Bertrand Duchaufour and Stephanie Bakouche of L'Artisan Parfumeuer
I admit to having a special fondness for L’Artisan Pafumeur, not only because this very French House was one of my first fragrant discoveries but because of my mad passion for Séville à l’aube, one of my all time favourite perfumes. Ever since I’ve been working backwards, slowly making my way through their body of work. The collection is a mix of classic perfumes and more experimental creations. L'Artisan Parfumeur currently has two roses – Voleur de Roses is a gorgeous earthy dark patchouli and rose, one of the first niche perfumes to use the now ubiquitous combination (Michel Almairac, 1993). There is also the lighter, brighter Drole de Rose (Olivia Giacobetti, 1996), a glamorous lipstick rose with a touch of violet. L’Artisan Parfumeur will be adding Rose Privée to their rose garden in April 2015. The new perfume is a collaboration between Bertrand Duchaufour and his apprentice Stephanie Bakouche (best known prevously as signing MDCI Invasion Barbare) who is a perfumer based in Grasse. Rose Privée features the iconic Rose de Mai or May Rose from Grasse, so named as it can only be picked in the month of May.
I have to state on record that I’m a huge fan of rose perfumes and am constantly surprised that perfumers can come up with new twists and turns on a well trodden path. Rose Privée has a fresh, light citrus opening with hints of basil, lending a slightly herbal feel. It’s very smooth and beautifully rounded from top to base note. I like that it is both dewy and with a touch a carefully constructed fruit accord that smells as if I could be walking in a grove in summer filled with gorgeous citrus laden trees.
The rose is apparent very quickly and is profusely pretty in pink in lovely pastel hues. In composing Rose Privée, Stephanie Bakouche has learned well from Bertrand Duchaufour's ability to create harmony from duality – there is both a delicate sensibility yet a strong sense of place in the composition. Magnolia adds a slight creaminess to the texture while the lilac is just there. Patchouli in the base of the perfume adds some weight to the perfume, although it’s not the dense, thick, chewy patchouli. It’s light in nature and not overwhelming. There’s hay too which keeps a dry greenness to the end. The base nicely balances the subtle sweetness of the rose at the top.
Rose Privée has velvet softness and the overall elegance that is both true to the brand's origins harkening back to 1976 and Jean Francois LaPorte, considered one of the greatest perfumers of all time. I can attest to this personally as I now live in this region of France; the precious Rose de mai petals are captured photo realistically as if I was in a field at midday during harvest; Rose Privée brings to mind those special moments when nature surprises you by beautiful landscapes that can never be simulated by man.
It’s a perfume that would work well in any season, especially in the heat or perhaps in the winter when you dream of the sun warming your face. Rose Privée is a singular rose perfume that expresses youth and joy. If you like a rose that smells delicious but is eminently wearable for any occasion, this may well be one that you need to try. It feels modern in an uncomplicated way and it also slots perfectly into L’Artisan Parfumeur’s range of rose perfumes, providing another option for rose lovers.
Mena Suvari American Beauty 1999 tub of roses
If I could reorchestrate that well known image from American Beauty where Mena Suvari lies in a bath brimming with red roses, I would change just a couple of things. The roses are now Rose de Mai and coloured pink. There is greenery in there too and a few drops of milk. Et voilà I can now bathe in Rose Privée.
Disclosure: I received my sample from L’Artisan Parfumeur
–Megan, Contributor and author of Meganistmaxime
Editor's Note: Vicente Romero Redondo is a Spanish painter born in Madrid, who was trained in fine art. His paintings reflect his love of light and the Mediterranean. It is certainly this luminosity that prevails in his art, that spoke to me as a way to visually portray Rose Privée. He is not associated with L'Artisan Parfumeur nor is this an endorsement. If you are interested in learning more about his art click here. I met Stephanie in NYC earlier this month and hope that she would feel these paintings bring to life their beautiful fragrance. In French the word "rose" also means pink…Jolie en Rose means Pretty in Pink.
Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of L'Artisan Parfumeur we have a 100 ml bottle of Rose Privée for a CaFleureBon reader in the EU or North America. To be eligible please leave a comment on why you would love to win Rose Privée, where you live and your favorite L'Artisan Parfumeur perfume..Draw closes February 23, 2015
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