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scented The
NO. 29 - 2018 LATE WINTER
WAKE UP
www.perfumesociety.org
letter
The scents
AND SMELL
THE COFFEE
+
of home
The cult of
the candle
+
LATEST
LAUNCHES
T�VDON
.1643.
36 Chiltern Street, London, W1U 7QJ
editor’s letter
There really is no place like home. And – as the
perfume world has realised – anyone who loves
fragrances for their skin is also likely to want to scent
the air around them, too, which is driving the boom
in sales of scented candles, room sprays and diffusers.
Personally, I spritz the air in my home office every
morning – and almost always have a candle flickering
on my desk. Holding a lighted match to that candle, or pressing
the atomiser and breathing in its whoosh of scented molecules, is a
moment to stop, think – and enjoy.
Alongside candles and sprays, diffusers are now quite the scented thing. But did you know
they were invented by an Milanese interior designer, Alessandro Agrati, as recently as 1990? Suzy
Nightingale reports on the designer who changed how our homes look (and smell) – along with some
tips for getting the most out of your diffuser – on p.34, where we also include a round-up of some of
our other favourite examples of this home fragrance innovation.
Scented candles, meanwhile, turn out to have been around for centuries. Rigaud may have
popularised the modern scented candle in the 1950s (and the choice by JFK and Jackie Kennedy of
Rigaud candles to scent the White House certainly helped power that candle brand to huge success).
But in the archive of the fascinating Parisian candle-maker, Cire Trudon, is a 300-year-old advert for
candles perfumed with lavender and citronella. For more about Trudon’s unique history, turn to p.28.
I don’t think it’s any coincidence that the rise in home fragrance sales coincides with our growing
passion for food, meanwhile. Onions, garlic, spices – all delicious, mouthwatering smells – but do
you really want your home to smell of them, when a stranger drops by? Home fragrances are brilliant
for masking the scent of cooking – but nobody would ever want to cover up the exotic aromas of the
dishes on the menu at Flavour Bastard, which explode like fireworks on the tastebuds. This daringly-
named Soho restaurant showcases the talents of gifted chef Pratap Chahal, and belongs on every
gourmet bucket list. And on p.46, Pratap shares some of his recipes, in our #ediblescent feature.
For estate agents, meanwhile, the go-to advice to make a house smell attractive is to put a pot
of coffee on to brew. Lately, coffee has also been making its way into fragrance – a trend Viola Levy
explores on p.22. (Let us tell you: it smells as great on skin as it does in your kitchen.)
So: put the kettle on, light a gloriously fragrant candle and settle down. We hope you enjoy reading
this Scents of Home edition of The Scented Letter as much as we enjoyed putting it together for you.
© breakingthewalls - Fotolia.com.
www.perfumesociety.org The Perfume Society @Perfume_Society ThePerfumeSociety
The scented Letter 3
contributors
scented
The
letter
Ateh Jewel Cassandra Hall
Ateh’s Jewel Tones Beauty blog has Cass – who writes about her
Editor become a must-read for thousands of ‘touchstone’ smell, wisteria, in ‘It Takes
Josephine Fairley women, born out of feeling Me Right Back’ – is a former beauty PR
jo@perfumesociety.org unrepresented in the aisles of many who left England for a Spanish hillside
Designer beauty halls. She has years of experience and was so inspired by the aromas of
Jenny Semple writing on beauty for publications the countryside and her new village
enquiries@jenny including Vogue, Sunday Times Style home that she set up a home fragrance
sempledesign.co.uk and the Daily Mail and with her husband line. La Montaña now capture many
Daniel Jewel, an Oscar-shortlisted film of those exquisite scents as diffusers/
Advertising Manager
Lorna McKay director/producer, works on commercial candles. Cassandra’s amusing blog
lorna@perfumesociety.org projects for companies including about ‘living the Spanish dream’
Chanel, Dior, Nivea and Elemis. Follow appears on lamontana.co.uk, and
Senior writer her on Instagram or Twitter @atehjewel you can also follow La Montaña on
Suzy Nightingale
suzy@perfumesociety.org or join her band of Facebook followers. Facebook or @lamontanacandles.
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
Maggie Alderson
HEAD OF SOCIAL
MEDIA/EVENTS
Carson Parkin-Fairley
carson@perfumesociety.org
HEAD OF MARKETING
Jodie Young
jodie@perfumesociety.org
buying assistant
Victoria Evans
victoria@perfumesociety. Francis Kurkdjian Suzy Knightingale
org
Francis’s first success was Le Mâle for Senior Writer Suzy contributes to
Jean Paul Gaultier, when he was just 26 The Scented Letter (we kept her very
Contact us
info@perfumesociety.org – and at the age of just 33, he scooped busy for this edition) and on a daily
106 High Street the Lifetime Achievement Prix basis to perfumesociety.org. From
Hastings François Coty in 2001. With countless treasured childhood memories of
East Sussex TN34 3ES bestsellers to his name, Francis set scent shopping trips with her mother,
COVER: Annie Spratt, Unsplash
07502-258759
up his own Maison Francis Kurkdjian Suzy progressed to full-time fragrance
fragrance house in 2009. Alongside fanatic, trading in her fashion
The Scented Letter is a
his ‘day job’, he has been involved in job to become a freelance writer,
free online/downloadable
magazine for subscribers many artistic collaborations including interviewing many of the perfume
to The Perfume Society; recreating Marie-Antoinette’s favourite world’s most fascinating figures, while
visit perfumesociety.org perfume for the Palace of Versailles. also acting as consultant fragrance
for more information Read all about his new candles on expert for national newspapers.
p.XX – and do follow @franciskurkdjian Follow her: @beyondpale
The Scented Letter is produced for The Perfume Society by Perfume Discovery Ltd. All information and prices are correct at the time of going to press and may no
longer be so on the date of publication. © 2018 The Perfume Society All text, graphics and illustrations in The Scented Letter are protected by UK and International
Copyright Laws, and may not be copied, reprinted, published, translated, hosted or otherwise distributed by any means without explicit permission.
4 The scented Letter
contents
10 17
who needs a tardis? flickeringly fabulous
THE SMELL OF OTHER HOMES, SWEET
PEOPLE’S HOUSES HOMES
Leading bloggers and fragrance Francis Kurkdjian’s new candles
insiders tap into aroma memories of conjure up the places around France
homes they’ve spent time in where he’s lived, for us all to enjoy
22 28
perfume’s Java jolt Paris is burning
WAKE UP AND WAXING LYRICAL
SMELL THE COFFEE Jo Fairley delves into the
Even non-coffee drinkers love to fascinating history of a Parisian
breathe its scent. And now, reveals candlemaker, whose heritage can
Viola Levy, it’s a new trend in perfume be traced back to 1643
34 46
something in the air tonight ignite your senses
REED ALL ABOUT IT #ediblescent
Suzy Nightingale talks to the These recipes by Pratap Chahal of
man who brought us the Soho’s Flavour Bastard restaurant
now-ubiquitous diffuser, Italian blur the lines dazzlingly between
designer Alessandro Agrati taste and smell
regulars
NOSING AROUND 6 MEMORIES, DREAMS, REFLECTIONS 32
LATEST LAUNCHES 50 IT TAKES ME RIGHT BACK 58
The scented Letter 5
on the scent of news
nosing around
A new year brings us new fragrances, books, excitingly revamped scent
destinations, perfumed hair treats – and even scented soundscapes
The best-tressed list
According to cosmeticbusiness.com, 83% of women prioritise the scent of hair products – if it doesn’t smell
great, it’s not going anywhere near our tresses! And at the same time, more and more of us are reaching for hair
perfumes on a daily basis...
Here’s the ultimate confirmation that hair perfumes are here to stay:
Frédéric Malle’s sublime Portrait of a Lady Hair Mist is a glorious way
to indulge your senses with Dominique Ropion’s rose-and-geranium-
powered classic, with every flick of your ’do. Hair heaven.
£125 for 100ml fredericmalle.co.uk
UNSPLASH/ANDREW WALTON
Rapunzel of Sweden’s Sweet Winter Leave-In Spray contains
‘hydrolysed proteins’ (maintaining hair’s moisture levels) with chamomile
to soothe chilled scalps. From a perfume perspective, it wafts forth
vanilla and caramel rippled with jasmine and cedar – adding shine,
eliminating static and scenting your locks for a triple-whammy of treats.
£10.99 for 150ml rapunzelofsweden.com
6 The scented Letter
Scents of history
Take (scented) note
Did you know that Victorian
If your New Year’s Resolution is ladies were warned off wearing
to spend more time flourishing tuberose in case it caused
involuntary orgasms? So headily
a pen rather than tapping a
narcotic was the aroma, it was
keyboard, let us point you considered most unsuitable
in the direction of Floral for their delicate, upper-class
Street’s notebooks senses. Read about this and
and notelets, more in
their pages quite Perfume
Society VIP
dreamily scented with
subscriber
Wonderland Peony or Catherine
Ylang Ylang Espresso… Maxwell’s
£12 each floralstreet.com fascinating
new book,
Scents &
Sensibility:
Perfume
Les Senteurs revisited
in Victorian Literary Culture
(OUP), which also features the
astonishingly catty observations
It was London’s original indie of Virginia Woolf, quoted from
fragrance boutique – and now her diaries. (Let’s just say, she
Les Senteurs’ Belgravia home clearly wasn’t a fan of women
has had a beautiful makeover wearing perfume – so she’d
for the New Year. We say: definitely disapprove of us.)
definitely time for a revisit – Gathering the fragrant thoughts
or for first-timers, this is one of luminaries from Oscar Wilde
for the scented bucket list, to H.G. Wells, it’s a sumptuous
with true experts on hand to plunge that presents perfume
steer you through a stunning as a character in its own right.
portfolio spanning État Libre £30 hardcover/£19 Kindle
d’Orange through to Lorenzo amazon.co.uk
Villoresi and Tom Daxon.
lessenteurs.com
Lovely, lovely, lovely…
Fresh treats for hands and lips, from Jo Malone London.
First (launching January), a trio of luscious creams
enriched with apricot kernel oil in three of their best-loved
scents (English Pear & Freesia, Lime Basil & Mandarin and
Peony & Blush Suede). And in February – just as central
heating has truly done for our lips – we’ll be slicking on the
English Mint & Ginger Lip Care, with its zesty, spicy blend
of moringa butter, rose flower wax
and kukui seed oil.
Jo Malone London
Hand Cream Trio £44
English Mint &
Ginger Lip Care £20
jomalonelondon.
com
The scented Letter 7
+
on the scent of news
Diptyque delights…
Inspired by Turkish Delight and
swathed in a pale pink toile de Jouy
by designer Leslie David, Diptyque’s
Rose Delight collection offers
candles, drawer-liners and scented
ovals to infuse your linens with rose
petals, honey and a twist of lemon.
We predict they’ll swiftly fly off the
shelves (and on to yours!)
At Diptyque boutiques From £28
Oxford Street’s new aroma zone…
Fancy a bespoke scented home? Purveyors of minimalist Japanese
homewares and stylish accessories, Muji, have now opened an ‘Aroma
Into the woods… Bar’ in their revamped space at Selfridges London flagship – inviting
The trees of his country’s wild you to select from their range of essential oils and have a combination
landscape have always been a source custom-blended especially for you. Fragrance experts are on hand to
of inspiration for Ben Gorham, Byredo’s guide your nose, and the finished aroma can be used with any of their
Swedish founder. Cedarwood sparkles diffusers, oil burners or unglazed stones.
with raspberry 400 Oxford Street London W1A 1AB
and jasmine in
their enchanting
Woods candle –
brightening our Notes and melodies
days already.
Ever-more-creative, Miller Harris have worked with audio artists
£54 for 240g from
February
to create unique soundscapes interpreting favourite scents in
byredo.com the collection, to be enjoyed in special sound booths at their
new Canary Wharf store (designed by Fabled Studio). What does
perfume sound like? You can now find out.
Fraction man
1 Cabot Square, Canary Wharf, London E14 4QT/020-7399 1948
Unquestionably the most
luxurious votives we’ve ever
seen: Clive Christian’s Fraction
Candle Collection exquisitely
captures three of their most
beloved fragrances – 1872, No.1
and X – in gilded glass, with a
burn-time of 22 hours each.
£195 for 3 x 60g candles
clivechristian.com
8 The scented Letter
a whiff of history
Lives of the great noses:
Alberto Morillas (b. 1950)
Alberto Morillas is widely In 2003, Alberto Morillas was
acknowledged as one of our awarded the Prix François Coty –
greatest living perfumers – as the perfume world’s most glittering
evidenced by the roll-call of new award – and in 2014, he received
launches to his name in this edition The Fragrance Foundation Lifetime
of The Scented Letter alone. Born Achievement Award, in the US.
in Seville, Spain, in 1950, his parents Today, Morillas continues to work
moved to Geneva when Alberto was as hard as ever, even weighing his
10. There, he went on to study Fine own ingredients. As he comments:
Arts – but what shaped his destiny ‘I love working in my studio, with
was an article in Vogue about Jean- my products around me…’ His
Paul Guerlain, firing up Alberto’s garden in Geneva is a place both of
ambition to work in perfumery. contemplation and inspiration.
Initially, he taught himself, Today, Alberto’s own fragrance
studying raw materials and learning alongside Annie Buzantian), Giorgio brand – Mizensir – affords him
to construct scents – before joining Armani Acqua di Giò, Flower by total creative freedom. Mizensir
the world’s largest privately-owned Kenzo, Thierry Mugler Cologne, was born in 1999, a venture in
fragrance house, Firmenich, in Lancôme Miracle, and Bulgari’s partnership with his wife, which
1970. He still describes himself as fragrant portfolio, from Bvlgari Blv began with scented candles and is
‘mostly self-trained’ – although in right through to the recent Bvlgari now a collection of 14 fragrances,
fact, he left for New York in 1975 to Goldea The Roman Night. But he each suitable for wearing on a man
obtain a diploma in perfumery. By says: ‘For me, it is not important or a woman’s skin and including
1988, Morillas had been elevated how many perfumes I have created. treasures such as Bois Iridescent, a
to Master Perfumer – a term often It is to have the urge every day to uniquely radiant floral wood, and
abused, but in reality an official renew this act of creation.’ the cocooning Musc Eternal, which
ranking reserved for Firmenich’s Equally enamoured of synthetic showcases his signature musks.
own most stellar perfumers. and natural ingredients, drawn As Alberto Morillas puts it: ‘Far
If we were to list the fragrances in particular to white musks, from the buzz of major launches, I
Alberto has to his name, it would hediones and citrus, Geneva-based wanted to create “ma parfumerie”,
run to pages; over 300, and Morillas still writes his formulations a place where each fragrance would
counting. The one which first put by hand – even colour-coding tell the story of my passions, my
him on the scent-map was Must them with different coloured memories, my travels…’ We say:
de Cartier, in 1981, while other pens. (For an in-depth interview long may this true living legend
highlights include Calvin Klein’s with Alberto Morillas about his continue to tell riveting stories,
ground-breaking, shareable fascinating creative process, visit through exquisite scents.
ckone, Estée Lauder Intuition (and perfumesociety.org and search for mizensir.com
Pleasures, on which he worked ‘A Working Nose’.) By Jo Fairley
From left: Alberto Morillas’s own Mizensir collection, with classic creations ckone, Intuition and Flower by Kenzo
The scented Letter 9
the master
WHO NEEDSof
A modern
TARDIS? femininity
THE SMELL OF
other people’s houses
For this ‘homes’ edition, we asked well-known names from the world of perfume to
share the scents of houses they remember from childhood
IT can be FIENDISHLY HARD to identify
the scent of the house where we grew up.
Its olfactory tapestry becomes little more
than wallpaper; something so familiar, we’re
somehow incapable of registering it. Even
now, most of us are fairly anosmic to the scent
of our own homes – save when we light a
candle, a log fire, or sizzle garlic and onions in
a pan. Sometimes, fleetingly, we get an idea of
how our home smells to others, when we open
the door after a holiday.
While some of our interviewees here nail
the scent of their childhood home, for
a number of others it was the smell of a
grandparent’s house which impacted on
“
them. (Grandparents among our readers,
please note: you bear a heavy burden of
responsibility with the aromas that imprint
themselves on your descendents!). Here’s what comes to my mind when I
try to step back through this particular
We now invite you to share the doorway of my past. It’s Bandar Abbas,
fragrant landscape of your own in Iran. The late 70s. A bungalow in a
childhood with us by tweeting or small compound of similar houses. My
Instagramming, using the hashtag childhood home, when it was just me,
#scentsofmychildhood. But my mum and my dad, years before my
meanwhile, we hope you’ll be brother was born. Dominating everything
transported by these highly else: the smell of the eucalyptus trees
evocative recollections... growing right outside. I’d tear off a leaf,
snap it in half and breathe in that herbal,
camphor-like aroma. Then there was that very
particular smell of baking sunlight bouncing
off a concrete driveway: stony, mineralic, sandy.
Inside, the dry, almost brittle quality of the air
pumping out of the air conditioning units. In the
kitchen: garlic, anchovy paste, flat bread, boiled rice,
the synthetic fizz of orange-flavoured Tang. In my room,
books, books and more books. I was always smelling
their covers, running my nose along their spines. And in my
”
parents’ bedroom, a bottle of YSL Opium. Little did I know
where that would lead me!
Persolaise, blogger and journalist
24 The scented Letter“
As a young child, I spent a lot of time at
my grandparent’s home in Spain, so most
of my early scent memories are rooted in
that house. I remember the smell of warm
milk being heated on the stove in the
morning – so comforting and grounding
even though I don’t like milk – and the
scent of dry chamomile flowers and
linden blossom tea in the evening. I also
remember the smell of my grandfather very
vividly. He wore some sort of Cologne or
aftershave with strong amber notes, very
sweet and rich, warm and animalic. (I think
that was the beginning of my love affair
with labdanum and sweet amber notes.)
He was a photographer, and I loved going
into the darkroom where he processed his
photos. There was the distinct odour of
photographic paper and a vinegar smell,
but also a chocolate-y and biscuit-like smell
emanating from a cupboard where there
was always a box of assorted biscuits. He
would always let me chose a biscuit at the
”
end of the session if I behaved and didn’t
interrupt him!
Marina Barcenilla, perfumer
The scented Letter 25WHO NEEDS A TARDIS?
“
‘I have such strong memories
of the house I grew up in, our
family haçienda in Venezuela.
It was a traditional low Spanish
house, and my parents (above)
were always very keen that you
couldn’t smell cooking, so the
kitchen was tucked away at
one end of the house. Instead,
I was surrounded by the scent
of exquisite flowers, which my
mother was so passionate about.
We had gardenias, jasmine and
roses – and the house would
also be filled with the smell of
tuberose oil and jasmine oil
which my mother would blend
from little bottles that she bought
from The Perfumer’s Workshop
counter in Bloomingdale’s. How
lucky was I, to have that olfactory
background to my childhood?’
Carolina Herrera de Baez,
”
Creative Director of Carolina
Herrera Fragrances“
If I close my eyes, I can still smell my grandparents’ house in South London.
Outside, it was slightly crumbling, with battlements that were somewhat
incongruous in the suburb where they lived – but as the big oak door swung
open, I’d be hit with a wall of hugely comforting smells. Rock cakes, baking
(quite often burning) in the oven. Probably a note of medicated loo paper in
the air (the stuff that’s like baking parchment – and really, my grandmother
Kathleen should probably have been using it for that). My grandfather’s Old
Holborn pipe tobacco (a fug of that, actually). There was a waft of Pledge
© Previous pages: ANNIE SPRATT; JENS JOHNSSON - UNSPLASH. vera7388; Maksim Kostenko - Fotolia. This spread: ANNIE SPRATT - UNSPLASH; CandiceDawn - Fotolia
polish, with beeswax used for the best bits of huge brown furniture – but
mostly, I can smell my grandmother’s cracked-paned, lean-to greenhouse, just
off the kitchen. There, she grew tomatoes and geraniums – and my first-ever
smell memory is of standing there in the greenhouse, with her rubbing my
fingers on their leaves and encouraging me to sniff them, kindling a life-long
”
love of smell. I dream of a Tardis, to get back there and smell it all again.
Jo Fairley, Editor, The Scented LetterWHO NEEDS A TARDIS?
“
My London childhood home was like the Wild West, turbulent, exciting, scary
and a little nuts. I took solace and comfort in colour, make up, MGM films and
scent. I was a child of the 80s; my father was a diplomat and self-made man,
and I lived in an over-the-top Dynasty-esque nouveau riche world.
My mother was (and still is) super-glam and I remember the scent of her
Dior Poison and YSL Opium hitting the back of my throat at the bottom of the
stairs while she was still at the top. As she fixed her hair in the hallway mirror
she would blast it with a final round of Elnett, the scent of which still makes me
smile (I was once told it was based on Chanel No.5). Before she left the house
I would bury my face in her mink and Artic fox furs (it was the 80s and you
couldn’t be a rich bitch without one), which hung on the end of the stairs. I
loved the smell, the sensorial explosion of softness on my skin of the fur and
the comforting traces of my mum’s fragrance.
I was a dreamy child and loved being on my own. I would run to our
basement where we had a Swedish sauna and Turkish bath. The sauna became
my happy place. I would sit in there while it was switched off and pretend it
was a giant Wendy house. I would take deep breaths and let the sweet, woody
Alpine scent wrap me up and cuddle me from the inside out. I would also
sneak into the Turkish Bath and hide inside. I liked the darkness and the damp
”
smell; it was like being swaddled.
Ateh Jewel, Jewel Tones Beauty blogger
“I reel as though from an electric
shock when the past returns through
smell. When I read my grandfather’s
books they are impregnated with
the vivid scents of his last house,
everywhere, and brimming Benares
brass ash trays. Winter and summer
there was always a roaring wood fire
to combat the creeping damp.
Everything and anything
meadows beyond the orchard. The
primitive washing machine surged,
slopped and oozed soap flakes and
hot water all over the floor. Damson
jam boiled on the stove. The back
though the Leicestershire building combustible ended up in that grate, kitchen was usually thick with the
was demolished over 40 years ago. to the delight of us children: a scorching gingery smell of the Aga,
Led by my nose, I wander through broken wireless, cracked 78rpm piled up with ironing and slightly
every room. The apple green dining records, an exasperated cousin’s singed blankets.
room full of faintly damp fumed oak. faulty knitting. The flames flared up That house was a riot of scent:
The ice-blue – and ice-cold – in rainbow colours. The smells were almost frightening in raw
bedrooms cosied up by the farouche and exotic. The French untrammelled intensity. It was a
authoritative tribe of whiffy tom cats windows opened directly onto the powerhouse of smells which
curled up on quilts. The vast and rose garden - beyond lay the oily reflected the powerful, pungent and
sunny bathroom with Peggy the bull greasy garage, the pig sties, outside eccentric personality of the owner.
”
terrier immersed in the tub for relief lavatories and offices. James Craven,
of her eczema, lathered with Morny In early summer the scullery was Perfume Archivist,
lily of the valley soap. And, drifting full of frogs, come up from the water Les Senteurs
over all, the green fruity gardenia of
my aunt’s favourite Ma Griffe.
Downstairs, the living-room was
vibrant: the drinks tray loaded with
Noilly Prat & Gin and It. My
grandfather’s oil paints, brushes and
turps; his latest ‘View of Sorrento’
propped up on the easel. Cigarettes
24 The scented Letter“
‘Peeling back the layers of time, I lovingly recall my
grandfather’s scent as he told his famous “self-stories”
while I sat on his knee. His shaving soap gave him a
pleasant lavender freshness, mixed up with his own
skin-smell and his faintly musty tweed waistcoats. We
would sit in the North London kitchen next the stove,
with coal in the grate emanating its dark, dry metallic
scent. On washdays the kitchen would be taken over by
the old-fashioned washing machine and wringer, with
suds seeming to get everywhere and spreading a light,
citrusy fragrance. In my memory, the long, rambling back
“
garden was always very leafy and wet, with dripping,
overhanging boughs and brambles to manoeuvre in
order to reach fallen pears my sister and I were allowed
Of all of the fragrant memories to collect, enjoying their delicate green-fruity scent. But
I have of other people’s houses, perhaps the biggest scent sensation happened only
none are more prominent than that once, when we were invited to take tea with the Indian
of my maternal aunt’s, in Milton family next door... as the front door opened we were hit
Keynes. We loved visits as kids, by a dry pungent spiciness, of what must have been lots
mainly because she is the most of turmeric, cumin, and cinnamon, rivalled only by the
© Patrick Miyaoka - UNSPLASH. Maksim Shebeko; Thomas; sonatali; Natasha Breen - Fotolia.
fun person on the planet – but also mouthwatering, tangy fruity sweets that were offered us.’
”
because one entered her home via Ruth Mastenbroek, perfumer
a papier mâché cave that led into a
hallway painted with a countryside
scene, complete with gigantic sun
and wooden farm animals. (Crazy
but true.) But in terms of scent there
is one smell that instantly reminds
me of my dear auntie’s home:
frankincense. Burning softly in
one corner would be a few golden
crystals of frankincense, soaking
every corner of the home with the
spicy, sour, resinous and silvery
scent. It permeated every molecule
of the house, including the soft,
snuggly fur of her cats, blending
with their animal warmth to create
an aroma that just demanded to be
snuggled. To this day, the smell of
frankincense to me is pure comfort.
”
Thomas Dunckley,
The Candy Perfume Boy
blogger
The scented Letter 25MADE IN ENGLAND Since 1973
FLICKERINGLY FABULOUS
Homes,
sweet
homes
For his new candle collection,
Francis Kurkdjian time-
travelled to the homes
around France where he’s
lived – conjuring up their
scents and aromas for
us all to enjoy
Words: Jo Fairley
The scented Letter 25FLICKERINGLY FABULOUS
Francis Kurkdjian’s nose rarely switches off. Well, the family houses Francis grew up in, over the years, and
technically, it’s his brain that has a hard time relaxing, since by his own apartment in the 17th arrondissement. Francis
that’s where olfactory messages are processed. Which gives explains that ‘… houses have a soul, a story. They are the
him a problem with visiting strangers’ houses. ‘My brain is stage for everyday life, a testimony of the art of living
telling me: “I can smell X” – or “I can smell Y” – and until and an emotional trigger. These houses nourished my
I’ve figured it out, I don’t feel comfortable. The nose is our olfactory memory: my childhood home, my grandparents’
“
bodyguard,’ notes the perfumer. ‘It’s apartment; my cousins’ house in
probably why I entertain a lot in my the countryside; our family vacation
own apartment.’ home; my Parisian apartment. I have
As many perfume-lovers will know, translated these intimate places into
Francis first shot to prominence at
the age of just 26 with his creation
Houses have a smells – and colours – to compose a
collection of five candles with original
of the blockbuster Le Mâle, for Jean
Paul Gaultier. He went on to co-create
soul, a story. They scents that evoke a word dear to my
heart: “home”.’
Narciso Rodriguez for Her, and has
countless bestselling fragrances to
are the stage for On the following pages, we share
Francis’s inspirations for the collection.
his name – including Elie Saab Le
everyday life Five places, five homes – and five
”
Parfum, Acqua di Parma Iris Nobile moodboards (in some cases featuring
(with Françoise Caron), L’Extase for snaps from the Kurkdjian family
Nina Ricci and all of Burberry’s recent albums); they’re visual representations
perfume portfolio. of those places which have meant
What got perfumistas truly excited, though, was the so much to this star of the perfume world. Each of the
unveiling of Francis’s own perfume house – Maison Francis beautiful candles those moodboards embody, meanwhile,
© iff; SINNBILD; erinphoto10; Anthony Brown; trompinex; theeradech_sanin; demonova; Max Diesel; doozydo; Kevin Mayer - fotolia.com
Kurkdjian – in 2009. And now, if you like, he’s turned that is packaged in an exquisite Limoges bisque porcelain
house into ‘home’ – via a collection called, simply, ‘Homes vessel (with a coloured interior, see below) which can be
Sweet Homes’. upcycled, later – as a vase, a pencil cup, for coffee. And
Francis’s perfumes for his own collection are known each is tucked inside a box featuring a line drawing of that
for being ‘passion projects’ – but perhaps none has been house or place he holds close to his heart.
closer to his heart than this chic candle range, inspired by So, Francis Kurkdjian, this is your life – in candles…
The five Homes
Sweet Homes
candles are
available
individually at
selfridges.com,
price £70 each
18 The scented LetterRue des
Groseilliers
‘Rue des Groseilliers is the street
where I grew up about 12 miles from
The illustration, Paris. My family home was bordered by
top, is of Francis’s
a small vegetable garden where every
childhood home on
the outskirts of Paris
summer, bright redcurrants delighted
– where his father everyone – of every age –with their
still lives today sweet tastes. These flavours I captured
in scented candle that conveys
the essence of my childhood
memories.’FLICKERINGLY FABULOUS
Anouche Au 17
‘This rekindles the pleasures of ‘I love Paris, its magic
the small apartment where I lived and free-spirited vibes. Au
for a few years with my maternal 17 is my “nest” in the City of
grandparents, not far from the Château Light. Its cosy, eclectic atmosphere
de Vincennes – the unforgettable memory witnesses intimate dinners, lively
of rose petal and plum jam, one of my soirées and tender morning-
grandmother’s secret recipes. I wanted afters. They unfold in the warm
to create a candle with a smooth and glow of this candle that evokes
flowery sweetness, lightly honeyed the mingled aromas of an
and spicy, sustained by a burst open fire and Japanese
of quince.’ incense.’
The moodboard for Francis’s Au 17 – inspired by his own
candle features a photo of his flat in the 17th arrondissement
grandparents which is as sweet as – brilliantly captures Parisian
the candle itself chic in wax form
20 The scented LetterLa Trouverie Les Tamaris
‘A farmstead located deep in the ‘This is my little corner of
French countryside of Le Perche [in paradise on the Atlantic coast,
the centre of France], La Trouverie was between Bordeaux and La Rochelle.
the stage for my carefree escapades, It’s a family home in the heart of nature,
games of hide-and-seek, building wood where the only sounds are the chirping of
cabins and chasing butterflies. This candle crickets and the crackling of the parasol
reawakens my childhood memories pines. Like a summer breeze, for me
through its sweet aroma of fresh straw Les Tamaris carries the scent of the
that tickles the nose, mingling everlasting flowers and acacias
with lavender and flirting with that grow along the footpaths
rosemary and thyme.’ leading down to the sea.’
The greenest of the candles, For the French, August is a
with aromatic flourishes, this time of absolute escape – and
moodboard embodies La for Francis, that meant the
Trouverie’s carefree feeling Atlantic coast
The scented Letter 21the master ofJAVA
PERFUME’S modern
JOLTfemininity
wake
up and
coffee
smell
the
Famously, estate agents have for years counselled that
to sell a home, it helps to have a pot of coffee on the
stove. It’s a scent which even non-coffee drinkers love to
breathe in – and now, reveals Viola Levy, coffee is a
new trend brewing in perfume…
I believe my coffee fixation began such an effective note in perfumery
with that series of 80s Nescafé adverts – without the caffeine-induced heart
featuring Anthony Stewart Head palpitations and eye twitches.
(later known as ‘Giles from Buffy the In recent years coffee has been
Vampire Slayer’). They involved him appearing in the perfumed pyramid in
engaging in various will-they-won’t- many guises. And certainly, its power
they? flirtations with his doe-eyed as an aroma can’t be understated.
neighbour over mugs of Gold Blend After all, estate agents still use it
Instant. (Who needed Netflix, back to help entice prospective buyers,
then? It was the next instalments of according to Trend & Thomas’s Senior
adverts that we waited for.) Negotiator Joe Freeth. ‘It’s not always
Years later and it’s safe to say, our go-to trick,’ he says. ‘But it can
coffee – not least the smell of coffee help in situations when all you can
– still plays a huge part in my life. smell is fresh paint, which can feel
The scent just draws me in; warm quite soulless. Coffee has that homely
and enveloping, it’s the antidote to quality – like baking bread or fresh
rainy mornings getting elbowed on linen – that always goes down well.
the Tube in rush hour. And for me, Much more so than, say, having eight
it’s these qualities that make coffee scented candles on the go – which
24 The scented Letter“ He was my
cream, and I was
his coffee – and
when you poured
us together, it
”
was something
Josephine Baker
The scented Letter 25PERFUME’S JAVA JOLT
being a stimulant and is “gourmand”
without smelling like cake or biscuits,
so it’s great for those of us that do not
favour sweet scents.’
Perfumer Nancy Meiland is
similarly enamoured. ‘Coffee offers
a wide range of base notes that add
character, depth and sweetness to
a formula. It is a wonderful bridge
between the spices and the balsamic
resins.’ Its dark, roasted facet goes
well with patchouli – and, just as
someone might add a spoonful of
sugar to a mug of just-brewed coffee,
it pairs well with gourmand elements.
Spicy notes are another natural fit.
You can’t just grind up coffee
beans and turn them into a perfume,
however. The way coffee is generally
expressed in perfumery is by adding
pyrazines to the blend. These are
compounds that occur naturally in
food, and offer a slightly caramelised,
roasted and even ‘burnt’ effect. But
they’re not the easiest to work with, as
Alice Lavenat – perfumer for Nejma –
points out. ‘Pyrazines are very powerful
and must be well-balanced so they
don’t dominate everything else. It
takes a lot of care to capture the
correct coffee accord.’
Not every perfumer is a fan of using
them, either – notably esteemed
‘nose’ Bertrand Duchaufour. Ever the
maverick, Bertrand has a preference
for another dark material, from a
different bean. ‘I would say that
chocolate – even bitter and black
chocolate – is better to work with [than
© WavebreakmediaMicro - fotolia.com. Previous page: Unsplash - Fierefly Studios
coffee]. As a perfumer, I can pick up far
more nuances between the sweeter,
makes you wonder what smells they can be worn anywhere, anytime. darker and softer varieties.’
might be trying to cover up...’ The rise of coffee notes is part of But with so many recent launches
But ‘homely’ doesn’t mean ‘unsexy’. a new wave in perfumery. In terms of featuring coffee – white, black and
Far from it. Coffee notes in scent taste, we’ve graduated from ‘pretty’ even green – in their blends, Bertrand
can be the perfumed equivalent of fragrances to something far more is in the minority. And it certainly isn’t
a skin-tight material that fully covers refined and less obviously feminine. true that coffee scents need always
the body, revealing nothing and Michael Donovan, fragrance PR, owner be served strong and straight up,
everything at once. Coffee doesn’t of Roullier White and founder of new the equivalent of a strong espresso.
‘put it out there’ in the manner of an niche perfumery St Giles, echoes Almost without you even noticing
aldehyde-laced jasmine or smoky this point. ‘The market has changed they’re there, they can help evoke a
oudh. But once it settles – perhaps enormously over the last few years, mood or a memory, as illustrated by
with the help of a few spices or rich and people have become much more creator Paul Schütze. ‘The coffee I
florals – it loosens its tie, ruffles its hair, sophisticated about fragrance, wanting used in my new scent Cuadra is very
and you experience it in a completely to deepen their knowledge. In turn, much part of the structure rather than
new light. And pulling power aside, perfumers have risen to the occasion a highlight,’ he explains. ‘It has no
coffee concoctions are extremely and are producing much more sweetness. In Cuadra, coffee performs
wearable; the Little Black Dresses of experimental, idiosyncratic scents with the role usually reserved for woods;
perfumes, if you will. Stripped of bows edgy ingredients. Coffee is a fantastic combined with the tobacco note,
and frills, they’re effortlessly chic and choice, as it has the association of it provides a backdrop which is
24 The scented LetterTom Ford Private Blend Carolina Herrera Good Girl YSL Black Opium
Café Rose Together with saffron The tongue-in-cheek name gives you The black coffee accord adds
and black pepper, coffee adds a clue about this scent’s contradictory a caffeine buzz to this global
some much-needed bite to a nature, juxtaposing bright notes of blockbuster, with voluptuous white
burlesque routine of Bulgarian jasmine with a dark heart of tonka bean, floral notes of orange blossom
and Turkish roses coffee and almond buffed by soft musks
Paul Schütze Cuadra Atelier Cologne Café Tuberosa 4160 Tuesdays The Dark Heart
Schütze himself admitted this was Rich, intoxicating tuberose is brought of Old Havana Perfumer Sarah
among the ‘less commercial’ of his back down to earth by the slightly McCartney evokes a sweet Cuban
scents – but this intricate bouquet bitter coffee notes, with cocoa and espresso, enjoyed with rolling
of coffee, woods and spices is cardamom adding a dash of tobacco and just-peeled oranges
definitely worth curling up with come-hither sweetness on a sunbaked terrace
LUSH Cardamom Coffee Evody Blanc de Sienne House of Oud Grape Pearls
If you like your coffee with a Dark and dazzling, the coffee Perfumer Andrea Casotti combines
coquettish kick, this piquant accord provides the perfect bright, look-at-me notes
concoction is sure to satisfy, with backdrop to an addictive blend of blueberry and grape
its enveloping notes of rose, oudh of fig, orange blossom and with the smoky warmth of
and spicy cardamom oil powdery iris coffee and amberPERFUME’S JAVA JOLT
“
familiar but not immediately obvious.’ in the arm for a fragrance.
Upon smelling Cuadra myself, I YSL’s Black Opium is a prime
Coffee should
didn’t automatically think: ‘coffee example. A quartet of stellar
scent’. Yet it did remind me of visiting perfumers – Olivier Cresp, Nathalie
the house of a school friend, whose
mother’s spicy Filipino cooking be black as hell, Lorson, Marie Salamagne and
Honorine Blanc – collaborated on
was offered up to anyone within
two minutes of their crossing the strong as death the original Black Opium, percolating
a mega-dose of black coffee beans
threshold. It’s the unassuming warmth
and sweet as love through pink pepper, vanilla, jasmine,
”
and love that I associate with Mrs. patchouli and cedarwood. Their
Davis – and that house – which this Turkish proverb creation almost instantly became
perfume brought flooding back. a blockbuster – and although no
Indeed, sometimes the smell we evidence suggests the smell of coffee
associate with coffee isn’t so much brought coffee notes to our attention. will power you up in the same way as
the coffee itself, but what it reminds Perfumer Sarah McCartney of 4160 necking your third flat white of the
us of – as Rami Mekdachi of hipster Tuesdays has been working with it day, the caffeine association certainly
perfume house Lola James Harper for years. ‘I think that modern artisan seems enough to trick brain into
is keen to emphasise. ‘We smell perfume-making has brought a ‘waking up’ upon smelling it. (When
coffee in a room, in a place with its freedom into fragrance that includes the Black Opium eau de toilette came
atmosphere. So in our memories, relatively obscure materials like along in 2015, green coffee notes
a “coffee smell” is actually a scent coffee as a feature note,’ she remarks. were used, for a brighter effect. It’s an
of wood, coffee beans, spices, and ‘Instead of merely flowers and woods, interesting exercise to contrast them.)
warmth.’ His home scent, The Coffee why not vegetables, sweets and So: does coffee sound like your
Shop of JP, captures this nicely – drinks? And where indie goes –- taking olfactory cup of tea – so to speak?
inspired by said coffee shop in the the risks – big fragrance houses seem Because if so, the only question is,
Parisian suburbs, where Rami and his to follow…’ how do you take yours – a strong,
friends would go to hang out after Initially, coffee notes made an smoky hit, or softened with rose
playing basketball. With warming appearance mostly in masculine and sweet tuberose? Whatever your
sandalwood and spices, the fragrance fragrances – Valentino Uomo, Thierry preference, there are more and more
conjures up those relaxed Sundays Mugler A*Men Pure Coffee. But coffee scents to choose from. They’re
spent with mates, while coffee brews coffee-powered scents for women gorgeous, grown-up and not-too-girly.
in the background and Monday still have been appearing, with several And if yours seduces a neighbour into
seems like a blissfully long way off. houses catching on to the fact that sharing his Gold Blend Instant, you can
It was niche perfumers who first coffee can provide an (espresso) shot thank me later…
Does coffee actually cleanse your nose?
YSL’s Head of Training Paul is smell opposite scents
Ferrari thinks not. ‘Coffee one after another – citrus
should never be used to then floral etc. – rather than
clear the nose, as the coffee three florals consecutively.
molecule is large, and Otherwise, the best way to
gets lodged in the smell clear your sense of smell is
receptors – remaining in the to drink water. A sip clears
nose and changing your the palette and
sense of smell long after refreshes the
the first whiff. The trend sense of smell.’
started in the Middle East Another tip: The
to use coffee to clear the Perfume Society’s team
sense of smell. However recommends that when
over there, fragrances are your nose gets tired, bury it
deep, worldly and very in the crook of your elbow,
© Unsplash - Karl Chor
rich rather, as against the and breathe your own
more delicate florals in skin. It works magically to
western perfumery. What rebalance and recalibrate
I suggest you do instead your sense of smell.
26 The scented LetterWhere do perfumers go to smell the coffee?
Nancy Meiland ‘If I pop into Brighton near where
I live, I can’t resist seeking out Small Batch Coffee
for an almond flat white – they grow their coffee at
altitude, which always seems to taste better.’
Bertrand Michael Donovan ‘We have an Italian
Duchaufour ice cream shop close to the Roullier White
‘Any coffee house in Perfumery on Lordship Lane in East Dulwich
France, for a French- called Oddono’s, and they make the best
style espresso, as I latte in the world!’
find it’s less bitter and
strong than the Italian
variety.’
Sarah McCartney
‘My favourite regular
coffee place is Café Zee
in Ealing, where they
roast their own beans
and also do the tastiest
salads. I’d also go all
the way to Edinburgh
for an espresso at
Wellington Coffee on
George Street.’
Rami Mekdachi ‘The
Sant’Eustachio coffee
place in Rome for their
ultra woody, thick
espresso. In Venice
Beach, I go to Menotti’s
for a fruity long black.
And in Paris, I love Sunlee
Howard’s coffee with its
citrusy taste.’PARIS IS BURNING
in an era of savvy marketing, the story
is king. We love to hear about people,
places, the roots of a product. So there
isn’t a marketing creative on the planet who wouldn’t
kill for a story and a heritage like Cire Trudon’s. The
only ‘manufactured’ element in this tale is the candles
The Cire Trudon that we know and love today was truly
born in the 21st Century. Throughout Trudon’s history, the
candle house continued to thrive – yet few who lit one
of their tapers in a French church would have known the
Trudon name. ‘The factory was also producing a lot of wax
items for decoration – the Eiffel Tower, baguettes, flowers
themselves – now sold and burned in 50 countries around etc.’ But as other luxury names began trading on their
the world. (Well, maybe 49. As we’ll discover, in Japan, they heritage, the Blondeau family (Trudon’s present owners)
prefer to leave these exquisite candles unlit.) decided to jumpstart the brand. And how.
It all goes back to 1643, when a salesman named Claude Nowadays, many luxury-seekers recognise a Trudon
Trudon arrived in Paris. (The ‘cire’ is from the French for fragrance – the swirling sweetness of Joséphine, perhaps
wax.) He married well – and became owner of a shop on (which I don’t just love because it’s my namesake candle,
fashionable rue Saint-Honoré. The store sold groceries but for its rose, jasmine and iris flower power), or the clove
and everyday necessities – which included candles (then, and orange Christmas-iness of Nazareth – while the glass
of course, the only source of household light). Alongside jars are spot-them-at-30-paces beacons of good taste.
domestic candles, Trudon also provided these to a local Today, the factory’s based in southern Normandy in the
Church, in the neighbourhood Saint-Roch parish. This small town of Mortagne-aux-Perche, about an hour west of Paris,
family business manufactured its candles on the premises, with a dozen or so employees – compared to 100 or so, two
via a very specific process – and Trudon’s star soared, with centuries ago. ‘Many of them have been with us for their
Claude’s son Jacques appointed to the Court of Versailles entire career,’ smiles Julien. ‘They’re true experts at their
in 1687 as apothecary and distiller to Queen Marie-Thérèse. craft.’ And some things have definitely changed, down the
From generation to generation, the knowledge and centuries. Where once Cire Trudon sourced beeswax from
craftsmanship was handed down. And in 1737, Hierosme across the kingdom, the innovation of paraffin made a
Trudon, heir to the family business, bought one of huge difference to candle production. ‘Beeswax
the most famous wax producing factories of is actually a very unstable substance,’ Julien
its time – which happened to be the official maintains. ‘And one of the problems with
wax provider to the King. Maison de Cire bee colonies is that the hives are over-
Trudon was elevated to official provider to Cire Trudon harvested, while the type of bees bred for
the Court of Louis XIV (while also keeping survived the production are weaker. Beeswax is not
the most famous cathedrals and churches the environmentally-friendly alternative
across France illuminated), with a factory French Revolution that many imagine.’ So today’s candles,
in Antony, now a suburb of Paris. and became the he continues, ‘are definitely not the same
We all know what ultimately as those produced centuries ago. It’s still
happened to the French royal family. chosen chandler a flame and wax – but the whole function
(During their imprisonment, however, of the Court of behind it has changed.’
Marie-Antoinette and Louis XVI continued Over the years, too, Cire Trudon has
to order candles from the royal waxmaker.) Napoleon I embraced mechanisation to take away
Unlike those doomed royals, however, Cire many of the repetitive actions which can be
Trudon survived the French Revolution – and linked health problems in workers who have to
flourished, going on to become the chosen make certain gestures thousands of times in a day,
chandler of the Court of Napoleon I, when the Emperor potentially resulting in RSI/carpal tunnel syndrome. ‘But a
was crowned in 1811. As Cire Trudon’s Executive Director lot of the work is still done by hand,’ continues Julien.
Julien Prevost explains: ‘The Trudons themselves weren’t So once the wicks have been attached (by machine, in
aristocrats – they were merchants, so they were not at risk this case) to the base of the Italian glass vessels – more of
during the Terror. And although some suppliers to the which anon – two different ‘pours’ are required. ‘We pour
French Royal Court suffered, the simple fact was: candles 90% of the wax, and then an operator will straighten the
had become a household necessity.’ wick by hand – the most important task of all, because if
Candles are no longer a necessity – although for many this isn’t done right, the candle won’t burn properly. Then
of us, a home without a candle in every room is still almost we wait a bit to add the last 10% of liquid wax, giving a
unimaginable. (I have Trudon’s Spiritus Sancti candle perfectly smooth surface.’ Each green glass jar is buffed
flickering, in its signature green glass vessel, as I write this.) to perfection, with gloved hands, to remove any stray wax
Thus Cire Trudon has become a go-to name for glorious smears. Every single label – not just the gilded shields on
smells – and some unique wax creations. And in an age of the candles themselves, but those on the boxes – is then
mechanisation, it is somehow cheering to find that much of meticulously applied and aligned by hand.
the work that goes into creating a Cire Trudon candle – or a And while Marie-Antoinette may have lost her head in
wax medallion, or one of those busts – is still done by hand. 1795, you can buy a Cire Trudon wax bust of it (based on
28 The scented Letterwaxing lyrical
Jo Fairley delves into the fascinating history of a Parisian candlemaker – now
a global name – whose artisan heritage can be traced all the way to 1643
The scented Letter 25the master of modern femininity
Cire Trudon’s wax busts (of
figures including Napoleon,
right), along with their
medallions, are all made
by hand-pouring wax into
moulds. Sometimes busts
need a little adjustment, as
seen left
From above left: straightening the wicks; the
finished object; Executive Director Julien
Provost; candles setting; a wax mould; wicks
galore, waiting to be cut
24 The scented LetterPARIS IS BURNING
the sculpture by Bracard of France’s last Queen), thanks to complicated, it’s dwarfed by the challenges presented
an exclusive partnership with the French National Museum by making scented candles. Who knew that different
organisation. Or maybe you’d prefer Napoleon, in reflective fragrances of Cire Trudon candles (and there are now nearly
pose. Or Benjamin Franklin, looking very wise in Jean- 30) would require a different thickness of wick, to burn
Antoine Houdon’s sculpture. And yes, all may be lit with a correctly, depending on notes used? Or that some need
match, whereupon they will take many, many hours to melt to be trimmed at 8mm above the wax surface, while others
(offering quite the talking point, in the meantime). must be clipped more closely at 5mm? Or that fragrance
Producing the busts is a craft in itself – work carried construction itself is hugely technologically challenging,
out in a special atelier. Liquid wax is a no-no, as it would with the traditional top notes too volatile to use? ‘That’s
simply run straight out of the seams of the mould, so Julien why you don’t often get citrus elements in candles, while
explains that ‘the wax for the busts is basically quite mushy. notes like resins, or woody elements, work well.’
Each mould – weighing up to 15 kilos – is filled via a ladle, So painstaking and complicated is the production of Cire
scoop by scoop. They’re still quite soft when the mould is Trudon’s glass containers, meanwhile – at the Vinci factory
removed,’ Julien continues. in Tuscany – that it really deserves an in-depth exploration
’A bust that’s slightly twisted when it emerges then in its own right. (Tuscan assignment? I’m in.) But to précis,
enjoys a little “chiropractic” work, from the artisans, who each one is produced in a centrifuge (producing a much
then inspect the surface, lightly scraping away any wax stronger container than blowing by mouth can achieve),
seams with knives, then polishing to smooth, almost with little ‘bubbles’ in the glass achieved by throwing pine
marble-like perfection with a soft cloth. They must then be wood chips into the molten glass. As a result, explains
cocooned in carefully concertina-ed paper, to guard against Julien, ‘every single vessel is unique.’ (And every single
damage.’ Last but not least, a leaflet about the art of vessel gets a second use, in my house at least, as a posy
making these busts is tucked inside the duck egg blue box. vase.) As a last step, the glass containers are then baked, in
Et voilà! Someone, somewhere, is going to be very happy an oven, for resilience and perfect smoothness.
to open that. Today, while still producing for churches and cathedrals,
Now, it’s widely accepted that Rigaud kickstarted the Cire Trudon ships somewhere around 200,000 of these
scented candle craze in the 1950s. But fascinatingly, the distinctive green glass containers each year, with their
director of Malmaison (Joséphine Bonaparte’s former precious scented wax cargo, to over 700 stores, including
home) stumbled on a copy of an ancient advertisement in Japan. ‘Although the Japanese don’t burn the candles,’
for Cire Trudon featuring lavender and citronella scented smiles Julien. ‘Their “scent threshold” is lower, so they
candles that goes back to the mid-18th Century – and just enjoy the subtler fragrance from the unburned wax.’
shared a copy of this historical proof with Julien and his Globally, bestsellers are Abd el Kader, with its gust of
team, adding to the company’s quite extraordinary archive. Moroccan green mint, and Ernesto: a whisk-you-to-Havana
The fragrances are absolutely central to Trudon candles’ swirl of leather and cigar tobacco.
allure, of course – created by some of the world’s leading And I don’t know about you, but as I stare at my screen,
perfumers, from Yann Vasnier to Antoine Lie, Emilie Bouge, answering my iPhone, dealing with the gazillion e-mails that
Emmanuel Philip, Dorothée Piot. But creating a fragrance cascade into my inbox daily, there is something grounding
that will be set alight is quite different to confecting one about having a Cire Trudon candle flickering fragrantly in
that will merely be warmed by skin. So there’s an on-site the background. Not just because of the smell. But because
lab at the factory, which runs endless tests to ensure that it is also a way of time-travelling – via Trudon’s wax-making
fragrances diffuse and burn well – and that the candles heritage – to a time long, long, long before that computer
themselves meet incredibly stringent safety guidelines, was a twinkle in Steve Jobs’s eye.
some of which vary from one export market to another. And to an extraordinary heritage that all the marketing
And if I thought that perfume production was budget in the world couldn’t buy. ciretrudon.com
Cire Trudon timeline...
Trudon is
Claude the source Cire Cire Trudon The rebirth Trudon
Trudon Cire for a treatise Cire Trudon Trudon is exhibits at of Cire launches
acquires his Trudon is on The Art continues appointed the World’s Trudon – a debut
boutique on appointed of Candling to supply as supplier Fair, even and the line of
Rue Saint- by the by engineer Versailles – to the surviving opening of fragrances,
Honoré Court of Duhamel de but survives Imperial the a new store from Lyn
and begins Louis XIV Monceau, the French Court of arrival of in Saint Harris, Yann
to make to provide establishing Revolution Napoleon I electricity Germain- Vasnier and
candles candles their des-Près Antoine Lie
ultimate
authority
1643 1722 1762 1789 1811 1889 2007 2016
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