Stephan Matthews

Showing posts with label Galimard. Show all posts

Monday, 9 February 2026

T–HÉRITAGE by Galimard

A bottle of the perfume T-HÉRITAGE from Galimard, that focus on tuberose

Grasse is world-famous for its fragrant flowers, which have been cultivated for centuries to supply the perfume houses, because the region’s climate and soil nurture iconic blooms like jasmine, May rose, orange blossom and tuberose. Still harvested with great care, these flowers are prized for their complex scents. Jasmine adds sensual warmth, May rose brings soft elegance, and orange blossom offers luminous freshness. Together they form the heart of many classic fragrances. Among these flowers, tuberose stands out for its creamy, intoxicating depth, and the latest perfume to capture this is T-HÉRITAGE from Galimard.

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Monday, 1 July 2024

LILAS by Fragonard

The excited wait for a new fragrance launch is something that is lost on many people these days, simply because there seems to be a new perfume released every minute! Keeping focused when there are images of bottles assaulting your eyes on social media, and campaigns running on the tv, gets harder every year. Add into this the ever-increasing prices and you’d be forgiven for taking up a more inexpensive hobby. Thankfully there’s one company that always keeps its offerings affordable and exciting. Fragonard have continued their Flower of the Year series into 2024 with Lilas, and the result is deliciously delightful.

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Thursday, 28 May 2020

VIOLETTE EAU DE COLOGNE by Galimard

It’s easy to forget the more traditional forms of fragrance when we’re constantly bombarded with the latest and the loudest ground-breaking perfumes. You read about “new” ingredients, different ways of wearing scent, but sometimes a return to a simpler time is actually what’s needed. We’ve become so accustomed to the “volume” of a perfume that to wear something subtle can be a terrifying thought, but it’s worth the risk. A scent that delicately sits closely to the skin, and that almost becomes a part of you, is a wonderful experience, and that is exactly what you get from Violette Eau de Cologne by Galimard.

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Monday, 30 October 2017

OUD MAGNÉTIQUE by Molinard

The continuing obsession with oud fragrances is something that, until recently, had seemed to have escaped the Grasse perfumers. I'm talking here about Fragonard, Galimard and Molinard. Their usual audience were looking for rich florals, spicy orientals, delicate eau fraiche, definitely not heavy resinous oud offerings. That is until now. With a huge influx of Russian and Middle Eastern tourists the perfumeries had to adapt, and all three now offer an oud-based fragrance. Fragonard and Galimard have made theirs boutique exclusives but Molinard have gone mainstream with their latest release, Oud Magnétique.

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Thursday, 6 October 2016

Galimard's ORGAN OF FLAVOURS

I've written before about various Perfume Workshops and even I thought that the novelty would surely be wearing off by now. However, on a recent trip to Grasse I was invited to take part in the new Galimard Organ of Flavours, which offers an alternative approach to the traditional "leave with a bottle of Eau de Parfum". This time you're creating a Scent Diffuser along with a matching Room Spray, and the selection of ingredients takes a very different direction to the usual perfume palette. Combining foods and feelings, let me take you back to Grasse and introduce you to Galimard's Organ of Flavours.

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Thursday, 22 September 2016

Creating at MOLINARD

Molinard is one of three perfumeries still operating out of Grasse in the South of France. The other two are Galimard and Fragonard, and together they form the “tourist trio”. You would be very unwise to dismiss these companies out of hand because they have all managed to survive changing fashions and still produce iconic fragrances. Fragonard has Belle de Nuit, Galimard has Yavana and Molinard has Habanita. All three also have Perfume Workshops with the only real difference being the range of ingredients used. As it’s something that I always enjoy, I was very happy to be invited to experience Molinard’s L’Atelier des Parfums.

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Monday, 2 November 2015

Galimard Slashes Its Catalogue

It happens every day, but it doesn't make it any easier. Perfume companies cannot keep everything in permanent production, and so some fragrances inevitably get discontinued. Sometimes this is due to ingredient regulation, but more often it is simply because of a fall in sales. So, it is with deep regret that I have to be the bearer of bad news. Galimard have taken the mammoth decision to discontinue thirteen of their heritage range!

One of these is the fragrance that relaunched the company back in 1946, but that customers have unfortunately turned their backs on, and the others are also pre-2000. They are available while stocks last, but don't wait too long because quantities are limited and they are already out of production. Here is a rundown of my favourites from the list, along with a description of each one.

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Thursday, 24 September 2015

Princesse Pauline - Galimard's New Perfume

When Parfumerie Galimard launched Napoléon in February it was originally intended as a unisex fragrance. It had a wonderfully floral heart but was tempered by the more masculine base. However, it quickly became clear that it was appealing more to men than women, and so a female equivalent was needed. The fragrance had to be something that was new for the company but also one that wouldn't compete with the others already in their range. Interestingly, for a long time Galimard had stayed away from a typical rose scent, and so this seemed the perfect opportunity to create one.

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Tuesday, 8 September 2015

Could You Be Creative?

Nestled among the hills surrounding the French town of Grasse you find three parfumeries. Now you may be familiar with Fragonard and Molinard but what about Galimard? Founded in 1747 by Jean de Galimard, it is the third oldest perfumery in the world, after Farina Gegenuber and Floris of London, and offers the "Studio of Fragrances" where for €45 you have two hours and one hundred and twenty seven oils with which to create your very own Perfume. Possible? Let's find out.

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Friday, 7 August 2015

The Quiet Perfumery

As the centre of perfumery, Grasse has grown alongside the various perfume houses that have come and gone. Now, there are three family run companies still based in Grasse, and while you've probably heard of Molinard and Fragonard, what about Galimard? Parfumerie Galimard has had a pretty chequered history, and one which many people thought had finished when it closed its doors in the eighteen-hundreds. However, thanks to the efforts of two families, the company continues to produce some excellent fragrances. Let me tell you a little about this wonderful perfumery.

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Sunday, 19 July 2015

The Vanishing Violet

In 1964 Pete Seeger sang, "Where have all the flowers gone?" Well, for now I'm not concerned with all of them, just one. It was a staple of male and female fragrances as far back as you can remember but this treasure has now sadly fallen out of favour. I am talking about the vanishing violet. This wonderful floral adds a depth to ladies fragrances whilst emanating femininity, hints at a dangerous note in men's scents whilst softening, and in small quantities provides the finishing touch to a perfume by seemingly pulling everything together and then exploding it outwards! It is a truly magical ingredient, so where has it gone?

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Friday, 26 June 2015

PERPHONE - Perfume with a twist

Gadgets are to the twenty-first century what the garden shed was to the twentieth, a plaything and a distraction. Never particularly useful, they always seem to be invented to solve a problem that doesn't really exist. So, it was with trepidation that I approached Perphone. It's basically a casing that fits onto your iPhone, and on the back is a small section that rotates to reveal an atomiser. Designed for the person who wants fragrance on the go, but without the bottle, it's a novel solution to the problem. Currently the male range is in black and the female in white, so pretty stylish, and it doesn't make your phone feel heavy or over-sized.

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Saturday, 16 May 2015

NAPOLEON by Galimard

When Galimard were approached by "L’Association Action Nationale des élus pour la Route Napoléon" to create a perfume to celebrate the bicentenary of the passage of the Emperor from Golfe-Juan to Grenoble, Chantal Roux, Galimard’s co-owner, began by researching the man himself. Interestingly she found that Napoleon possessed an excellent sense of smell. He loved the scent of rose, orange water and violet, and as he was from Corsica had also grown up with the aroma of the scrubland. Any research on Napoleon will always reveal his love of the ladies, so Chantal thought it important to bring feminine notes into the fragrance in a way that meant it could be enjoyed by both men and women. On the 20th February 2015 Napoléon was launched at Galimard’s factory in Grasse.

So, a perfume inspired by a man who adored Eau de Colognes. Can it work?

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After twenty successful years as an actor, I decided the time was right to begin a new career, and that was in the perfume industry. Scent had always been a passion of mine, and working alongside a new group of creative minds ended up being the perfect fit.

As a Brand Consultant, Evaluator, Copywriter and New Business Advisor, the variety of work is exciting, and definitely draws on my acting background. Every day brings new challenges, experiences and delights to a workplace that is crammed full of new releases, evergreens, and fading classics.

This website brings together my ramblings on all aspects of the perfume industry from bottle design to fragrance, companies to noses, and everything in between.

Opinions are my own and do not in any way represent the views of the companies mentioned. Where products or services have been provided by the companies it is stated at the end of the article.

Companies and readers are welcome to contact me by using the Send Me A Message option below.

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Monday, 9 February 2026

Monday, 1 July 2024

Thursday, 28 May 2020

Monday, 30 October 2017

Thursday, 6 October 2016

Thursday, 22 September 2016

Monday, 2 November 2015

Thursday, 24 September 2015

Tuesday, 8 September 2015

Friday, 7 August 2015

Sunday, 19 July 2015

Friday, 26 June 2015

Saturday, 16 May 2015