A walk down the aisles of your local supermarket will confirm that veganism (and a part- or full-time commitment to a plant-based diet) is now completely mainstream. So it was just a matter of time before vegan fragrances became a thing.
Vegan fragrances contain no animal-derived ingredients whatsoever, including beeswax or honey, and are not tested on animals.
“Vegan fragrances contain no animal-derived ingredients whatsoever, including beeswax or honey, and are not tested on animals.”
Two brands – Floral Street and Ellis Brooklyn – were recently launched in South Africa. Both focus on vegan fragrances for those who’re increasingly concerned about the ethical and environmental consequences of their consumption.
Personally, I have no issue with the use of beeswax or honey when they are sourced responsibly and sustainably. And I would gladly wear a perfume containing ambergris, the precious ingredient secreted by sperm whales. It becomes a bit murkier with the use of animalic notes like civet, which were at one stage an integral part of classics such as Chanel Coco, Danu Tabu and YSL Kouros.
Image: woolworths.co.za.
I did a bit of quick research and discovered that leading South African retailer Woolworths has an extensive selection of vegan fragrances in its WBeauty range. According to Totally Vegan Buzz, vegan-friendly brands include Lush, Le Labo, Clean, Stella McCartney, Gallivant and Eden. I also noticed that in its marketing for cK Everyone, Calvin Klein gives a lot of attention to its vegan formula.
Two things to note:
If vegan fragrances are important to you, do your homework regarding the legitimacy of a brand’s claims. For example, have they been certified by an organisation such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta)?
Just because a brand isn’t vegan doesn’t mean it condones cruelty to animals.
And now onto the reviews of these two vegan fragrances that have recently caught my nose.
ELLIS BROOKLYN MYTH EDP (JÉRÔME EPINETTE)
This NYC-based company was founded by New York Times beauty columnist Bee Shapiro (pictured, below) in 2015 after she gave birth to her first child and became serious about “clean” beauty.
Myth was part of the brand’s launch range and it’s easy to understand why it’s one of their best sellers.
It opens with a silky-sleek waft of powdery ambrette, the naturally derived musk, supported by notes of green cassis and crisp bergamot. The trio of florals that follows – tiger orchid, pink lotus, jasmine petals – is pretty indeed, in an airy, fresh and delicately sweet style. The drydown is sensually soft, with notes of white musk, patchouli and white cedar.
This eminently likeable scent is compliment-bait, if that’s a part of your purchasing decision. But most importantly, it’s got the feel-good factor in abundance.
All Ellis Brooklyn fragrances are paraben-, phthalates- and cruelty-free, and Peta–certified vegan. They come in glass bottles from an Ecocert supplier and the Bakelite caps are made without the use of petroleum or its byproducts. – Brand website.
FLORAL STREET ARIZONA BLOOM EDP(JÉRÔME EPINETTE)
The founder of this British brand, Michelle Feeney (pictured, below) , comes with major credentials. Before launching her company in 2017, she worked in senior roles for La Mer, MAC Cosmetics and St Tropez, among others.
Image: floralstreet.com.
As its name and pay-off line (“powered by flowers”) will tell you, all their fragrances have a floral focus.
Although Arizona Bloom, a Fragrance Foundation 2021 Awards finalist, is inspired by an arid landscape, it puts me in a holiday mood every time I wear it. That must be the creamy vanilla-ish Balinese coconut, with a hint of warm Madagascan black pepper, in the intro. Jasmine, fresh and honeyed, adds to the sunny vacay vibe, the sweetness tempered by a salty musk accord and oakmoss as it dries down.
All Floral Street packaging is reusable, recyclable or biodegradable. Vegan and cruelty-free, they’re certified by Peta. Each fragrance comes inside a pulp carton with an embossed lid, made from recyclable paper packaging and held together with a re-usable band. This eco-friendly box can be repurposed to hold keepsakes, herbal teas, jewellery or as a seed tray for plants and herbs. – Brand website.
Even those with only a passing interest in fragrance will have heard of Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue. Launched in 2001, its evocation of the sun, sea and sensuality of a southern Italy summer has been a huge commercial success for the luxury fashion brand.
A large part of its success is down to the expertise of Olivier Cresp. The French master perfumer has produced hits such as Givenchy Ange ou Demon (2006), Penhaligon’s Juniper Sling (2011), Versace Eros Pour Femme (2014) and YSL Mon Paris (2016). And let’s not forget the ground-breaking Mugler Angel, which kick-started all things gourmand in 1992.
Cresp was recognised for his numerous accomplishments when The Fragrance Foundation gave him the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018.
He talks to Fragroom about Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue’s popularity, powerful formula and the latest iteration, Light Blue Forever.
Congratulations on the 20th anniversary of Light Blue. Why does it have such enduring appeal?
Thank you. I’m very proud to have created Light Blue.
The fragrance’s concept is universal: love. I am a romantic at heart; eternal love has always enchanted me. It did when I first created Light Blue in 2001 and it continues to mesmerise me today.
“It’s an immense pleasure and honour to translate that concept into a fragrance that represents all that love is.”
It’s an immense pleasure and honour to translate that concept into a fragrance that represents all that love is: the first look, kiss and moments together, as well as the milestones that come later: anniversaries, children and grandchildren. Timeless and contemporary, Light Blue has adapted to every generation over time.
Its popularity is linked with its luminosity and freshness. There’s something about Italy and, in particular, Sicily, a place of importance to the Dolce & Gabbana creators [Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana].
SOMETHING ABOUT SICILY: The Italian island is a place of importance to Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana. Image: visitsicily.com.
Did you know you were onto a winner when you created it?
As perfumers, we never really know what’s going to be a great success. That said, Light Blue is one of my favourite creations and I have always believed in its power.
In some ways, Light Blue is a victim of its own success, because it’s so popular and therefore some people automatically dislike it. Does that bother you at all?
As soon as we started testing Light Blue, people’s reactions were nothing but positive; perhaps something about sharing this idea of love has created that effect.
I’ve never seen anyone reject this fragrance; it’s not a polarising one. In fact, I wear it often as it fits well on my skin, and I know other men wear it as well.
Image: dolcegabbana.com.
Light Blue is a great example of the use of synthetics and naturals. tell us more about that.
The fragrance has a powerful but minimalist formula. It’s composed of 25 ingredients, including a natural overdose of 10% lemon essence.
Featuring some wonderful captive molecules from Firmenich [the company he works for], the fragrance can be imitated, but never perfectly reproduced: woods, musks, amber and jasmine floral notes, as well as a crunchy Granny Smith apple. Without this harmony, the deep sensuality and unique light in Light Blue could not exist.
The naturalness of the ingredients are prolonged by the innovative molecules. Together, the olfactive lightness gives you an infinite sensation of bright sunlight, crystal water, tanned skin and intense heat.
SUN, SEA AND SKIN: Bianca Balti and David Gandy in the Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue ad. Image: dolcegabbana.com.
There’s been no shortage of flankers over the years. How did you approach the creation of Light Blue Forever to ensure it stays faithful to the original while offering something new?
I captured the joie de vivre and Mediterranean sensuality of Light Blue, and I enhanced the pillars of the perfume as if to multiply them tenfold: the essence of lemon, the apple, the white floral bouquet and the cedar. These are the olfactive threads that prolong eternal love in Light Blue.
For Light Blue Forever for Her, I insisted on the solar facets of the original fragrance, through both sparkling and luminous notes. I reinforced the floral heart with orange blossom to make it bloom bigger, without making it too dense or heavy.
Image: dolcegabbana.com.
Finally, I used the latest generation of woods and musks to elevate and anchor the sparkling notes of the fragrance, enveloping the Light Blue signature with a contemporary sensual touch.
I wanted to make it very luminous and solar, inspired by the Mediterranean Sea and the orange blossoms found all along the coast. While there are still the lemony apple notes, the main accord is the orange blossom which brings strength, modernity, solar luminosity and warmth.
Did you have carte blanche in its creation, or was it a tight brief?
When we got the marketing brief from D&G, I did have carte blanche. However, I don’t start from scratch because I must work from the original Light Blue.
“It’s always a challenge to rework a classic. You have to balance the original with new elements to create a new story.”
It’s always a challenge to rework a classic. You have to balance the original with new elements to create a new story. How do you improve eternal love?
The overall addictive sensation of Light Blue Forever, shaped around warm and multisensorial notes, is more universal, without crossing into gourmand territory.
Image: dolcegabbana.com.
What’s next for Light Blue?
There is always another story of love to share. In fact, I am already working on the next one, but it must remain secret for the time being. However, I can tell you that even the next one will always be connected to the Light Blue masterpiece.
Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue EDT, Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Eau Intense and Dolce & Gabbana Light Forever EDP are available at Woolworths.
I don’t like making grand announcements, especially when we’re only half-way through the year. But it’s a pretty safe bet to declare that Hermès H24 is the most anticipated release of 2021.
It’s the French luxury goods company’s first brand-new male fragrance since the award-winning Terre d’ Hermès. That 2006 release created by Jean-Claude Ellena went onto become a modern classic. It re-affirmed the house’s reputation for top quality. So expectations of Hermès H24 are massive, to say the least.
Christine Nagel succeeded Ellena as the in-house perfumer in 2016. Since then, she has produced standouts such as Eau de Rhubarbe Écarlate, Twilly d’Hermès and Galop d’Hermès for the brand.
For the creation of Hermès H24, the Swiss perfumer (pictured, below) wanted a blend of nature (botanicals) and technology (man-made molecules). “I had to open up other, less predictable paths, to move away from the conventional woodiness of men’s scents,” she says.
The notion of nature meeting technology is evident from the grey and lime green paper box (100% recycled and recyclable). The aerodynamically shaped glass bottle (refillable and recyclable) designed by Philippe Mouquet (he also designed the Terre d’ Hermès bottle) echoes that theme in typically elegant Hermès style.
SO WHAT DOES HERMÈS H24 SMELL LIKE?
Herbal clary sage (essence and absolute) introduces this EDT. It’s aromatic in a big way, with grassy accents, and makes its way throughout the scent.
Narcissus can be unruly and dominant at the best of times. But in Nagel’s accomplished hands, the absolute version of this floral reveals its crisp, green, slightly bitter, tobacco-ish aspects. Sustainably sourced from Peruvian producers, citrusy rosewood essence builds on the freshness of the narcissus absolute.
And now for the definitive (and trickiest part) of the composition – sclarene – a molecule that brings the technological part to the equation. Metallic (in a warm and sensual way), Nagel partly chose this note due to its evocation of hot irons in the Hermès sewing workshops. It’s certainly intriguing but will not be to everyone’s liking.
And perhaps that’s the point of this brave release. It’s not going to be an immediate pleaser or classic like Terre d’Hermès. In fact, it might take some time to come around to it, especially with the dominance of the clary sage. So best give it time to develop on your skin to appreciate all its facets.
When a perfume turns 100 years old, you can bet it has a story to tell. And it doesn’t get more convoluted and juicier than Chanel No 5. While The Secret of Chanel No. 5: The Intimate History of the World’s Most Famous Perfume by Tilar J Mazzeo (Harper Perennial) was published in 2010, it contains many well-researched insights as we celebrate the Chanel No 5 centenary.
A cultural historian and wine writer, Mazzeo is the author of books such as The Widow Clicquot (HarperCollins) and Back Lane Wineries of Sonoma, Second Edition (Penguin Random House).
As Mazzeo states in the book’s preface, “Much of what is told and retold about its transformation into an international byword for luxury is the stuff of half-truths, confusion, collective fantasy and sheer invention. Sometimes, the truth that those legends obscure is more fantastic than any fiction.”
Starting with Gabrielle Chanel’s childhood in an orphanage, The Secret of Chanel No. 5 is a must-read for anyone wanting to know more about “le monstre” (the monster), as the perfume is known in the industry.
Chanel No 5 Centenary image courtesy of Chanel.
AU CONTRAIRE
I don’t want to give away too many of the secrets revealed and the myths debunked by Mazzeo, but for those who want a teaser here goes…
Chanel No 5 was not the first fragrance to make use of aldehydes (that distinction belongs to L.T. Piver Rêve d’Or). But it is certainly the most well-known, with its liberal use of these synthetics by Russian-born perfumer Ernest Beaux when he created Chanel’s debut scent.
Neither was it the first designer fragrance. Parisian couturier Paul Poiret got there first with Parfums de Rosine Nuit Persane in 1911.
The formula for Chanel No 5 wasn’t stolen from the laboratory of a company owned by her friend and rival François Coty.
Although the designer had a thing for the number five and named her debut fragrance after it, Chanel No 5 wasn’t officially released on May 5, 1921, the fifth day of the fifth month. It appeared quietly on the shelves of her boutiques but was hugely popular from the outset.
Chanel No 5 Centenary image courtesy of Chanel.
In fact, because of the demand, in 1924, in return for their manufacturing, distribution and marketing expertise, Coco Chanel signed away the majority control (70%) of the perfume side of her business to the Wertheim brothers, Pierre and Paul, who owned the perfume company Bourjois.
ICONIC SHAPE: The evolution of the design of the bottle over the decades. Chanel No 5 Centenary image courtesy of Chanel.
The formation of Les Parfums Chanel meant she would receive 10% of the profits. With the perfume’s considerable profitability, however, she later came to regret this business decision, which helps explain the dubious legal action against her Jewish investors during the Second World War when the Nazis occupied Paris (see interview below).
Despite all the dirty dealings and numerous law cases, the contract was renegotiated in 1947, whereby in exchange for $350 000, 10% of the profits and 2% of the perfume sales worldwide, she would stop using the number five in any of her marketing.
“Pierre Wertheimer agreed to fund the reopening of her fashion house and pay all her bills (including her rent at the Ritz Hotel.”
Later, in the 1950s, Pierre Wertheimer agreed to fund the reopening of her fashion house and pay all her bills (including her rent at the Ritz Hotel in Paris). But the Wertheimer family would own the rights to the fragrance and fashion businesses. That agreement continues to this day, with Alain and Gérard Wertheimer, Pierre’s grandchildren, running the luxury empire.
Although her partners missed several marketing tricks in the 20s, they showed their business acumen during the war. From their new base in the United States, after escaping from France in 1940, they sent former Guerlain president H. Gregory Thomas on a covert mission to Grasse, France, to source the raw materials needed to produce Chanel No 5. He returned with hundreds of kilos of jasmine and rose concrete.
INTERVIEW WITH TILAR J MAZZEO
What prompted you to write the book?
I came to the book from the perspective of a wine writer, wondering about the relationship between perfume and wine: both aromatic volatiles in alcohol. What made a great perfume and was it similar to a great wine?
Did you have any preconceptions before you started your research?
The other question of the book for me was: is Chanel No 5 really a great perfume or is it great marketing? I began assuming marketing would be a larger part of the equation.
What were you most surprised to find out in your research?
How disastrous the marketing was in the beginning for this fragrance. For example, they decided to launch Chanel No 5 along with a whole series of other numbered fragrances (Chanel No 2, Chanel No 3). And the ads had all of them in the same bottles. It would have sunk any other fragrance.
PERFUME POSE: Gabrielle Chanel in a campaign for Chanel No 5, photographed by François Kollar for Harper’s Bazaar, USA, in 1937, in her Ritz Hotel apartment. Chanel No 5 Centenary image courtesy of Chanel.
How much access did the company give you? And what was their response when the book was published?
I did have access to historical documents at Chanel and the jasmine and rose plantations in Grasse. The perfumers at Chanel were also amazingly generous with their time.
I’m not sure about the maison’s view. I think we agreed about the fragrance. In the beginning we probably saw differently Coco Chanel’s World War Two experience, but I suspect we are not really very far apart on that.
Chanel and her German boyfriend [officer Hans Günther von Dincklage] during the war both claimed they were working as double agents for the British with a man named Canaris, and the historical evidence suggests this is probably true.
“The ‘Aryanization’ lawsuit would not be her finest moment. However, there were a lot of not particularly fine moments during the German occupation of France.”
I don’t think Chanel was a Nazi spy. She did definitely have a German boyfriend. She did engage during World War Two in an “Aryanization” lawsuit [unsuccessfully suing for ownership of the company, as it had been abandoned], which would not be her finest moment. However, there were a lot of not particularly fine moments during the German occupation of France.
With Chanel No 5 celebrating its centenary this year, there’s no doubt, more than ever, it’s more than a perfume, it’s a cultural icon. Would you be able to highlight the most important factor that contributed to that status?
Every perfumer I’ve ever spoken with, including many of Chanel’s competitors, all say one thing: as a work of modernist art expressed in fragrance, Chanel No 5 is a masterpiece. It does something amazing as a scent by balancing its aldehydes with deep florals. There is something of the tightrope act in the fragrance.
CHARACTER: Cartoonist Sem paid tribute to the success of Chanel No 5 in 1921.
The story of Chanel No 5 is also the story of Coco Chanel. To describe her as complex would be an understatement…
Indeed. She starts out life as an orphan in a convent, then moves onto being a cabaret showgirl (from there the “Coco” nickname) and the mistress of a series of wealthy men, becomes a celebrated designer very quickly, launches a popular fragrance but almost immediately gives rights over to another company, and spends the next few decades suing her (Jewish) business partners and dating a German during the occupation of Paris.
Your book doesn’t gloss over the more controversial aspects of Coco Chanel’s attempts to regain control of the fragrance business especially during the Nazi occupation of France. Despite this, how has her mystique been maintained?
History is full of men who behaved badly and remained celebrated as artists and geniuses. Picasso, to take a contemporary of Chanel, was a complete cad. Chanel was both an artist and a genius in her metier and as with Picasso, one must divorce her personal character from her art. Her art, both in fashion and fragrance, is breath-taking.
Your book was published in 2010, 11 years before the centenary. What, if anything, would you add to it now?
The fragrance history in the book remains timely and current. The debate about Chanel and the Second World War has intensified since publication in 2010, and I would add to the book now a more expansive context. I am deeply critical of Chanel’s actions during the war in terms of her “Aryanization” legal actions.
However, I don’t think the facts support some of the arguments that were made after my book was published, which castigate her “horizontal collaboration.” I gave that expanded context in the book I wrote after the one on Chanel, which was about the Ritz Hotel in Paris during the occupation [The Hotel on Place Vendôme (HarperCollins)].
Your personal thoughts on Chanel No 5 as a perfume?
I am blind as a bat and cannot carry a tune, but I am blessed or cursed, depending on the circumstances, with an extremely fine nose. It is hard for anyone with that not to admire Chanel No 5 and to love scents. Chanel No 5 is like admiring or not admiring a 1953 Petrus (though with a very different aromatic profile). But some things are qualitatively brilliant. Chanel No 5 and Shalimar are my go-to classic fragrances. Once you appreciate the technical and artistic genius of those perfumes, it’s difficult not to want to spend time with them.
The Secret of Chanel No. 5: The Intimate History of the World’s Most Famous Perfume is available to buy here.
There are rose perfumes that bludgeon you with their intensity and potency. And there are those that seduce you with their artistry and sophistication, such as Ormonde Jayne Ta’if EDP.
It’s one of the earlier releases (2004) from the London-based niche fragrance house’s Signature Collection. And perfectly captures the goal of founder Linda Pilkington (pictured below) “ to combine elements which define true elegance: the quality of English craftsmanship, the art of French perfumery and the sensuality and natural harmony of the Orient”.
Image: ormondejayne.com.
That oriental mood is evident right from the start of this EDP created by Geza Schoen (pictured below), better known recently for Escentric Molecules. Honeyed saffron mingles with rosy pink peppercorns, while date oil brings delicate fruitiness to the composition.
Taif rose is the star of this scent show. Pilkington was enchanted when she visited the Saudi Arabia city. It’s famous for its rose farms which harvest well over 300 million flowers to produce the finest rose oil, according to the Saudi Tourism Authority. Schoen’s treatment of this rose is masterful, balancing its sweet depth, soft powderiness and tea-like qualities with utmost skill. The mood is accentuated by a trio of florals – freesia, jasmine and orange blossom – fresh and sweet at the same time.
Image: www.visitsaudi.com.
The drydown is equally memorable and maintains the sophisticated sweetness. The earthiness of Ugandan vanilla absolute meets the floralcy of broom and muskiness of amber.
Ormonde Jayne Ta’if was created for special occasions. But seeing that in these Covid third wave times, I don’t have any of those lined up any time soon, I’m being decadent wearing this beauty in my pyjamas as I type these words.
I’m super-keen to try the elixir version of this perfume, which brings Cambodian oud to the mix.
For obvious Covid reasons, travel-inspired perfumes continue to have a compelling appeal. There’s no shortage of vicarious options. But Ella K Pluie Sur Ha Long has been particularly attractive to me in recent months.
Ella K was founded by Sonia Constant in 2018. A senior perfumer at Givaudan, she has created several high-profile fragrances since the start of her career in 2006. Recent creations include Jean Paul Gaultier La Belle, Mugler Angel Nova, Tom Ford Ombré Leather and Narciso Rodriguez Musc Noir For Her.
SOUGHT AFTER: When not creating perfumes for her own brand, Sonia Constant produces fragrances for companies such as Jean Paul Gaultier, Narciso Rodriguez and Tom Ford. Image: Ella K.
Her niche company is an outlet for her own creativity, beyond the briefs of demanding and perhaps limiting clients. It centres on the adventures of the character Ella K.
From the brand’s launch collection, Ella K Pluie Sur Ha Long evokes the memory of sailing on a junk boat in the Unesco Heritage Site bay in north Vietnam (see below).
Image: Vietnam National Administration of Tourism. https://vietnam.travel
It’s the monsoon season, with water everywhere, so this EDP is an aquatic scent, but without the clichés of that genre.
That aquatic vibe comes through right at the start with floral notes of lotus (see below) and water lily. The perfumer makes the most of their fresh and airy wateriness. There’s more floralcy in the way of rich notes of cyclamen and magnolia, which bring on the sensual humidity. Apparently, there’s a note of rhubarb in the mix, but I don’t pick it up. Clean musk adds the finishing touch in the drydown.
Image: Jay Kastor / unsplash.com.
Pluie Sur Ha Long isn’t the first fragrance I’ve tried from Ella K. Like Poème de Sagano, Cri du Kalahari, Epupa mon Amour and Baiser de Florence, it translates its inspiration into luxuriant and expressive reality. And still leaves plenty to the imagination.
No doubt about it, oud has been the biggest trend in fragrance for some time. Correction. It’s moved from a trend to staple in perfumery, with whole brands devoted to this most precious and tricky of ingredients (for example, Fragrance du Bois). More than most, British perfumer Roja Dove has proven adept at showcasing its multifaceted beauty with releases that include Roja Aoud Parfum, Roja Musk Aoud Parfum, Roja Sweetie Aoud Parfum and Roja Amber Aoud Parfum.
The latter has been particularly popular. And for good reason. It shows Dove’s time in the Middle East (three years, according to the brand website) to familiarise himself with the intricacies of oud was time well spent.
This 2012 release has a similar structure to the other Roja Aouds I’ve tried – citrus opening + floral heart + dense drydown.
IMMERSIVE: Oud master Roja Dove.
There’s a brief barely noticeable citrusy-fresh opening, courtesy of notes of lemon, bergamot and lime. Voluptuous rose de mai then makes an appearance, honey-ish powderiness to the fore. Its fruitiness is accentuated by notes of fig and ylang-ylang.
As always with Roja fragrances, there’s a lot going on in the drydown, with 11 officially listed notes. The oud in question is rich, smooth and slightly animalic, but without the skank. It’s fleshed out with the sweetness of spicy cinnamon and leathery saffron.
Roja Amber Aoud Parfum is everything you want a premium oud to be: authentic, warm, cosy and extravagant. With the prominence given to the queen of florals, perhaps it would have been more accurate to call it “Rose Aoud”. But there are already umpteen variations on that theme and Dove has created an exclusive Roja Taif Aoud for Fortnum & Mason. I quibble…
Although a tad too sweet for me, the hype around Roja Amber Aoud Parfum is justified. At R12 300 (over $850 / £600 / €700) for 100ml, it doesn’t come cheap. But then it is competing in what I call the league of “super-ouds” (for example, Frédéric Malle The Night and Fragrance du Bois Sahraa).
This year sees Diptyque marking its 60th anniversary. The Paris-based niche brand which started out as a bazaar at 34 Boulevard Saint-Germain has a lot to celebrate. Since its founding in 1961 by theatre director and set designer Yves Coueslant, painter Desmond Knox-Leet and interior designer Christiane Gautrot, many of its perfumes and candles have become classics. As part of the festivities, Diptyque Orphéon was released earlier this year.
Diptyque Eau Rihla EDP has also just been released, but is exclusive to the Middle East market.
Paying homage to the company’s heritage, Diptyque Orphéon takes its name from a bustling bar in Saint-Germain, Paris, where Diptyque’s founders would rendezvous in the 1960s.
This EDP opens with a big splash of aromatic juniper berries. It’s gin-ish in character, but not overly so. The jasmine that comes through soon after that helps to create a heady ambience together with the notes of cedar and tonka bean in the drydown. What stands out most in the composition is a musky and rosy powderiness.
With its bar / nightlife inspiration, I was expecting Diptyque Orphéon to be a smoky and boozier affair. Especially, as I haven’t seen the inside of a drinking spot for quite some time, thanks to Covid. But perhaps I’m being too literal and vicarious in this expectation.
It’s a straightforward composition and while it’s not an immediate Diptyque favourite, it’s growing on me the more I wear it.
On a side note, it’s interesting to see Diptyque becoming more of a lifestyle brand as part of the celebrations. New ranges include pyjamas with prints inspired by some of their best-selling fragrances (Philosykos, Ombre, Do Son, L’Eau, Eau Rose) and decor items such as tumblers, plates and placemats (see below). All of which make sense, considering Diptyque’s artistic and bazaar heritage.
There are many contemporary perfumers to admire. But then there are the few whose creativity and craftsmanship over the years has elevated them to another rarefied realm altogether. When I think of these exceptional creators, Bertrand Duchaufour always comes to mind. Hence the subject of this post, Bertrand Duchaufour favourites. You can read my 2017 interview with him here.
While the perfumer is prolific (220+ creations since his emergence in the 1990s, according to Fragrantica), you could never accuse him of churning ’em out to meet briefs. His clients over the years have included Comme des Garçons, Olfactive Studio, Neela Vermeire Creations, The Different Company and Penhaligon’s. It’s tricky to define the Frenchman’s style, as he’s so versatile. But his creations always captivate with their depth and character. And he’s the master of contrasts.
“While the perfumer is prolific, you could never accuse him of churning ’em out to meet briefs.”
This selection of current Bertrand Duchaufour favourites is just that. It’s not a definitive list by any means. But they all reflect his skills as a perfumer par excellence.
Do you have any Bertrand Duchaufour favourites?
ACQUA DI PARMA BLU MEDITERRANEO CIPRESSO DI TOSCANA EDT
This must be one of the most distinctive scents I’ve smelled from Acqua di Parma’s Blu Mediterraneo collection.
An Italian take on the fougère, this 2005 release opens with rich notes of star anise and elemi, with the brand’s trademark citrus notes in the background. The heart is herbal and aromatic, with lavender and clary sage taking the lead. And I’m sure I detect a big dose of basil, although it’s not officially listed. Notes of cypress and pine in the drydown add to the overall multi-faceted effect.
L’ARTISAN PARFUMEUR NOIR EXQUIS EDP
Trust Bertrand Duchaufour to deliver a gourmand with a difference and without any of the obvious sugar overload in this 2015 release from the niche industry pioneer.
Taking its inspiration from a rendezvous in a French patisserie, it opens with the aroma of sweet and spicy glazed chestnuts gently infused with orange blossom. Maple syrup brings toasted caramel nuances to the mix, while strong coffee wafts throughout. Mellowing with vanilla and tonka bean as it dries down, it’s as darkly delicious as it sounds.
MAISON CRIVELLI CITRUS BATIKANGA EDP
Thibaud Crivelli, the founder of Maison Crivelli, always works with perfumers he admires and collaborating with Bertrand Duchaufour on this 2019 release was an inspired choice.
Taking its cue from the experience of drinking a citrus cocktail in a colourful tropical market, it begins with the tart citrus tones of bergamot and bigarade orange. That refreshing vibe quickly transitions to sultry heat in the form of chilli that mingles with notes of myrrh, its spicy characteristics pushed to the max, and earthy vetiver. Wonderfully evocative stuff!
AMOUAGE JUBILATION MAN XXV EDP
Launched in 2008, Amouage Jubilation Man XXV is one of the Oman-based niche fragrance house’s top sellers for good reason. With a whopping 23 officially listed notes, it displays all of Bertrand Duchaufour’s skills at their complex best.
I would be lying if I said I could pick up most of these at any given time, but I do detect different things each time I wear it. And that’s part of its undeniable beauty.
Mostly, though, there’s the fruitiness of blackberry and olibanum in the intro. And then the warm waft of perfectly balanced spice (coriander, cinnamon and clove) sweetened by a dollop of honey. The soft sweetness (Duchaufour doesn’t do the in-your-face icky variety) continues through to the drydown, where opoponax is partnered with the rich earthiness of patchouli and oud. The result is superbly sophisticated.
L’ARTISAN PARFUMEUR MÉCHANT LOUP EDT
I’ve included two L’Artisan Parfumeurs in this post because some of Bertrand Duchaufour’s best work has been for the Paris-based brand. As their “perfumer in residence” for 10 years, he created beauties such as Timbuktu (probably one of my all-time favourites), Nuit de Tubéreuse and Dzongkha.
Méchant Loup (French for “Bad Wolf”) can be enjoyed as a conceptual fragrance of sorts – Little Red Riding Hood’s journey through the woods. The sweeter aspects – honey, praline and myrrh – are given a suitable twist with dark accents of chestnut, liquorice and woods. At first this 1997 release didn’t tempt me that much, but now I can’t get enough of it.
All these Bertrand Duchauour favourites are available at Skins Cosmetics.
I recently posted about some much-needed cheerful cheapies. I deliberately left Giorgio Beverly Hills EDT off that list. With its 40th anniversary this year, it warrants a post all of its own.
It was the launch fragrance from the designer fashion boutique that was originally founded in the 1960s and that put LA’s Rodeo Drive on the luxe shopping map . The store’s owner Fred Hayman launched Giorgio Beverly Hills in 1981 with a mega-bash suitable for the so-called “decade of excess”. Echoing the awning outside the store, the yellow-and-white box proclaimed the boldness of the scent in no uncertain terms.
From the first spray, with its flourish of sweet orange blossom and peach, and even in its current formulation, this Bob Aliano creation is unapologetically big. Some might even say it’s brash and ostentatious. In a very 80s way. Apparently, it was even banned from restaurants at the time due to its overpowering style. Which just adds to its allure. For me, anyway.
Giorgio Beverly Hills EDT is really about its flamboyant florals, with tuberose, gardenia and jasmine leading the opulent white florals charge. Ylang-ylang also makes a fruity appearance. The overall effect is wonderfully optimistic and uplifting.
“This Bob Aliano creation is unapologetically big. Some might even say it’s brash and ostentatious.”
This generous fragrance keeps giving till the end. There’s a lot happening in the drydown. But I can pick out a pleasurable blend of oakmoss, sandalwood, vanilla and sandalwood notes.
Four decades and several changes in ownership later, my sources at Elizabeth Arden (which now has the licence for the brand) tell me there’s nothing special planned for the anniversary in the way of limited editions, etc.
That suits me fine, as long as Giorgio Beverly Hills is available at my local pharmacy on the budget shelves for the price of R550 or so (the equivalent of less than $40).
