PARISbySCENT - Carla Coulson

PARISby SCENT
Katrina Lawrence follows her nose to 10 of the French capital’s most creative and
fragrant perfumeries, a heady mix of crystal, gilt, history and glamour.
Photography Carla Coulson
Stairway to heaven
The Serge Lutens
boutique at the
Palais Royal.
Opposite: Guerlain
on the Avenue des
Champs-Élysées.
The word “sillage” translates as “the perfume wake
Uncommon scents
Above, from inset left:
Guerlain’s original
perfume scents;
350,000 golden tiles
make up the walls at
Guerlain; fragrances by
Serge Lutens.
Opposite, clockwise
from top left: classic
Guerlain fragrances
in the emblematic bee
bottles; downstairs
at Guerlain’s ChampsÉlysées boutique;
the façade of Serge
Lutens in the Jardin du
Palais Royal.
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a woman leaves behind her”. And it’s a concept that is
most potently realised in Paris, a city where women are
as passionate about their perfume as they are about a
perfectly proportioned tartine.
“It is part of the mystery,” laughs Camille Goutal,
the artistic director of the fragrance house Annick
Goutal. “Generally, French women go towards the
classics and are not afraid of trying niche perfumery
fragrances which use high-quality ingredients in
their composition, and therefore guarantee a ‘chic
à la Française’,” Goutal says.
Perfume is certainly in a Parisienne’s blood.
Catherine de’ Médici, the infamous Italian-born
queen of France, introduced French women to the
power of fragrance back in the 16th century, having
brought her personal perfumer – and, some say,
poison-maker – with her to Paris. Marie-Antoinette,
that other notorious queen, was also a perfume
aficionado; so much so that she insisted on taking
her huge trousseau of bottles with her on her illfated attempt to escape the revolution. France’s
next leading lady, Empress Joséphine, was said to
reek of musk, possibly in an attempt to appeal to her
husband’s more primal sensibilities; while the other
Napoléon’s wife, Empress Eugénie, favoured more
feminine, floral scents, many of them created for her
by an up-and-coming perfumer by the name of PierreFrançois Pascal Guerlain.
A half-century or so later, designer Gabrielle
“Coco” Chanel launched her now famous No.5, a
glorious concoction of creamy florals that perfectly
captured the seductive flair of French women. The
American soldiers of World War II knew this when
they queued up on Rue Cambon to buy bottles for
their girlfriends back home; today, the fragrance
remains a global bestseller, referred to by envious
competitors as “le monstre”.
“Paris is the commercial centre of perfume,” says
fragrance expert and author Michael Edwards. “It has
provided the consumers but also the people, such as
François Coty, who have made the industry what it is
today.” Edwards, who is based in Paris for six months
each year, notes that the city serves as both a great
showcase for perfume and an exhilaration for perfumelovers. His favourite olfactory destinations include his
local fruit and vegetable market (complete with a side
trip to the fromagerie and boulangerie), a Mariage
Frères teahouse (where, incidentally, the great JeanClaude Ellena found inspiration for Eau Parfumée au
Thé Vert, the breakthrough Bulgari classic), and, of
course, Parisian perfumeries themselves.
A sojourn to Paris isn’t complete without a visit
to a few such boutiques – and nothing serves as a
more perfect souvenir than a Parisian perfume, with
each spritz transporting your senses back to the city
by the Seine. Read on for 10 of the best, most fragrant
addresses in town.
gourmettraveller.com.au
GUERLAIN
Guerlain is the grande dame of
French fragrance, with a history
of groundbreaking perfumes
such as 1889’s Jicky (widely
credited as the first modern
fragrance) and the ultimate
oriental, 1925’s Shalimar. So any
self-respecting perfume fan
must visit the Champs-Élysées
boutique, designed in 1914 by
Charles Mewès, of Hotel Ritz
fame. Head up the gilt-specked
stairs, which lead you into a
glittering world of fragrance
(literally: the walls are tiled in
swirls of gold mosaic, and a
floor-to-ceiling mesh chandelier
shimmers beautifully). The store
was recently renovated by
French designers Andrée
Putman and Maxime d’Angeac,
to stunning effect. You can buy
more than 100 Guerlain
fragrances here, including
reworked versions of classics
packaged in gorgeous,
personalised atomisers or the
classic “bee” bottles. Oh, and if
you have a spare $51,000, you
can even order two litres of
your very own bespoke scent.
The one to try Elixir Charnel in
Gourmand Coquin, a decadent
chocolate-infused brew.
68 avenue des Champs-Élysées,
8th arrondissement,
+33 1 45 62 52 57, guerlain.com.
Métro: George V.
LES PARFUMS DE ROSINE
This bijou boutique radiates a
rosy glow, which is apt, given
that Les Parfums de Rosine
specialises in rose-based
fragrances. Belle Époque
couturier Paul Poiret launched
the brand (Rosine was the name
of his daughter) with perfumes
created by Louis Panafieu, but it
was Panafieu’s descendant,
perfume professional MarieHélène Rogeon, who in 1991
opened the boutique and
introduced a spectrum of rosy
scents from the fresh to the
ultra-pretty and the decidedly
seductive. For an extra treat,
choose from a selection of
pastel-hued miniature candles,
lined up like mouthwatering
macarons (and priced at
a reasonable $19 each).
The one to try La Rose de Rosine,
an old-world, ultra-feminine
rose-rich blend.
105 Galerie de Valois, Jardin du
Palais Royal, 1st arrondissement,
+33 1 42 60 11 51, les-parfums-derosine.com. Métro: Palais Royal.
SERGE LUTENS
Wander south from Les Parfums
de Rosine and you’ll soon come
across a perfumery imbued with
another mood altogether.
Where the former is rosy and
feminine, Serge Lutens’s
boutique is a dark and decadent
mix of black and violet; his
fragrances are suitably sexy and
seductive. It refers back
perfectly to the Palais Royal
itself – after all, this was a mecca
for all sorts of libertine and
licentious behaviour in the 18th
and early 19th centuries. These
days, a spritz of Serge (plus a
swipe of his dark lippie) may just
enhance a romantic Palais Royal
rendezvous of your own. Look
for the boutique-only blends
and engraved bottles. Here, you
can also buy any of your
favourite perfumes in an
exclusive, and exquisite, glass
bell-shaped bottle.>
Serge Lutens’s boutique refers back perfectly to the Palais Royal
itself – after all, this was a mecca for all sorts of libertine and
licentious behaviour in the 18th and early 19th centuries.
L’ARTISAN PARFUMEUR
L’Artisan Parfumeur’s “grande
boutique” faces off with the
eastern façade of the Louvre
known as Perrault’s Colonnade,
designed in 1665 by Claude
Perrault. At that time, the
Louvre was the royal residence,
and it’s not difficult to imagine
the Sun King’s great mistress,
Madame de Montespan,
spritzing herself with the kind
of nature-inspired scents
L’Artisan Parfumeur does so
well. While the brand has only
been in existence since the late
1970s, there is something truly
timeless about these delicate
and enchanting fragrances.
The one to try La Chasse aux
Papillons – think spring in
a bottle.
2 rue de l’Amiral de Coligny,
1st arrondissement,
+33 1 44 88 27 50,
artisanparfumeur.com.
Métro: Pont Neuf.
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The one to try Chergui: sweet,
smoky and utterly mesmerising.
142 Galerie de Valois, Jardin du
Palais Royal, 1st arrondissement,
+33 1 49 27 09 09, sergelutens.
com. Métro: Palais Royal.
MILLER ET BERTAUX
Once you’ve feasted Middle
Eastern-style at Le Marais’s
Chez Marianne, head up
Rue des Rosiers and turn into
Rue Ferdinand Duval for a little
more exotica. Designers Francis
Miller and Patrick Bertaux have
sold their eclectic clothes here
since 1990; for the past five
years, they have focused on
expanding their perfume range.
In their fashions and fragrances
alike, inspiration comes from
their travels, particularly in India
and Asia. Don’t be surprised to
smell unusual, evocative notes
such as spices, incense,
coriander and sandalwood. It
may not be very Parisian, but it’s
exquisite nevertheless.
The one to try Om, an incensespiked oriental that works
perfectly with a flowing sundress.
17 rue Ferdinand Duval, 4th
arrondissement, +33 1 42 78 28 39,
milleretbertaux.com.
Métro: St-Paul.
THE DIFFERENT COMPANY
Down the road a little, you’ll
stumble across one of the most
exciting things to happen to
French perfumery in years.
The Different Company was
launched in 2000 by designer
Thierry de Baschmakoff and
legendary nose Jean-Claude
Ellena (who passed the
perfumer’s baton on to his
daughter, Céline, when he went
in-house at Hermès) and is now
the go-to for all serious perfume
fans. Here you’ll be able to sniff
out some of the highest quality
ingredients about, as well as
splurge on the new prestige
line – or “collection excessive”
– of fragrances.
The one to try Jasmin de Nuit,
jasmine swirled with spices for a
heady, hedonistic effect.
10 rue Ferdinand Duval, 4th
arrondissement, +33 1 42 78 19 34,
thedifferentcompany.com.
Métro: St-Paul.
DIPTYQUE
Grab a Berthillon sorbet on Île
St-Louis and stroll south to
Boulevard St-Germain towards
Diptyque’s original floralwallpaper-lined boutique. It’s
best known for its cult-status
candles, but you can now buy
fragrances, body care and a
number of Paris-exclusive pieces
(including possibly the chicest
box of matches you’ll ever come
across). Diptyque is currently
celebrating its 50th anniversary
with the “34 Boulevard Saint
Germain” range of perfumes
and room fragrances, formulated
to capture the scent of the store
– candles, woody fixtures and all.
The perfect souvenir of a
legendary shopping experience.
The one to try Any of the candles,
as much for their decorative
appeal as for their divine scents.
34 boulevard St-Germain, 5th
arrondissement, +33 1 43 26 77 44,
diptyqueparis.com. Métro:
Maubert-Mutalité.
LUBIN
In the rickety Rue des Canettes
– a street that traces its ancestry
to the 13th century – you’ll find
another historical gem: the little
boutique that is Lubin, a
fragrance brand dating back to
1798. Today, Lubin evidently
takes pride in its brand lineage.
You’ll be welcomed by expert
and helpful staff, who will guide
you through bottles of
ingredients in order to explain
the make-up of each fragrance.
The aim: to find your perfect
perfume match. Lubin is the
go-to for classical, somewhat
complex scents, the kind that
Parisiennes so love to wear.
Perfect for modern-day
Marie-Antoinettes.
The one to try Gin Fizz, a
ladylike mix from 1955, inspired
by the gorgeous Grace Kelly.
21 rue des Canettes,
164
6th arrondissement,
+33 1 43 29 52 42, lubin-parfum.fr.
Métro: Mabillon.
ANNICK GOUTAL
There are several Annick Goutal
boutiques in Paris, but it’s the
one on Place St-Sulpice, just
around the corner from Lubin,
that will live up to your
expectations of fantasy Parisian
perfumeries. Its gilded detailing,
candy-striped walls and
shimmering chandelier provide
the perfect showcase for such
French and feminine fragrances.
Annick Goutal is much loved for
its beautiful blends – not to
mention its fluted, beribboned
bottles, which are as delectable
as the blends inside. Rounding
out the boudoir theme is the
luscious skincare, as well as the
Parisian-style pampering available
by appointment in the salon.
The one to try Eau d’Hadrien,
a refreshing burst of citrus.
12 place St-Sulpice, 6th
arrondissement, +33 1 46 33 03 15,
annickgoutal.com.
Métro: St-Sulpice.
EDITIONS DE PARFUMS
FRÉDÉRIC MALLE
Frédéric Malle is fragrance
royalty: his grandfather started
Parfums Christian Dior, where
his mother later became an art
director, working on the launch
of the 1980s smash Poison. After
cutting his teeth in the industry,
Malle launched his own brand,
with his point of difference
being that he operates like an
editor, or curator, collaborating
with a variety of top perfumers
on olfactory works of art. The
result is a boutique akin to a
gallery. Photos of contributing
perfumers adorn the walls,
and their oeuvres can be
appreciated by sniffing into
large floor-to-ceiling columns
via small trapdoors that open
and allow you to breathe in the
scent. Make sure you venture to
the back of the boutique, where
there’s an excellent range of
home fragrances.
The one to try Iris Poudre, the
olfactory equivalent of a pale
pink pashmina.
37 rue de Grenelle, 7th
arrondissement, +33 1 42 22 76 40,
fredericmalle.com.
Métro: Rue du Bac.
Scents and the city
Clockwise from top left: Serge
Lutens; Diptyque; Editions de
Parfums Frédéric Malle; colourful
giftwrapping at Diptyque; Annick
Goutal fragrances; creative
décor at Guerlain. Opposite:
Diptyque’s original boutique on
Boulevard St-Germain.
Annick Goutal’s fluted, beribboned bottles
are as delectable as the blends inside.
*
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