George Michael’s Careless Whisper creates a frisson among the young’uns.

BYREDO REINE DE NUIT EXTRAIT DE PARFUM

The last few years have seen a boom in extrait de parfum concentrations, as consumers demand the best available quality and powerful perfumes on every level. Sensing this shift, the clever people at Byredo launched the Night Veils Collection.

There’s plenty of blackcurrant in the opening of this 2019 release. Its fruity piquancy blends with the leathery warmth of saffron.

A voluptuous and dirty rose stands proudly in the heart of the scent. Incense amplifies the unashamed oriental atmosphere.

In keeping with the best raw materials, it settles sensually on a base of ambrette, the natural musk, while patchouli brings its characteristic earthiness to the rich composition.

All of these best Byredo fragrances are available in South Africa at Skins Cosmetics.

February 19, 2022

Laws of Perfumery

I’ve been wanting to do this post for some time. As the flipside to The New Rules post I did a few years ago. While the latter was mostly about how flexible things have become, there are certain incontrovertible Laws of Perfumery.

Fragrance Etiquette: The New Rules (Plus Some Things That Never Change)

DESPITE THE INDUSTRY’S OBFUSCATION, MODERN PERFUMERY IS VERY MUCH ABOUT WHAT GOES ON IN THE LAB.

All those images of fields of florals and seaside reveries would have you believe that perfumery is nature’s bounty. Words play their part too in the elaborate deception.

Of course, the reality is very different. From Houbigant Fougère Royale (coumarin), Guerlain Jicky (vanillin) and Chanel No 5 (aldehydes) to the more recent Mugler Angel (Ethyl maltol) and Dior Sauvage (Ambroxan), synthetics are the backbone of perfumery.

Hoorah for those brands that are upfront about the use of aroma-chemicals and captive molecules in their creations.

JUST BECAUSE IT’S POPULAR DOESN’T MEAN IT WILL STAY IN PRODUCTION.

“Why?!” What’s that wailing sound? Oh, just another perfumista mourning the discontinuation of their favourite scent.

This phenomenon is almost always never announced by brands. One day you see it on the company website, the next day you don’t. The much-loved Yves Saint Laurent M7 and Gucci Pour Homme II are two primary examples here.

The result is always the same: waves of nostalgia for said fragrance and sellers charging exorbitant prices for it on sites like eBay.

The corollary: traumatised perfumistas spreading false rumours that a fragrance is about to be discontinued. Just the other day, I had to reassure someone that L’Artisan Parfumeur Timbuktu is, in fact, still available on the brand’s website. Keep calm and buy back-up bottles just in case…

IF THERE’S MONEY TO BE MADE, EXPECT LOTS OF FLANKERS.

Certain brands seem to have made the flankerisation (I’m including limited editions) of their best-sellers their raison d’être.

Prime suspects: Lancôme La Vie est Belle and Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire. But Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male (the French brand’s Scandal franchise is going in the same direction), Issey Miyake L’Eau d’Issey and Mugler Angel have made it an art form.

If you’ve managed to keep up with all the additions of any of the above and can tell the difference between the various iterations, you most certainly deserve a prize. The latest addition to any of the above-mentioned ranges.

NICHE ISN’T IMMUNE TO THE LAWS OF PERFUMERY.

As niche brands become more commercially driven (they are enterprises, after all), the more they follow the business models of designer brands.

Once the preserve of designer brands, flanking, albeit on a smaller scale, is increasingly common in niche.

Image: Juliette Has A Gun.

PERFUMERY ISN’T FOR PURISTS.

What’s worse than a discontinued favourite? For traditionalists, a resurrected, reinterpreted favourite for a new generation that bears little resemblance to the original and stripped of its mystique.

“What’s worse than a discontinued favourite? For traditionalists, a resurrected, reinterpreted favourite.”

Created for Audrey Hepburn, L’Interdit Givenchy is the stuff of legends. Originally produced as a gift from Hubert Givenchy for the actress, it was released commercially in 1957. The French brand revived it in 2018 as Givenchy L’Interdit and it’s doing very well, judging by the steady succession of annual releases.

Laws of Perfumery - Perfumery Isn't For Purists

ICONIC: Audrey Hepburn was the first actress to become the face for a perfume.

Dior launched Joy in 2018 to much consternation from fans of the classic Jean Patou Joy from 1930. The French brand’s parent company, LVMH, bought the legendary couturier’s company in 2018 on the sly, with Dior acquiring the rights to the name Joy. Then in 2020, the luxury conglomerate pulled the plug on Jean Patou perfumes while keeping the fashion side of the business (now known as Patou). It doesn’t get more brutal and uns(c)entimental than that.

JUST BECAUSE IT’S POPULAR DOESN’T MEAN IT’S RUBBISH (OR WHAT GOES UP MUST BE PULLED DOWN)

The more successful a fragrance becomes, the more it’s trashed online.

Case in point: Bleu de Chanel. “Boring!” they declare. Having revisited it recently, it’s actually very good, thank you.

Another of the last decade’s big fragrances, Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540, is also getting its fair share of negative commentary. Yes, it’s everywhere, both in its original and much-copied forms, but let’s give credit where it’s due.

PERFUME IS ALSO A VISUAL MEDIUM.

Huh? Steady on, old chap, what are you on about now? From bottles to packaging, whether minimalist or over-the-top, perfume is as much about the optics as it is about the olfactives.

In our digital world, this has gone a step further, with Instagram users, in particular, taking it to new levels of visual stimulation.

This law sounded rather clever at first. Now I’m just wondering if I’m stating the obvious…

What do you think? Do you have any Laws of Perfumery you’d like to add?

February 3, 2022

Les Parfums de Rosine: An Interview With Artistic Director Louis Rogeon

Image: Les Parfums de Rosine.

Fragrance nerd alert! Did you know that the first designer to launch a perfume was Paul Poiret (pictured, below)? The Parisian couturier founded his company, Parfums de Rosine (named after his daughter), in 1911. It enjoyed considerable success until it was forced to close when the Great Depression hit in 1929.

Image: Les Parfums de Rosine.

The house was brought back to life in 1991 when Marie-Hélène Rogeon (pictured, below) acquired it, with a focus on roses. Since then, the brand has become renowned for its quality takes on the queen of florals.

Les Parfums de Rosine - Marie-Hélène Rogeon

Image: Les Parfums de Rosine.

I speak to artistic director Louis Rogeon about balancing heritage and innovation, the versatile appeal of roses and the house’s latest release.

What’s your designation at the company and what does it involve?

We are an independent company with a jack-of-all-trades team. My role is mainly that of artistic director. I take care of product development: concept, packs and visuals, as well as olfactory creation.

Condolences for your mother’s death last year. Have you taken on more responsibilities since her passing?

Thank you so much. I obviously cannot replace her. She has been the soul of this perfume house for over 30 years and a pioneer in niche perfumery.

Of course, I am taking on new tasks, particularly closer relationships with our various partners and in the administrative follow-up of the company.

We are a small team but overflowing with passion. Everyone has stepped up their work since this sad event.

Image: Les Parfums de Rosine.

The company was originally founded by couturier Paul Poiret. What made it such an attractive investment?

The main attraction lies in the fact that our family worked for the Poiret house in the 1920s. They mainly collaborated in the packaging of perfumes. There was therefore a clear lineage. My mother grew up in this universe. As a child at home, there were many old bottles, trimmings and other illustrations dating back to that time.

“The figure of Paul Poiret fascinated her. He was an avant-garde with boundless creativity.”

The figure of Paul Poiret fascinated her. He was an avant-garde with boundless creativity. Not many people know it, but he was also the first couturier to create his own brand of perfumes.

Image: Les Parfums de Rosine.

Reviving a brand isn’t easy, even one with such an illustrious heritage. What were the greatest challenges at the time of acquisition?

Surprisingly, the acquisition of the brand was easy. The descendants were sensitive to the idea of my mother and to the fact that this perfume house could come back to life.

The main challenge then was to recreate a concept from this heritage. For several years, the brand was a mono-perfume, with La Rose de Rosine (pictured, below) as the only reference. It was only gradually that my mother developed the idea of a brand based around the concept of the rose.

Image: Les Parfums de Rosine.

How do you maintain the balance between respect for heritage and contemporary innovation?

Things are done quite naturally. In their presentations, our products borrow from the brand’s Art Deco past, notably with our logos: the “R” and the double rose. The trimmings – in different forms – have also been preserved.

Then, in stages, our products evolved to be innovative: coloured bottles appeared, accompanied by more contemporary packs and visual universe.

The perfumers with whom we collaborate have also participated in this dynamic. They are all young noses which spontaneously created a contemporary perfumery.

All Les Parfums de Rosine perfumes have a rose theme. Is that ever limiting for the perfumers you collaborate with?

Not at all. All our creations have a trace of rose but ultimately few are worked like real rose scents. Only La Rose de Rosine and Rose Nue (pictured, below) can be considered soliflores. At the same time, they are two fragrances of great complexity with multiple facets.

Our collection covers all olfactory families, with woody, fruity, citrus, marine fragrances, etc. In most of our creations, the rose is present as an element that expresses the olfactory signature of our brand. The rose is above all a delicious, elegant and timeless raw material which gives a lot of roundness and richness to the perfumes.

Image: Les Parfums de Rosine.

Let’s talk about your latest release, Bulle de Rose, created by Serge de Oliviera. What makes it different from other perfumes from the brand?

Bulle de Rose is a powdery fragrance that revisits, with freedom and modernity, the legendary note of Camay soap. Its originality remains in its construction: it is a fragrance that is both fresh and opulent. The base notes – sandalwood, patchouli, Ambroxan – may make one imagine a “heavy” fragrance, yet it remains sparkling and radiant with an impression of cleanliness given by the soapy accord.

Serge de Oliveira has created a number of fragrances for the brand. Why do you enjoy working with him?

Serge is a perfectionist. The pleasure we have in working with him is simple and natural because he spontaneously understood the DNA of our brand. The exchange is therefore very pleasant. He is a creative young perfumer, with an immense culture of perfume.

We have already developed four fragrances together. The first was Bleu Abysse, in which he mixed mineral and iodine notes with a background of oud. This is certainly the first time that a perfume has dared to go with this accord. He blew us away from the start!

Image: Les Parfums de Rosine.

How you prefer to work with your perfumers? Are they given a tight brief? Or is there lots of room for interpretation?

It’s a mix of the two. Although our briefs are quite precise, we like perfumers to feel as free as possible in their creations.

We love nothing more than being surprised. Then the dialogue takes place (sometimes over the long term). It is during this exchange that the most beautiful creations come to fruition.

What can we look forward to in 2022 from Les Parfums de Rosine?

I cannot say much because we are planning some important novelties for the brand and this work remains confidential for the moment…

Order Les Parfums de Rosine fragrances from the brand’s website.

Month: February 2022