Thursday 25 October 2018

MON IMMORTELLE by Fragonard

One of the questions that faces a perfume company when it launches a new fragrance is exactly how the scent will fit into their existing range. The constant drive to provide new products for customers to enjoy is always a balancing act between satisfying established fans but also attracting new followers. However, Fragonard have very cleverly managed to sidestep this issue by reorganising their range into capsule collections. Remaining true to their history, but providing something decidedly more contemporary, Fragonard launched Mon Immortelle in the Tout Ce Que J’aime series and the results truly are "golden."

Fragonard celebrated its ninetieth birthday in 2016 but the company has grown far beyond the original small tourist perfumer based in Grasse. When it opened in 1926 we were in the days of motoring down to France, holidaying in the Côte d’Azur and, famously, “Wintering in Nice.” These visitors needed something to fill their time, and provide entertainment, and so Eugène Fuchs decided to open a perfumery that would offer a range of fragrances for these day-trippers. Well, three generations later, and with a following all over the world, I think Eugène would be very proud.

In 2017 Fragonard decided to release the Tout Ce Que J’aime range, which took its inspiration from the owners’ memories and passions. Anne, Agnès, and Françoise Costa, who now run Fragonard, are the great granddaughters of the founder, Eugène Fuchs. They chose perfumers who could provide a delicacy of touch, whilst also building contemporary fragrances around some of the perfume industry's most important ingredients, and commissioned a new bottle to emphasise a more current direction. With six fragrances and three home scents, Tout Ce Que J’aime really is “Everything That I Love.”

When Fragonard decided to include Mon Immortelle in the range they enlisted Carine Boin to turn their idea into a reality. A 2012 graduate of the Givaudan Perfumery School, and creator of Peau de Bête for Liquides Imaginaires, she promised to realise something which was far more than just the flower and that centred around “a golden sun that never fades.” What she created was a delicate interpretation that allowed the various facets of Helichrysum Angustifolium to show themselves, but which also has a distinctly unisex style. If you still think that Fragonard is just for tourists then let me change your mind.

Mon Immortelle opens with a disarming blend of ginger and cardamom that, alongside a traditional bergamot, provides a wonderfully engaging start to this fragrance. The honeyed notes of the immortelle flower then appear but a liquorice quality adds an earthy edge, which also keeps a subtle rose and jasmine in check. These latter two ingredients help to support the natural floral nuances of the immortelle but don’t dominate, and its green facet is also accentuated. Finishing on a base of cedarwood and musk gives the fragrance a feeling of dryness, which clings beautifully to the skin as the last touches of liquorice fade.

Mon Immortelle is available from the Fragonard website at fragonard.com and is priced at 45€ for 50ml. [Sample provided by Fragonard]

2 comments:

  1. It sounds amazing. I fell in love with Immortelle years ago, the first time that I sniffed Annick Goutal's Sables. I'm sure that I would love this one too. Thanks for reviewing it Stephan.

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    1. Hello Barry, the whole "Tout Ce Que J’aime" series is worth having look at, but especially "Mon Immortelle". Best, Stephan

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