heath&beauty
Petit Matin & Grand Soir campaign, image courtesy of: Francis Kurkdjian, photography: Nathalie Baetens
À La Rose Extrait by Maison Francis Kurkdjian Renowned as the creator of Jean Paul Gaultier’s Le Male, created when he was just 26, Francis Kurkdjian is also regarded as one of most unique and original perfumers of our time. His past ventures have included trying to recreate the 18th-century perfume worn by Marie Antoinette, inventing giant olfactory installations and opening one of the first bespoke fragrance ateliers in Paris in 2009. His latest offering is À La Rose Extrait. Costing £1,200 for 70ml, the pink juice is intrinsically feminine, and is made with 4,000 roses from Grasse and Bulgaria. It comes in a hand-engraved bottle in a chic, mirrored case. franciskurkdjian.com
Narcisse Noir by Caron One of the truly great perfume houses, Caron was founded in Paris in 1904. Its ‘parfums rare’ is a coterie of its most important scents, dating back 100 years. Produced in their original bottles, they are in a pure perfume form – as they would have originally been worn. A cult fragrance in the 1920s, but currently enjoying a low-key revival, is Narcisse Noir. It was created in 1911 by Ernest Daltroff, who was considered the greatest nose of the period. Combining rose and orange blossom with sandalwood and musk, it is a sensual, daring scent and comes with a high calibre of devotees. From the silent screen siren Gloria Swanson, who is said to have demanded that the set of the film Sunset Boulevard be scented with it, to Dita Von Teese – this is as glamorous as perfume gets. parfumscaron.com
s l u x u ry l o n d o n . c o. u k s
Fiesta by Ramón Monegal Based in Barcelona is the Spanish cult label Ramón Monegal, which last year celebrated its centenary. Headed up by a fourth-generation master perfumer, the brand boasts a rich history in the olfactory industry. Its latest offering is Fiesta, a limited-edition fragrance described as an “homage to love and to Spain”. Multi-layered and costing £400 for 50ml (you can find it exclusively in Harrods), it ranges from top notes of sea molecule and peach blended with rose and osmanthus, to a base of heliotrope and cotton candy. “For me, a fragrance starts to become ‘rare’ when it distances itself from the trends influenced by marketing,” Monegal says. “Today, more than ever, customers want to communicate a unique personal image. They look for perfumes that aren’t available to everyone.” ramonmonegal.com
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