There are few things as instantly pleasurable as being confronted with a little piece of French history, especially when it doesn’t come with an auctioneer’s price tag. The act of holding something that harks back to a simpler time, a pre-social media time, is sometimes the much-needed reset that we all crave. Now, achieving this through genuine antiques can be costly, but that’s where companies that use traditional crafts as their inspiration can thrive. Maître Parfumeur et Gantier is one such company, and their grasp of timeless French tradition goes “hand in glove” with what a modern audience is searching for.
One of the greatest joys about perfume is that there is a never-ending stream of new companies and fragrances to discover. However, we often get blinded by the constant adverts for the latest releases from the biggest brands but, sitting quietly on the side lines, there are a multitude just waiting for their chance to shine. If you have the time to do some investigation then you’ll start to uncover some of these hidden treasures, and that’s just what happened when I came across the irresistible Rose et Marius. Their latest fragrance is called Un rendez-vous avec Cézanne, and it promises “an olfactory journey in Provence.”
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?
