“A woman who doesn’t wear perfume has no future,” claimed Coco Chanel, arguably the most famously perfumed Parisienne of all.
Certainly, many glamorous women have sauntered stylishly through the French history books, leaving a gorgeous sillage of scent behind them.
Marie Antoinette (who was so obsessed with her perfumes that she insisted on packing a huge chest full of them to take with her as she tried, and miserably failed, to escape the French Revolution) tended to douse herself in pretty floral notes, such as rose, violet, lilac and lily.
France’s next leading lady, Empress Joséphine, also preferred the sweet scent of violets, although knew how to keep her man – namely, Napoleon – happy: with liberal splashings of seductive musk.
The next Napoleon’s wife, Empress Eugénie, adored the concoctions blended for her by a certain Pierre François Pascal Guerlain. The house of Guerlain, of course, came to be one of France’s most renowned and revered fragrance names, its increasingly complex constructions and heady blends attracting fragrance lovers and femmes fatales alike.
Brigitte Bardot, for one, chose Guerlain Jicky, a unisex, animalic-spiked blend that was symbolic of a new era of equality between the sexes. In the 1967 film, Belle de Jour, another French screen siren, Catherine Deneuve, plays a bored housewife whose fantasies lead to a secret, second life; in one scene she smashes a bottle of Guerlain Mitsouko (a plush mix of peach, moss, and woods) onto the floor, and proceeds to spend the day as a prostitute.
You see, French women – especially those Parisian minxes – well know the seductive powers of perfume. Here are some of their top fragrance tips …
Be Loyal to a Classic Signature Scent
The classic perfume names are the big-sellers in France. Not surprising in a country where many women rarely veer from a uniform of tailored pants, crisp white shirt, trench coat and chic loafers. French women learn about style from their mothers – all sorts of chicness are passed down from maman to fille, from a vintage Hermès bag to advice on skincare and scent. In the current top ten list of fragrances, you can find tried-and-true blends – such as Chanel No.5, Thierry Mugler Angel, Guerlain Shalimar and Christian Dior Miss Dior - along with some more modern classics: Dior J’Adore, Paco Rabanne Lady Million and Kenzo Flower.
“The history of perfumery in France has been longstanding,” notes Terry de Gunzburg, the founder of By Terry, a skincare, makeup and perfume brand available at Mecca Cosmetica. “The old days when perfumery was an art form seem to carry on with the modern-day woman who does not use the perfume to follow a marketing trend but rather to complement her own innate scent.”
But Experiment with Niche Fragrances
“Generally, French women easily go toward the classics,” agrees Camille Goutal, the in-house nose for her late mother Annick’s fragrance brand. “But they are not afraid of trying niche perfumery fragrances which use high quality ingredients in their composition.” Just as Parisiennes happily match a boho Isabel Marant blouse back to their simple jeans or pants, they also appreciate the smaller fragrance names, such as Annick Goutal, Frédéric Malle, Francis Kurkdjian and By Terry.
They’re also not afraid to wear a number of scents at once, notes De Gunzburg. “Layering is a true science of blending opposite scents like floral and woody, spicy and sweet – those scents that you cannot put together in a same bottle or a same formula as they are too extreme and turn out horrible when you mix them but are wonderful when you blend them in a layering process,” she explains. “Sometimes I can wear three or more different fragrances at once! It seems a lot but it will create an unforgettable seal!”
Treat Yourself to Roses
“A rose is like the quintessential French woman – powerful but fragile!” says De Gunzburg, who adds another reason for the French women’s love of this bloom: “They prefer natural ingredients so tend to use a lot of rose-based products from a young age.” De Gunzburg is herself a passionate rose lover – rose oil, floral water, butter, crushed petals and stem cells are infused throughout her entire range, not just for their cheek-tinting or skin-de-ageing abilities, but also for their nurturing aroma. “The scent of the rose is truly divine – so delicate and strong at the same time,” says De Gunzburg. “I incorporate the rose scent in my makeup and skincare because I want to deliver women who use my range a full experience that incorporates all senses, from the way it feels on the skin, to how it looks, to the benefits and the beautiful scent that remains long after the application.” De Gunzburg has also based many of her fragrances on rose; “It can be extracted in a way to create 100% natural scents. I really dislike all the ‘artificial’ scents that many new celeb perfume brands are creating and when I decided to create a perfume range I absolutely wanted to stay out of it and keep it 100% natural extraction, a bit like the old school perfumery of Paris in the 1800s.” Look out for By Terry Fruit Défendu and Bleu Paradis, $216 each, at Mecca Cosmetica from September 28.
Another way to get your rose fix à la française: the most literal of all Parisian perfumes, YSL Paris, is all about a huge, beautiful bouquet of the blooms. Another try-at-least-once-in-your-life fragrance classic, it dates back to 1983, a time when perfumes were as big as the hair and shoulder pads worn with them.
Look For Perfumes With a Sexy Edge
Parisiennes might opt for conservative-chic on the outside, with say a simple, clean-cut shirt-dress, but don’t be fooled: underneath there’s probably a saucy set of lingerie, complete with garter belt. Similarly, they appreciate a scent that has an unexpectedly sexy edge. For example, YSL Parisienne serves up a leathery vinyl accord with its notes of blackberry, rose, violet, peony and musk.
A touch of leather harks back to the early days of French fragrance, when the original Parisian perfumers were actually glove makers – scent made leather more wearable, and perfumed gloves were a popular way to wear fragrance. Back in that day – think the 17th and 16th century – scent also doubled as deodorant, masking the fact that the body underneath had not washed for, oh, possibly months. Could that be why Parisiennes have developed a nose for perfumes with a faint whiff of a dirty undertone?
Most perfume companies won’t admit it, but there are animalic base notes in many French fragrances. These notes are synthetic takes on ingredients traditionally harvested from, shall we say, the nether regions of such poor animals as the Tibetan deer musk, civet cat and beaver. As stomach-churning as that sounds, animalic notes have the effect of making a fragrance really bloom on skin. An animalic-edged scent not only smells a little lived-in, it melds beautifully with skin, mingling with your own natural chemistry. You might not pick up on these notes at a conscious level – but you’ll know your perfume is likely to fall into this edgier category if it’s a world away from the usual clean-style of American scents – those that burst with fresh fruits, or feature the type of light musk that is also used in laundry detergent.
Apply à la Française
The most French way to apply fragrance is by dabbing it on – seeing as many French women splurge on the concentrated parfum form of their signature scent. If that’s not available, a spray can be used in a variety of ways for various effects. “Some women prefer spraying perfume on their clothes while others prefer a more discreet way of perfuming and will favour the warm pulsation body areas as they are located in key places, and thus more sensual, for example: the neck, the wrist, behind the knee, in the small of one’s back,” says Goutal, who adds: “Walking into a cloud of fragrance is a nice way of perfuming yourself, as it is a balanced way to lay down the perfume. Usually, when I wear strong fragrances, I spray my clothes the evening before. This way, only the base notes (which are the best ones) remain the morning after. It also gives you the advantage of not invading the people around you with perfume.” Another popular way to wear fragrance is at the nape of the neck or in hair; “hair retains fragrance very well but you need to do it sparingly as the perfume’s alcohol can dry out the hair,” cautions Goutal.
For the last words on the matter, let’s finish where we began, with Mlle Chanel, who famously advised: “A woman should wear perfume wherever she wants to be kissed.”
Kat x
Tell us, Primpers, what are your favourite French fragrances?