Anais Beguine the French Perfumer known for her beautiful line Jardins D’Ecrivains which launched in 2011, has moved from the garden of the writers into the plush chambers of French courtesans with a new collection Les Cocottes. Debuting June, 2015, each fragrance is named for an infamous seductress of 19th century Paris.
La Castiglione (1877-1899) Virginia Oldoini, Countess of Castiglione, better known as La Castiglione, was born to an aristocratic family from La Spezia. She was a 19th-century Italian aristocrat who achieved notoriety as a mistress of Emperor Napoleon III of France. She was also a significant figure in the early history of photography. Her eccentricity and her love of perfume is well known to this day. Top notes: Citron, mugwort; Middle notes: copaïba – liquorice, patchouli, sharp cedar; Base notes: ambergris myrrh
La Belle Otero (1863-1965) Born into poverty in Spain, Agustina Otero Iglesias became a star dancer in Les Folies Bergere and one of the most sought after woman in Paris. Her alleged lovers included Prince Albert I of Monaco, King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, Kings of Serbia, and Kings of Spain as well as Russian Grand dukes Peter and Nicholas, the Duke of Westminster and writer Gabriele D'Annunzio. 6 of her lovers committed suicide when she left them. Top notes neroli – pepper, absinthe – fig, ginger; Middle notes violet – musk buchu – lavender narcissus; Base notes frankincense, sandalwood, Iris
Melle Cléo (1875-1966) She was born Cleopatra Diane de Merode in Bordeaux, Paris, France in 1874 and became a fashion icon and notorious ballerina. She quickly became a favorite of many artists of the time including Toulouse-Lautrec, Gustav Klimt, Edgar Degas and Alexandre Falguiere. She traveled the world but was more famous for her beauty than her dancing. At 23 she was wooed by King Leopold II of Belgium and would later become the first ballerina to dance with a male partner in the Russian ballet.Top notes: Rosewood – Bergamot – Litchee; Middle notes: Night blooming cereus – Ylang ylang – Rose; Base notes: Coton flower – Lichen
100ml/$110.
Via Anais Beguine of Les Cocottes and my own research
–Michelyn Camen, Editor in Chief