La Grisettepainting by Robert Richard Scanlon

The House of Lubin is one of the most intriguing French perfumeries with rich lore, legends,  and a history that would make a fascinating movie as Lubin withstood Revolutions, World Wars, and many changing of ownership.   It is said that  after  the storming of the Bastille Even during her imprisonment in the Temple Tower of Paris, Antoinette kept  a midnight-colored jade vial before slipping it to her most trusted confidant, the Marquise de Tourzel,   created by tthe mentor of Pierre-François Lubin, Royal Perfumer Jean-Louis Fargeon   (in 2011t this secret formula was resurrected by perfumer Thomas Fontaine  as Black Jade). My first Lubin was the astonishing smoky and boozy Idole by Olivia Giacobetti  in 2005 (why did they ever repackage this, the original was a sculptural masterpiece created by Serge Manceau) and I adore Akaad composed by Delphine Thierry, with its fumy frankincense entwined in amber.

Dandyism was a movement during the early 1800s and Lubin catered to them. During the same era, their female counterpart, La Grisette, emerged, first as a common woman who put on airs  then later on as a carefree, daring Bohemian young lady  who came into her own during the La Belle Époque. La Grisette has been immortalized throughtout the ages in poetry and literature (Jonathan Swift, Mark Twain and Oliver Wendall Homes) and paintings (Constantin Guys and Robert Richard Scanlon to name a few).

Lubin’s newest launch Grisette by perfumer Thomas Fontaine is homage to the rosy cheeked bohemian woman of the late 19th century.“Top notes of citrus, grapefruit and bergamot combined with rose concrete to offer the natural simplicity of an armful of roses from  Morocco  and Bulgaria. Discreet heart notes of iris concrete enveloping a breeze of incense. Musk and amber mingle in base notes of woody cedar softening into a haze of Madagascan vanilla absolute"

Notes: Citrus, grapefruit, bergamot, rose concrete, iris concrete, incense, musk, amber, cedar, Madagascan vanilla absolute.

50 ml / $130 and 100ml /$160 Available for preorder from Luckyscent

Via Lubin and my own research and experience with the House

-Michelyn Camen , Editor in Chief