In the painter’s studio, all covered in wood panelling, time seems suspended. Through the big bay window overlooking green altitude meadows, the Northern light pours her powdery rays all over brushes, palettes, tubes, paint pots, sketched canvasses and rags still wet with linseed oil. The air is fragrant with the heady smell of turpentine mixed with lovely wisps of smoke, honey, woods, tobacco and cedar wood.
Guardian of San Francisco Bay, pelican refuge, the isle of Al Capone and of American Indians who still meet there for the 'Sunrise Gathering' ceremony. Above the fortress steeped in history still floats the divine odour of Indian blond tobacco, yerba maté with its notes of dried hay, smoked lignum vitae and cinnamon spiced with black pepper.
A North African city with Parisian overtones. Whitewashed Haussmanian facades, Persian blinds painted blue, overwhelming heat, a touch of sulphur in the air. From trembling arcades rise delicious perfumes of white campion, privet flowers, wild jasmine, and bitter orange with its acidic notes spiced with a hint of chilli.
Damp wood, incense, and freshly laundered linen, evoke for Sonya Park the typical smell of an old, wooden Japanese house from the neighbourhood of Aoyama. Exquisite traces of highly-chic Patchouli (damp wood) of smoked wood (Gaiac and Vetiver) and of cloves. A harmonious chord of moss accentuates the feeling of freshness.
It was here, under the flowering arbors of the gardens of the Grand Hôtel, in the heart of this elegant seaside resort on the Normandy coast, that Marcel Proust wrote Within a Budding Grove. A delectable aroma of wisteria and a whiff of creamy jasmine accented by the freshness of ocean spray permeate this timeless vacation spot.
Deep in an English garden with an Agatha Christie novel. A cluster of sensual, opulent roses from Morocco and fruity ones from Turkey, entwined with green, vegetable notes from violet leaves, galbanum, verbena, spicy effusions of cinnamon leaf.
A spicy plunge into the heart of the old town. Narrow back streets; buildings upon buildings; an overheated atmosphere - a thousand heady flavours rise to your senses: betel, benzoin, musk and myrrh, flushes of smoked wood, vanilla emanations, herbal and eucalyptus beedies.
Lost in Swiss Alpine pastures, at the heart of a small and peaceful village, stands the imposing and magnificent wooden structure of the Grand Chalet. It was here, in this unique landscape with its healing climate, that the painter Balthus made his home, enchanted by the fragrances of milk, honey and hints of citrus from the ancient lime trees that surrounded his studio. Today, like a wonderful memory, his favourite perfume fills this place once again.
A hike in the wilderness, through mountain trails, following chamois and ibexes as they run and play higher up the rocky slopes. The winding path moves uphill through fragrant altitude pastures, from where the eye embraces the glacier, and then the snowy, staggering and magnificent peaks of the Grand Paradis. A deliciously refreshing, invigorating breath of wind blows sweet scents: the green and woody smell of pines and larches mixes with whiffs of absinth, artemisia, sage and mint from the surrounding high grass and gentian.
A new mythical fragrance rises over Sunset Boulevard: a delicate dusting of iris and patchouli leads us down the yellow brick road of Hollywood studios, blending with the sunny cedarwood, eucalyptus and vetiver scents of Southern California’s luxuriant vegetation.
Aloha Sunshine: the opulent fragrance of white gardenia reveals its many facets through slightly acidic notes of Californian lemon and heady Ylang-Ylang essence. Vanilla adds to this voluptuous blend with a sweet touch of sunshine.
A wild-smelling pilgrimage through the celestial city, bounded by its ramparts. Following the paths to the sacred sites: The holy Sepulchre, The Wailing Wall, The Garden of Olives. Within the spire of church-incense dissolves the dark and secret emanations of oud, cedar wood and nutmeg, followed by the lighter, more vegetal gum resin and cypress.
Sun is setting on the Rokko Mountains. In the old neighbourhood of Kitano, you stroll among curious European houses built by former nostalgic foreign residents. From the streets overlooking Osaka Bay rises a warm, spicy scent of crystallised ginger, a cool, tingly fragrance of coriander root and the unctuosity of sweet fig.
Gusts of citrus fruit, sharp and alive; lemons from Italy, Bergamot and Scented Geranium all invade the air. Suddenly it’s the calm after the storm. A delicious, warm, sweet and slightly powdery mist rises from the cobblestones. Suave Styrax resin and Nutmeg are joined by the scent of green almonds from Coumarin, the celebrated molecule of the age.
Unabashed citrus notes of Mentha citrata, crunchy green-stem notes with fragrant accents, and the instant freshness of eucalyptus recreate a display of fresh herbs, transporting you to a village market.
A stroll through the city of extremes. From the old harbor, through the boisterous popular neighbourhoods with their narrow, steep streets, climb all the way to the city’s heights, towards the fragrant paths that overlook the Calanques. Suddenly, everything is quiet: contemplating these wondrous places intoxicates the senses with the delightful aroma of the fragrant plants cooking in the sun: rosemary, lavender, lemon, clover...
The tasty sensation of a slice of pastiera and an expresso at Scaturchio, the best pastry bar in Naples. Delicious almond, orange blossom and Ylang-Ylang, lightened by a refreshing touch of petitgrain and neroli.
In the rough: soft leather infused with tobacco, incense, ambergris and angelica root essence. An escape into the wild desert steppe.
The splendour of the Palais Garnier. Ballet movements in the Great Hall: entrechats, pas de deux, ronds de jambes upon sumptuous parquet floors, polished with beeswax. Richly upholstered foyers reach to the very roof of the Opera, where thick streams of honey are collected from hives which spread the giddying notes of beeswax absolute, made sublime by minute additions of sandlewood and styrax resin.
A dream of times past: next stop, Porte des Lilas. At the exit of the celebrated 20s metro station, the stairs bring the delighted voyager to alleys neatly bordered by pretty little houses, with mauve lilacs overflowing their garden fences. One is enraptured by the delicious and verdant fragrances, mixed here and there with puffs of rose and jasmine.
Overlooking the river Seine, like a mysterious starship navigating the mysterious turbulence of artists’ imaginations, it dominates the view. A troubling fragrance floats between the raw cement walls of its wide, maze-like passageways, where a crowd of zealous and enlightened visitors feverishly gathers: intoxicating wisps of smoky wood, warm skin and metallic vibrations.
In collaboration with the Palais de Tokyo.
Late afternoon. The boutique door opens on to the asphalt of Old Paris. An enticing scent immediately floods the premises. A powdery cloud, a few delicate green notes and a jasmine rose accord merge deliciously with the amber and leather atmosphere.
Southern France. After the storm, mists of lavender, damp earth and humus winding through the woods. Sweet, deep, fragrant waves mixed with woody notes of Javanese vetiver and its smoky, sunny accents.
The interlaced lanes and cobblestones in this pastel and ochre old city hide the secret address of the famous Swedish Bitters Elixir. King Gustav II would give it to his Viking warriors to render them invincible. An inebriating mixture of wild plants, clove, lavandin, myrrh, vetiver and clary sage escapes from the bottle.
An enchanting stop ashore a legendary island: Stromboli, with its rivers of lava and fire, tufts of white smoke and black sand beaches. From the sunny alleys of Ginostra, a small fishing town with dazzling white houses, take a walk uphill towards the volcano, among the lemon, bigarade orange and olive trees: their smell is intoxicating, an intense mix of citrus fruits mixed with warm thyme, coriander, basilic and jasmine, vibrating together in the scorching air. Contains essences of Lemon, Bergamot, Coriander Leaf, Basilic, Lavender, Thyme, Jasmine, Patchouli, Oak Moss and Cloves.
Planted in the Arizona desert, surrounded by giant cactuses with amazing shapes, stands Tucson. Wander downtown, along streets lined by colourful houses. Crushed by the heat, take a break in the shadow of a mesquite, watered by a little glass of mezcal. Intoxicating scents of the Far West float in the air: lightly smokey and sweet aromas of wild grasses, parched wood, immortelle flowers, and red earth, burnt by the sun.
Along the length of the artists’ workshops, with their large windows opening over the rooftops of Rome, run the majestic gardens of the Villa. A centre for encounters and for meditation, the residents delight in the subtle fragrances of lemon tree leaves, lavender and oregano flowers. The air thrills with the woody aroma of the tall cedars nearby, and the inexpressible fragrance of the ancient stones in the heat of the sun.