Alchemy of Brazil
February 2012
French perfume house L’Artisan launches its range in the Australian market
Always on the search for unique fragrances and the subtle work of the world’s finest perfumers, The Melbourne Review was delighted to hear of the arrival into Australia, late last year, of one of France’s leading niche perfume houses, L’Artisan Parfumeur.
Founded in Paris in 1976, the house of L’Artisan has become renowned for its exclusive and exotic fragrances such as Traversée du Bosphore, the fruit and musk of Mûre et Musc, the summer green and fig-drenched Premier Figuier, the floral La Chasse Aux Papillons, the spice of Fou d’Absinthe or the woody Timbuktu. As the names suggest, each fragrance sets out to tell its own story, setting a store by hedonism, luxury and the delights of pure scents.
This does not come about by matter of chance – a glance (or whiff) around most perfume counters will still testify to the avalanche of mass-produced product that cloaks the office workers of the world and fills the elevators with standardised scents we recognise immediately – oh yes, that citrus opener, that vanilla base note. But how often do you wander into the lightly cast net of an altogether original fragrance, only to be trapped there by its beauty?
Founded by perfumer (and chemist) Jean Laporte, the house was born steeped in the French conception of the fragrance as art, and draws inspiration from the natural world in order to create exceptional scents that seek, now in the 21st century, to blend the vast artisanal heritage from which French fragrances spring, and the modern science that is available for all creative purposes. In short, the magic of alchemy and the logic of reason meet the spirit of the avant-garde.
Working with highest quality source materials only, the house of L’Artisan collaborates with a string of renowned perfumers such as Olivia Giacobetti (Guerlain, L’Artisan, Diptyque, Hermès and others) and Bertrand Duchaufour (Comme des Garçons, Givenchy, L’Artisan, Acqua di Palma, Amouage and others). The brief is simple: to create a scent that is not only original and beautiful, but also carves a place in the memory, defining a time and place.
One of L’Artsian’s key early releases into the Australian market is the irrepressible Batucada, named for the fast-paced Latin dance style, and a celebration of the warmth of Brazilian culture. Think blissful dancing, beachside cocktails and the dense undergrowth blending with the vibrancy of contemporary urban Brazil as it emerges fully onto the world stage – here is a country that means business, but knows how to party in the most sensual of ways.
Batucada has been created by master perfumers Karine Vinchon in Grasse (known for L’Artisan’s Coeur de Vetiver Sacre and Amouage’s Library Collection Opus III) and Elisabeth Maier in São Paulo. The unisex Batucada opens with a bright colouring of caipirinha, with its classic notes of lime, mint, lemon and coconut, before a gentle yet opulent heart of ylang ylang and tiare flower. The base notes are a wonderfully clean beachside combination of sea salt, vetiver, sandalwood and vanilla. It’s quite unlike anything else on the market. And after all, it is that note of originality – along with elegance, high quality ingredients and classic accords – that perfume lovers seek. Smooth and uplifting, this is well worth a try.
Eau de Toilette 100mL – $169
Other lines of the L’Artisan Parfumeur range are available through agence de parfum’s retail arm Libertine Parfumerie, or at selected perfumeries throughout Australia.
libertineparfumerie.com.au
agencedeparfum.com
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