Perfumes, a way to travel from home.
Fragrances make us smile, lift our spirits, remind us of someone or something from our past... Does anyone doubt the tremendous power of a perfume?
Through its select ingredients, brought from the ends of the world, they also make us dream of places where we have been or where we would like to be right now.
This is our selection to celebrate world perfume day and travel around the world without moving from home. Fasten your seat belts, close your eyes... and enjoy!
La vie est belle, a Parisian fantasy.
La Vie est Belle de Lancôme – Parisian Joy
Can there be one more perfume cheerful and optimistic that La Vie est Belle? It's inhaling the notes of magnolia essence from this Lancôme creation and hopelessly thinking of the radiant smile of Julia Roberts.
Life is beautiful, yes, and this is how three of the most important perfumers in France wanted to capture it: Olivier Polge, Dominique Ropio and Anne Flipo in one of the most popular perfumes in the world (in the top of the Spanish).
Its formula was inspired by one of the most famous desserts from one of the most legendary Parisian patisseries, Lenotre, Le Succes cake.
The perfume mixes the aroma of tuberose with the orange blossom, jasmine and hazelnut. In addition, the subtlety of the background scent of iris, tonka bean and patchouli and the latest version of this modern classic, La Vie est Belle Intensement, melds iris, the emblematic flower of the original, with sensual vanilla bean notes (€141/100ml).
An olfactory journey from Dior to our beloved Italy.
Escale à Portofino by Dior - Relax Italian style
Okay, right now we can't go to Italy. But we love her more than ever. That's why we delight in this creation by François Demachy for Dior, that he was inspired by Italian lands for an olfactory journey in which hesperidic (citrus) notes predominate.
For the Romans, the mythical Garden of the Hesperides was in Italy, where essences of the highest quality have always existed: bergamot from Calabria, citron from Italy and petit grain from Sicily.
The nose has chosen two varieties of citrus to create his own petit grain (leaves and branches): the lemon tree and the classic bitter orange tree, green and refreshing, to which the earthy characteristics have been removed to favor its green note. I mean freshness!
Furthermore, an essence of bitter almond, "amaretto" style, and a delicate orange blossom.
At the heart of the fragrance juniper berry), which brings an aspect of "cold" spices, and woody touches: cypress, cedar without the animal aspect (almost sawdust) and white musk.
Fresh but more complex than a cologne, with natural essences that take us for a walk through the so missed and loved Italian fields (€115/ 125ml).
How about an (olfactory) aperitif in Milan?
Le Vie di Milano by Trussardi – Aperitif time in Milan
Trussardi also makes us dream of the recovery of our beloved Italy. His Le Vie de Milano collection is inspired by the aromas of the city of Milan, capital of fashion and design.
Composed of six extraordinary unisex fragrances created by different perfumers, who were asked to draw an olfactory map of the different areas, it offers us delicious evasions like Limitless Shopping Via della Spiga –it evokes the atmosphere of the "Golden Quadrilateral"–; Passeggiata In Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II –the sublime elegance of the Galleria that connects the gothic solemnity of the Duomo with the neoclassical style of Piermarini–; and Behind the Curtain Piazza Alla Scala, with saffron – inspired by the atmosphere of this majestic theater.
There is also Aperitivo Milanese Porta Nuova – Italian tradition and absolute modernity of the district that houses the tallest skyscraper in Italy–; I Vicoli Via Fiori Chiari –by perfumer Pierre-Constantine Guéros, who reconstructs the atmosphere from Via Fiiori Ciari to Brera–; and, finally, Musc Noir Perfume Enhancer –a dual-use fragrance that enhances the chords of the other five fragrances but can also be used alone– (€165/100 ml).
A fragrance can immerse you in the freshness of Indonesian waters.
Wanted Tonic by Azzaro - In the Indonesian sun
This new eau de toilette by Azzaro for men is a wave of invigorating and invigorating freshness that will make us feel as if we were lying on a beach first thing in the morning.
Its scents wake us up with juicy and acidic green lemon, associated with green cardamom, spicy and exultant. After, spiced ginger, stimulating and accompanied by an aquatic accord, and fresh and woody notes of prism patchouli of exceptional quality that retains only the most luminous facets.
The perfumer, Fabrice Pellegrin, highlights the importance of this ingredient, a Firmenich patent. It is a patchouli of exceptional quality that also is responsibly sourced in Indonesia, a raw material from Firmenich's NaturalsTogether development program, which combines the quality of ingredients, traceability and the protection of activities, allowing fair remuneration to producers and improvement of infrastructures, as well as the development of local educational programs (€80/100ml).
The energetic spirit of London, in a perfume bottle.
Her Intense by Burberry – London Energy
Those of us who succumbed to London's urban energy know that Cara Delevingne –photographed by Juergen Teller in a series of images on the River Thames and throughout the city – is the perfect embodiment of this city full of contrasts, diversity and energy.
If today we feel a bit like this, like the model, who continues as an ambassador for Burberry parfums, it is a good idea to spray ourselves with a little of the new Her Intense, a darker and bolder version of the original eau de parfum.
It contains notes of blackberry and cherry that contrast with the lighter ones of jasmine and violet, and warm benzoin. “It evokes a unique atmosphere: the audacity of the leather and woods, gently intertwined through a delicious mix of vanilla flower, cane sugar, red marshmallow and cotton candy”, says the creative perfumer, Francis Kurkdjian (€115/100 ml).
Dreaming of Africa from the dressing table is possible.
Bal d'Afrique de Byredo – Out of Africa
This is one of the first fragrances of Ben Gorham, creative director and founder of Byredo, and he himself explains how the idea was born. “At the time of its formulation, it was obsessed with translating memories into scent. At the same time, I felt confident enough to include an imaginary component."
"My father lived and traveled in Africa for about 10-15 years. He read his diaries, the way he traveled on cargo ships, he met all kinds of different people... For me, this was the fantasy of reaching Africa through the words of another person.”
This perfume with a warm aroma where neroli, african marigold and moroccan cedar wood stand out, it will make us dream of the savannah with just one drop (€187/100ml).
Jeju Island awaits us... in this fragrance.
L'Ile au Thé de Goutal – Korean Fantasy
Imagine: you put one foot in the sand of Jeju Island and you feel how the emotion of the wind and the softness of the aroma of tea relax your body and mind.
This Goutal perfume, a limited edition, conquers lovers of soft and refreshing fragrances. Perfect for those who can't wait for summer, it is an invitation to pamper yourself and recharge your batteries, and what better way to do it than fantasizing about a retreat in one of the many spas in this remote destination.
The original perfume was born in 2015, on this island off the Korean coast where Camille Goutal and Isabelle Doyen were inspired by this land between the sea and the volcanoes, where tea plantations stretch as far as the eye can see (€125/100ml).
The reinterpretation of the first perfume of the maison Vuitton.
Heures d'Absence by Louis Vuitton – An Imaginary Journey
In 1927 Louis Vuitton launched Heures d'Absence, the Maison's first perfume, which owed its name to the Vuitton family's country house in the Seine-et-Marne region. The design of the bottle made reference to the then emerging means of transport: a triumphant plane was engraved on the glass, whose case was shaped like an odometer. However, no one knows what the original fragrance smelled like, as its formula was lost many years ago.
Now, the master perfumer Jacques Cavallier Belletrud has now reinvented it with total freedom, through a profusion of fresh flowers. It is an ode to his beloved Grasse flowers, allegorical figures of joy, love and travel.
Jasmine from Grasse, hints of Sambac jasmine from China, a variety that happily evokes the smell of Pittosporum that blooms in spring on the Côte d'Azur, rose of May... make up an idyllic landscape.
Cavallier Belletrud added the green and powdery facets of the Mimosa del Tanneron, from the hills of Provence, and added notes of raspberry, 'stitched' here and there and vanilla balsam from Peru, plus a touch of sandalwood from Sri Lanka (€210/100 ml; refill in store 100 ml/€130).
Serge Lutens' name is synonymous with Morocco.
Ambré Sultan by Serge Lutens – Crafts in Morocco
“It all started with a piece of perfumed wax forgotten in a wooden box found in the souk. Amber became sultanesque after reworking its composition with cistus, an herb that sticks to your fingers like tar. Finally I added an unexpected top note: vanilla. Why? Because of the vanilla, it's also sticky and sticks in my memory."
thus explains the perfumer Serge Lutens his Ambré Sultan, that we now recover on the occasion of the anniversary of the creation of his first perfume.
The Frenchman discovered the world of fragrances and scents in Morocco, where he lives, and pays tribute to the craftsmanship of this country with a limited edition inspired by its tiles and engravings . Like all Lutens creations, an authentic story, literature, a fantasy enclosed in a bottle for very select noses (€120 / 50 ml).
Three fragrances, three trips.
Les Eaux de Chanel - Getaways by train
You don't need to go out to enjoy a getaway. We can embark on an unexpected journey with the help of imagination. This is the concept behind the Les Eaux de Chanel collection, created by perfumer Olivier Polge.
The freshness of the vapor that remains suspended around the waves when they break on the shore, that of the morning that evaporates with the first rays of the sun... Paris-Deauville, Paris-Biarritz and Paris-Venise are the three routes of infinite freshness –with citrus fruits from Sicily and Calabria– that try to reflect the sensation when opening the window of a train moving at full speed... heading to three destinations that marked the life of Coco Chanel.
In the spring of 1912, a city the young Gabrielle Chanel, hat designer, went to Deauville like so many other Parisians, to spend the weekend. This fate of the Normandy coast It is where that sporting idea, of enjoyment in the open air, so important for the house, would be conceived.
Venice – and it is not that we need excuses to dream of Venice – was where, in 1920, mademoiselle cured her sadness over the death of Boy Capel, who died in a car accident in December 1919. Accompanied by artists, the dressmaker she regained the will to live.
In 1915, Chanel opened a new space in Biarritz. Summer resort of the high society of the time since the 19th century, his worldly and touristy appeal captivated Coco, and still captivates today, anyone who visits him or ventures into his fragrance... (€112 / 125ml).
Madagascar can be reached through its aromas.
Vetiver & Golden Vanilla by Jo Malone – The sensuality of Madagascar
The world's most opulent and unexpected scents are collected in a new collection from Jo Malone London. The latest addition is this luscious intense cologne, a blend of two of Madagascar's most precious ingredients, intertwined along the vanilla coast, that invite you to imagine for a moment that you are in such an exotic place.
Delicious and sensual, it opens with a pinch of cardamom and refreshing grapefruit tea that mark the beginning of the earthy depths of the native vetiver. Precious Bourbon vanilla adds warmth and envelops the fragrance.
Jo Malone London scents are all designed to be worn separately or mixed together. Vetiver & Golden Vanilla add elegant warmth and a hint of golden vanilla when paired with other flavors (€136/100 ml).
Loewe Solo, an olfactory memory rooted in history.
Loewe Solo Mercurio by Loewe - Dive into the history of Toledo
Let's not limit ourselves to fantasizing about the most distant and exotic places. Near us is an inexhaustible source of inspiration. In the case of Loewe, make use of the suggestive melting pot of cultures of the city of the city of La Mancha and of the harmonious coexistence of Christians, Muslims and Jews in the past.
Why not also travel in time , Since we are? We can do it thanks to this fragrance, an intense eau de parfum, the work of perfumer Nuria Cruelles, which is made up, like the original fragrance, of four opposing chords. The aromatic chord of lavender and fig leaves against a citrus and fresh one with orange blossom and tangerine.
The spiced with cardamom, liquorice and honey tobacco, pitted against a musky with amber and musk for a further fixation of the fragrance. A sophisticated delight to devote a lot of attention to... or to simply get carried away by sensations (€104/100ml).
Un jardin sur la lagune, an olfactory wonder to escape.
Un Jardin sur la Lagune de Hermès - Walk through a Venetian garden
More given to transmitting emotions than lists of ingredients, the Hermès house invites us to participate in a small story turned into fragrance.
One day, the story of Frederic Eden's garden fell into the hands of perfumer Christine Nagel. During a gondola ride, the English lord, tired of so much water, wanted to see a garden in the heart of Venice: "a green refuge under the sunny sky, where flowers will bloom from the fragrant earth".
This is how the Garden of Eden was born —no pun intended, since this was his last name—, protected by ocher walls, in whose shelter you can relax in the cool shade of the fragrant plants.
A century later, the mysterious past of this bucolic place through which many lifetimes passed came to the fore to inspire the imagination of the Hermès nose: the harmony of a secret garden in the heart of the most transparent city in the world, a perfume rewritten by the sky, the flowers and the sea.
Nagel has composed soft scents imbued with nostalgia without sadness, a rebirth, a sense of eternity. The woody, serene and tender aroma of the garden is revealed on the shores of the lagoon, with the dreamy salicornias rocked by the sea winds, pittosporums, white lilies and magnolias (€117/ml).