If you haven’t blown all your bucks on some right-hand
bling, haute perfume houses are offering tailor-made fragrance
services to spend your extra pennies on. Once the sole
privilege of royals and aristocrats such as Cleopatra
and Marie Antoinette, today’s nouveau chic can sign
up for a signature scent, too - the requirements? A padded
Swiss bank account and enough spare time to make your
mix (expect meetings, meetings, meetings).
 The
first stop: La Maison de Guerlain, which
has been in the bespoke fragrance biz since 1828, catering
to historical headliners such as Napoléon III’s
missus, Empress Eugénie. Under the guiding hand
of Sylvaine Delacourte
(photo: right),
Guerlain’s in-house perfumer, this one-of-a-kind
service is still available at Guerlain’s renovated
boutique on the avenue des Champs-Elysées in Paris.
There, you’ll also find a private collection of
four exclusive, ready-to-wear blends priced at €20,000
each (that’s a cool $28,000 Cdn) that are perfect
for Hiltons in a hurry. Or set aside the time—and
another €10,000—to develop your own scent.
“It takes six months to a year to create a fragrance
using anywhere from 30–100 raw materials,”
says Delacourte.
cont'd
next page >
|
|
Over three consultations, Delacourte will
really get to know you (imagine going on three
first dates but way more intense). Using a psychological
profile called Balametrics, a tool used by psychotherapists,
she’ll determine which aromas make you feel chic.
Cue cards with pictures of coloured ribbons, exotic flowers
and getaways will help her determine your lifestyle (are
you Jen or Angelina?). Next, you will touch luxe materials
such as silk and satin to reveal what turns you on. Delacourte
will also drill you about which scents spur your best memories.
All for a final price tag of €30,000—Guerlain
wants to make sure your crystal Baccarat bottle is filled
with joy.
 At
Jean Patou, master perfumer Jean-Michel
Duriez (photo: right) is also in the business
of “parfum couture.” His lab holds up to 2,000
very expensive fragrance oils. Busy mixing a heady juice
for a can’t-be-named client he tells us, “It
needs to be perfect or it doesn’t exist.” High-priced
signature scents, after all, are a serious business. Starting
at €52,000 (about $73,000 to you and me), the house
of Jean Patou lulls you into all things French—a limo
tour of Paris, bubbly (rose between teeth extra)—while
Duriez asks your tastes in everything from flowers and spices
to pastries and memories. One consultation and three samples
later, you’re toting your very own parfum and loving
it.
previous
page >
On a budget? Check
out our Cheap and Cheerful article!
|
|