During the pandemic palaver and lockdown one thing that has given me a little comfort is my scent library.
I love perfume and have a range of different fragrances to play with to suit my mood.
But if you’re looking for something a little wacky and wonderful to liven things up on the smell front, look no further than L’Artisan Parfumer.
The French niche perfume house was founded in 1976 specialises in unusual fragrances, working with master perfumers such as Olivia Giacobetti, Bertrand Duchaufour and Karine Dubreuil.
The emphasis is on scents from nature, taking you on a journey through sun-kissed orangeries, past juicy blackberry bushes and around rambling rose gardens.
But if you’re looking for a bit of an off-the-wall fragrance adventure, look no further than L’Artisan Parfumer’s two standout scents; Fou D’Absinthe and Bana Banana.
The first, developed by Olivia Giacobetti, is a sexy blend of fresh and spicy with cool and woody warmth. It is intended for men, but if like me you like muskier smells, this is definitely a top pick. It’s great for the winter months, with a warm and rich aroma.
The description accompanying Fou D’Absinthe reads: ‘Absinthe is the green fairy of inspiration that brings visions, madness and wanton dreams. Absinthe was the drink of Bohemian Paris. Wild nights at the Moulin Rouge were fuelled by this forbidden wormwood liquor. It embodies illicit fun, freedom of mind and a playground of contrasts. The unique element of this fragrance is the constant play of juxtapositions.’
The second wonderfully exotic offering from L’Artisan Parfumer is Bana Banana. This scent takes you on a journey to tropical banana forests, with a strong fruity flavour when initially sprayed onto the skin.
But this deliciously playful perfume slowly settles into a more balanced blend, with a sultry sweetness remaining on the skin.
The fragrance, reimagined for the 21st century with the help of Céline Ellena, has a rich history.
It was originally created by the L’Artisan Parfumer’s founder Jean Laporte before he started the business.
It was invented as a frivolous accessory for a night at the famous Folies Bergères cabaret in Paris in the 1970s.
Laporte, an avid plant collector and chemist, crafted the scent to go with a banana costume that would be worn to the ball.
The fruity concoction sparked a passion within him, and ‘a desire to bring the fragrance industry back to a pre-industrial state, where each ingredient is respected, identifiable and valued’.
And thus, L’Artisan Parfumer was born.
So, if you fancy something to jazz up your scent library, I advise you to peruse the scents on offer. A splash of banana by day and a shot of absinthe by night…
To learn more about L’Artisan Parfumer visit www.artisanparfumeur.com
