Fact: Fragrances don’t come cheap – at least, they shouldn’t come cheap, especially if you’re serious about being on top of your grooming game.
I mean, you certainly don’t want your bodily bouquet to read “budget” – not a good trail to leave behind, both in the boardroom and in the boudoir.
Enter Louis Vuitton’s new treasure trove of aromatic ambrosias, all of which are superbly sumptuous and sexy without being stuffy and staid – just like the #ForeverYoung fashion house itself.
With that in mind (or is that in nose), check out these – pun alert – “top notes” every luxury-loving beauty student should know about these exquisite elixirs.
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Technically speaking, this isn’t Vuitton’s first-ever fragrance – that honour would go to an elusive vial launched back in 1927, the formula of which has fallen between the cracks of history. So yes, consider this year’s batch a radical reboot of sorts – and boy oh boy, is the house making up for lost time. Read on for more…
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As you may have gathered by this point, you’re getting not one, not two but seven scents at a go – a veritable week’s worth of scent-sational superheroines. This plethora of perfumes is in itself a sign of the times; these days, it’s considered way cooler to choose from a wardrobe wafting with different smells and spells – one for every mood or moment you’re in – rather than stick to a single so-called signature scent. All seven scents are floral in nature, but are far from monotonous – sidekicks thrown into the mix include lush leather and modern musk, of which more later.
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Into roses? Expect to fall into a swoon with Rose des Vents, which is an incredibly intoxicating ode to that most beguiling of blooms – you get ravishing Rose de Mai mingling with petals plucked from Turkey and Bulgaria. Or choose Contre Moi, which comes spiked with deliciously decadent Tahitian vanilla and a distinctly tropical vibe; or head straight to Grasse in high summer with Turbulence and its heady hit of titillating tuberose and jasmine. Leathery accords and musk lend Dans La Peau a dangerous sensuality, while Mille Feux leavens the leather with brighter notes of raspberry and osmanthus. Apogée boasts an exquisite ethereality with lily of the valley; while Matière Noir is unapologetically dark and resinous with Laotian agarwood.
There’s so much to mull over that it’s probably best to head to your nearest boutique to discover them for yourself. The only thing we can say with certainty? The multi-layered mosaic of notes in all seven scents means they are incredibly versatile too, and should take you from the boardroom to the bar in a pinch.
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The design is TDF. The posh packaging – all sensuous curved glass capped off with a sleek stopper that closes with an immensely satisfying click – is opulent without being ostentatious. Nope, no loud logos in sight! Conjured up by achingly cool industrial designer Marc Newson, the deliberately minimalistic design comes with thoughtful touches that hint at the house’s heritage without shouting about it – the gold LV circle logo embossed on the cap is an adaptation of an early design from the archives, for instance. Even the sliver-thin tubes within each bottle have been carefully chosen to be unobtrusive and virtually invisible, so the wearer really gets to focus on the juice of each scent. Bonus: These bottles would make fantastic #flatlay props for your next Insta-post!
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Vuitton’s first in-house perfumer Jacques Cavallier Belletrud is a bona fide superstar in the sphere of scents. He’s the nose behind some truly iconic designer fragrances – think Dior Addict, L’Eau d’Issey and Jean Paul Gaultier Classique.
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Thanks to an ingenious CO2 extraction process that utilises the lowest possible temperatures, Cavallier was able to coax the freshness out of flowers without losing the ephemeral quality of the blooms. The result of this Vuitton-exclusive process is a perfume that promises to transport you to the green expanses of Grasse.
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Speaking of Grasse, these seven scents are concocted in a swanky new laboratory nestled in the heart of the aforementioned perfume capital. Fun fact: The LVMH-owned lab, christened Les Fontaines Parfumées, is named after an indoor scented fountain on site – very Willy Wonka-esque, don’t you think?
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Finally, consider splashing out on this show-stopping stunner of a trunk that’s been customised to accommodate three of your scents. This beauty of a box is very Vuitton indeed, so why not, right?
Bottomline? Have fun with your fragrances. Cheers to a savvy smell investment!
Brought to you by Louis Vuitton
