Boussoles à la page Naturally man-made Natural or synthetic? High-end luxury perfumers have finally solved the dilemma. New extraction methods don’t distort ingredients; instead, they reveal their authenticity, by enhancing custom-designed raw materials. When house perfumer Jacques Cavallier menting it very early on, well before associated with men’s fragrance). “There Belletrud unveiled the first Louis Vuitton joining Hermès in 2004. When he com- isn’t an infinite number of botanical perfumes to the international press in posed Cologne Bigarade for Frédéric varieties, and with customized processing 2016, it was no coincidence that he paid Malle in 2001, he was looking for the we can bring out new specialties,” tribute to the Grasse company Payan fresh tang in the essence of bitter explains Christine Nagel, now perfumer Bertrand—which probably only a hand- orange—except that its dark color and for Hermès. She asked the Italian ful of the journalists present had ever high content of furocoumarins (com- company Capua 1880, world leader in heard of. Yet it’s thanks to the expertise pounds that stain the skin when exposed oils and citrus products, to create an of this century-old firm that he could lay to sunlight) make it tricky to handle, exclusive bergamot for her, using unripe claim to an innovation: an infusion especially in large doses. Together bergamot harvested before maturity to obtained through maceration in alcohol with Monique Rémy (LMR), Ellena retain its astringency and bite. “When I of scraps of the natural leather used to “fashioned” a custom-designed essence was composing Eau de Citron Noir, I was clad the handles of Louis Vuitton trunks. of bitter orange that is totally colorless, looking for that vivacity and that green “When I created this aromatic note, the making it the central element of the olfactive color. I wanted to avoid its sug- idea was to invent a ‘vuittonade’ [just as fragrance. It was a success, and inciden- ary side,” she explains. For her perfume Guerlain has its ‘guerlinade’], a real tally was the first neo-Cologne (sensual Twilly, the Robertet company produced leathery-floral olfactory signature,” he and lingering on the skin) along with a special co-distillation, marrying a syn- explains. that of Thierry Mugler. He’s done it thesized aroma compound with a natu- Cavallier Belletrud took the same again this year with Rose & Cuir, also ral one: Hedione and tuberous, to tone approach for the recent Cœur Battant by Frédéric Malle, creating a kind of down the narcotic floral element. fragrance, when he invented a patchouli preface to this woody-spicy perfume: Fabrice Pellegrin, perfumer and director containing 99.9 percent patchoulol (the an essence of Timut pepper from Nepal. of innovation and development of natu- characteristic compound of patchouli), “I asked Frédérique Rémy (Floral Con- ral raw materials for Firmenich, creates taking a patchouli from the shade cept) to work on the various qualities tailor-made products for his clients: into the light, as it were. “I’m interested of this pepper, which I discovered thanks “We have patented a CO2 extraction in developing distinctive ingredients to Olivier Roellinger, until we found one technique for fresh flowers from Grasse that have a measurable, perceptible that developed facets of grapefruit, exclusively for Vuitton” [hitherto only impact on the formula, and are not just rose and passion fruit.” And don’t ven- dried materials could be processed]. For a marketing pitch.” ture to say that it smacks of a spoiled Eau de Minthé (Diptyque), he came up It’s about adding an extra facet to the child’s caprice; he’ll retort: “An ingredi- with an essential oil of Cascade mint traditional raw ingredients, giving them ent is only worthwhile when its plays from Oregon, USA, with Essex Labs. depth by subtly modifying their olfactory its part. The Timut pepper brings out “Thanks to the molecular distillation value. This is the new credo of luxury the note’s sparkle, illuminates it.” This process [by which the perfumer can brands, and a way of challenging today’s ingredient just might become what pink remove unwanted aroma elements in reverent attitude to plants, which holds peppercorn has been since the 1990s: the ingredient], I was looking for the that nature’s immense bounty should a classic. freshest, whitest facets possible to create suffice to compose an original perfume. a modern fougère.” Thus does Nature Yet as wonderful as it may be, a natural Augmented reality Behind Libre, the deploy its infinite facets, giving free rein ingredient is perfectible: science has ways new olfactory manifesto of Yves Saint to a perfumer’s bold ideas. to make it even more pleasing. Laurent perfumes, is a heart note of The new holy grail for perfumers, then, Diva lavender. It is first steam-distilled, is “hypernature.” Jean-Claude Ellena has then fractionated with CO2 to eliminate long been a believer in this custom- its most masculine facets (lavender, in its Eau de citron noir, Hermès. tailored approach, and started imple- most aromatic inflections, is strongly Eau de Minthé, Diptyque. 98