Monday, 26 September 2022

PURE WATER by Paul Guerlain

hej:pure Pure Water perfume bottle
The subject of sustainability and safety is one that goes far beyond just the perfume industry, but that hasn’t stopped it being a major topic of discussion amongst both high street and niche fragrance customers. We’ve all become much more conscious in recent years about what goes in and on our bodies, and companies have tried to address this with both spin and science. It’s often thought that “sustainability and safety” comes at a financial cost, at least that's what we usually see when we get to the checkout, but Müller have smashed this idea with their new hej:pure trio of clean and environmentally-friendly fragrances.

Müller might not be a name that you’re familiar with when it comes to fragrance, and we’re not talking about the milk-based products that also share the name. Müller is a chain of over 500 stores in Germany that was founded in 1953 by Erwin Franz Müller. They sell predominantly perfume and cosmetics, although you can find pretty much anything that you’re looking for. Now, one thing about the German perfume market is that there are many releases that are made primarily for their own country, and this is where the new hej:pure range comes in.

Müller enlisted the help of Mäurer & Wirtz to create a trio of fragrances that could offer an affordable way of contributing to a sustainable and environmental way of shopping. The boxes were made with 100% recycled fibres and printed with water-based inks, the bottles contain recycled glass, and they deliberately don’t contain a plastic cap. Also, because the pump is a screw design, the bottle can be refilled or repurposed. This has meant that the whole product has been classified as 98% recyclable. They also don’t contain phthalates, UV filters or dyes, and so this is where the “clean” reference comes from.

hej:pure Pure Water perfume box
As well as this, each of the three fragrances features a hero ingredient that has been responsibly sourced and chosen because its manufacture promotes fair working conditions. With vetiver from Haiti, rose from Bulgaria, and jasmine from India, perfumers Amandine Marie, Julien Plos and Paul Guerlain created Pure Wood, Pure Flower, and Pure Water. All three perfumers are undisputed experts in their field, although to see another release from IFF’s Paul Guerlain, the grandson of Jean-Paul Guerlain, is a great indication that this perfume dynasty is in safe hands. So, it’s hardly surprising that I chose to explore Pure Water.

The fragrance opens with a beautifully delicate peppered rose alongside the star ingredient, jasmine. There’s a dewiness wrapped around these two florals that stops them becoming too strident, and which then feeds seamlessly into the aquatic mandarin and sea salt combination. The appearance of a slightly granular pear alongside a sweetened fressia is delicious, almost like taking a bite of the juicy fruit, but that peppered aspect still remains throughout. As the fragrance develops it reveals the woody, powdery and slightly pine-like qualities of an ingredient called Cashmeran, but the addition of cedarwood and patchouli provides an added touch of crisp elegance. With the final support of a healthy dose of billowing musk, Paul Guerlain shows that he really is a chip off the old block.

Pure Water is available exclusively from Müller, both in stores and online at mueller.de, priced at €35 for 50ml. [Bottle was purchased]

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