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Before I start, it has to be said that there are many gorgeous perfumes from all corners of the globe – which are beautiful, dazzling … beguiling even. But when it comes to a truly seductive number that stops you in your tracks and sweeps you off your feet – it needs to be French, no two ways about it.
Bernard Duchaufour is one such French perfumer whose creations make good English girls want to light up a Gauloise and start murmuring risqué French lyrics in the manner of Jane Birkin. His most recent offering is three new perfumes for L’Artisan Parfumeur, part of the brand’s Explosions d’Emotions collection which explores the way we emotionally relate to scent.
Haute Voltige
Without wanting to sound trite, the three perfumes seem to echo the different stages of falling stupidly in love with someone. There’s Haute Voltige, which envelops the wearer in a hazy fug of pretty peony and pomegranate. It’s a “happy scent” through and through, echoing the dizzy, ecstatic highs after meeting The One, and subsequently not wanting to eat, work or even sleep …
Rappelle-Toi is a somewhat more subdued and more reflective scent that emits a soft stillness as the mundane nagging worries of our everyday lives pale into insignificance. With gardenia, musk and sandalwood, it conjures up long, lazy afternoons lying on the grass, quietly content with your newly beloved.
Onde Sensuelle
And last but not least, there is Onde Sensuelle, the one where M Duchaufour truly ups the ante in terms of sex appeal. It exudes spicy warmth with saffron and cumin mixed in with rich notes of cardamom. It’s meeting someone on a Friday evening and not leaving them until Sunday night. Like I say, only the French are capable of creating scents like this. But like love itself, it’s not for us to ask why or how, but just enjoy it while you can.
by Viola Levy
Each 125ml perfume is £115 available at L’Artisan Parfumeur boutiques and online.