L’Artisan Parfumeur Event
L’Artisan Parfumeur is a niche French perfume house that’s been around since 1976. It “proposes an individual approach to fragrances for those who are looking for their personal perfume, regardless of trends” and the “fragrances are inspired by nature and familiar scents found in the sweetest corners of the memory” (Lartisanparfumeur.com). I first became familiar with the line about 3 years ago and was immediately fascinated by their one of a kind creations. Today I’d like to tell you you about an exciting L’Artisan Parfumeur event I attended last night. It took place at the Ruby Room salon-spa in Chicago that will be carrying the line from now on. I went there with a friend from Makeupalley, Lauren, who I have to thank publicly for bringing it to my attention. Since I’m quite fond of L’Artisan perfumes, it’s always exciting to see them available at different shops. This time, however, it wasn’t just that. It was also the fact that I got the opportunity to meet an owner and the U.S. president of L’Artisan, Francois Duquesne (you can see him in the picture holding a Dzongkha bottle).
As I write this post, I find it quite challenging to bring my thoughts in order simply because I’m still all aflutter over the experience. Not only did I get a chance to sniff some of the perfumes but also heard Monsieur Duquesne talk about the L’Artisan approach to perfumery - the “moment of life” concept which means capturing various olfactory moments. For instance, the famous La Chasse aux Papillons was inspired by a picture of running through the flower meadow chasing butterflies. In contrast, Mechant Loup represents the image of the Big Bad Wolf from the Little Red Riding Hood, with the notes of cedar, liquorice, hazelnut, and honey - a woodsy, smoky blend that’s quite mischievous in character (and my new favorite). Their perfumes are created in the tradition of artisanship, with much thought and dedication as well as excellent quality ingredients. I find this particularly appealing, and in spite of having my personal L’Artisan favorites, keep discovering more and more - Fleur de Narcisse being the most recent one. I got a brief chance to smell it last night, and I can just tell you, it’s out of this world gorgeous. It’s being released this November, as a limited edition of 3,000 bottles worldwide. I’ll wait to write a proper review once I get a chance to have some in my hands. Meanwhile, you can read Marina’s impressions here.
Now on to some important bits of information regarding the line. Contrary to the recent rumor regarding discontinuation of Dzing! - I personally asked Monsieur Dequesne, it is not true. Big sigh of relief! L’Artisan also plans to open their signature shop in Chicago next year - very excited about that! Dzongkha, that’s to be released in October, is now available for pre-orders at Ruby Room as well as Barney’s.
In conclusion, I’d like to share with you some of my L’Artisan favorites: Dzing!, Bois Farine, Safran Troublant, Orchidee Blanche, Oeillet Sauvage, Tea For Two, Mechant Loup, L’Eau du Navigateur. I also immensely enjoy their candles - Pour des Prunes, The et Pain d’Epices, L’Ambre (awesome for colder months!), Trefles a Quatre Fleurs. They have a superb throw and are well worth the price.
L’Artisan perfumes are available at such online shops as Aedes, Luckyscent, Beautycafe, Lusciouscargo as well as numerous shops nationwide (for more info, please check the Retailers page on the L’Artisan site).
9 comments September 15th, 2006