When you hear the words “new release” it’s usually accompanied by a sinking feeling as you realise that there’s a hefty price tag attached to it. The majority of the latest perfume launches start from around £50 if you’re lucky and so, in the current climate of uncertainty, they're out of the reach of many people’s budgets. Happily there is one company that always treats us to an affordable release every year, and that’s Fragonard. Their highly successful Flower of the Year series is now in its second decade, and this year they’ve chosen to spotlight the delicious Fleur de la Passion by series regular Celine Ellena.
Time has most definitely raced by over the past twelve months, although it might not have always felt like that when we were living it. This lost year has meant pauses to perfume schedules and a quieting down of the usual advertising, so you could be forgiven for having missed some emerging brands. One such company is J.U.S Parfums, which celebrates its third birthday this year. Their credentials are honestly through the roof and, whilst it’s true that the collection really does have something for every taste, I was instantly entranced by the shimmering, musk-laden Superfusion from Céline Ellena.
January can often seem a little quiet on the fragrance front with many perfume houses simply finishing their winter sales or concentrating on their upcoming spring releases. One company that always delivers a very welcome burst of warmth at this time of year however is Fragonard with their Flower of the Year series. The concept of the range is simple, take one key ingredient and present it in an original yet easily accessible way. Lavender has been chosen as Fragonard's "olfactory signature" for 2019 and the task of interpreting it has again been given to Céline Ellena, but how will she twist this very familiar scent?
Agnès Costa, great granddaughter of the founder of Fragonard Parfumerie, is one of the three sisters that now steer this famous company. Originally founded in 1926 in Grasse, Fragonard has stayed true to its style during the ninety-two years and has secured a very loyal following. After spending a career perfuming others, I thought it was time to find out Agnès Costa’s fragrance favourites during “Stephan’s Six.”
Fragonard has an established history of celebrating the best that Grasse has to offer, originally as a tourist attraction for wealthy visitors and then as a perfumery in its own right. When it first opened its doors to the public in 1926 it was catering for a growing demand for “leisurely pursuits” around the Côte d’Azur but the success of its fragrances went far beyond a mere souvenir of a holiday in France. Still most famous for Belle de Nuit in 1946, this year sees Fragonard release Verveine as its new “Flower Of The Year”, although the company’s love affair with this ingredient is already well know.
