Fragrance Du Bois - Scent of Oud Issue 2

DU BOIS
SCENTS OF OUD
ENTER OUR WORLD
ISSUE 2.

All our Oud fragrances contain only 100% pure, organic, sustainable and certificated Oud oil.
WHAT’S IN YOUR OUD FRAGRANCE?
www.fragrancedubois.com

PURE OUD • PURE LUXURY
www.fragrancedubois.com

CONTENTS
TOP NOTES
14: JOVOY JOY
Fragrance Du Bois debuts at the iconic Paris store
22: TAKEN FOR GRANTED
Award-winning actor Richard E. Grant on his new perfume
29: START UP
TV presenter Paula Malai Ali finishes our sentences
MIDDLE NOTES
36: GRASSE IS GREENER
A postcard from the fragrantly French town
38: MASTER OF HIS CRAFT
Olivier Pescheux on the joys of working with Oud
44: SEVEN HEAVEN
Why iconic Oud forerunner M7 was ahead of its time
50: SCHOOL'S IN
News of Asia Plantation Capital’s education drive in Sri Lanka
52: MEET AND GREET
Faces of the fragrance industry on how to balance work and play
BASE NOTES
56: TO DI FOR
Di Lawrence on the pros and cons of a personalised perfume
60: BRAND FOCUS
We delve inside the French brand Alexandre.J
64: CHINA IN YOUR HAND
We report on China’s insatiable desire for Oud
70: BOOK MARK
Why The Perfume Garden is more miss than hit
FINISHING NOTES
FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
74: THE CAR'S THE STAR
News of a forthcoming, limited edition Oud-mobile
78: FRESH LOOK
We showcase the latest Oud fragrances hitting the market
80: OUD DIRECTORY
Fragrance Du Bois’ definitive list of Oud fragrances
90: FANTASY FEAST
Step up to the hot plate and reveal your ideal dinner guests
8

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
Editor-AT-LARGE Andrew Leci
Editor Richard Lenton
Creative Director Jonnie Swarbrick
PRODUCTION STEPHANIE LAM
RESEARCH ANALYST DANI NASR
Business Manager SHELLY LOW
Marketing Executive Samantha Tham
STYLING DIRECTOR NICOLA PARKER
technical support philip zhou
Printed by Ho Printing Singapore Pte Ltd
Published by CACHE JOURNAL LTD
Fragrance du bois journal
Towers Point
Wheelhouse Road
Rugeley, WS15 1UN
United Kingdom
T: (65) 6222 3386
For advertising sales and marketing
please contact:samantha@cachejournal.com
For editorial please contact Richard Lenton:
richard@cachejournal.com
For letters and feedback please email:
letters@cachejournal.com
Fragrance Du Bois has taken every reasonable
care to ensure the accuracy and objectivity of the
information contained in this publication, but accepts
no responsibility for the content of advertisements
published, and no liability for mistake, misprint,
omission, typographical error, loss or damage suffered
as a result of relying wholly or in part on the content
of advertising or editorial published herein. Fragrance
Du Bois magazine reserves the right to refuse any
advertisement or advertorial for any reason. All
artwork designed by Fragrance Du Bois magazine or
any part of this publication may not be reproduced in a
retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by means
– graphical, electronic or mechanical, photocopying,
recording, taping etc – without prior permission in
writing from the publishers.
9

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
With so much going on in the
world of Oud perfumery, and in
particular at Fragrance Du Bois,
it’s difficult to know where to start. Actually,
no it’s not… Paris. The fragrant centre of the
world. In fact, scrap that; the universe.
It was in Paris in February of this year when
our ‘niche’ brand went mainstream, hitting
the shelves with no little fanfare at Jovoy’s
famous Rue de Castiglione address. This
event rubber-stamped what we, and fragrance
connoisseurs, have long since known – that
our unique products deserve to stand proudly
alongside the industry’s most iconic brands.
I must confess that I’d never worn Oud until I
began working for Fragrance Du Bois. It’s now
difficult to imagine wearing anything else; in
fact, by contrast, my previous collection of
eaux de Cologne were so bland, that a mirror
would probably forget to reflect them.
What sets us apart is the use of the highest
quality, sustainable Oud in all our fragrances.
Oud is the 21st Century ingredient of choice,
and the perfume world simply cannot get
enough of it right now.
The Oud industry is estimated to be worth
between US$8 billion and US$12 billion per
annum, and that figure is rising. Meanwhile,
the global fragrance industry is also
accelerating rapidly from its current valuation
of US$40 billion, and it's Oud perfumes that
are gobbling up market share at a much faster
rate than any other fragrance sector.
One of the main reasons for that is China;
a nation that’s been using Oud for a variety
of purposes for centuries, but one that now
recognises its unmistakable fragrant qualities.
We delve deep into China’s insatiable lust for
Oud on page 64.
Di Lawrence discusses the many pros
and fleeting cons of developing one's own
personalised fragrance on page 56, and we
fondly remember the forerunner of the Oud
boom in the Western world on page 44; yes,
lest we forget, Yves Saint Laurent’s legendary
M7. For those of a nervous disposition, we
won’t be reproducing the full frontal advert.
Our Oud Directory has also been updated
following another glut of new releases in
recent weeks. At the current rate of growth,
the Directory will fill a hundred pages this
time next year.
Enjoy the issue.
Richard
11

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
TOP NOTES
Jasminum Sambac. Oil on canvas. J Swarbrick. 2016
13

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
29.02.16
Fragrance Du Bois launches at
the famous Jovoy store in Paris
14

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
15

16
FRAGRANCE DU BOIS

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
17

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
12.11.15
French Chamber of Commerce fragrance
profiling, at Fragrance Du Bois, Singapore
18

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
19

Brand Director, Nicola
Parker, on the latest
developments at
Fragrance Du Bois
Dateline…Paris. What an amazing time it is
to be involved with Fragrance Du Bois, after
we stamped our mark on the international
scene by debuting in Europe at the house of
Jovoy. It was such a privilege to actually be
there in Paris for such a landmark day in the
company’s history.
Affectionately known as the ‘embassy of rare
perfumes’, Jovoy is extremely particular about
the brands and products that it stocks and
gives a platform to, so introducing FDB to
coincide with their fourth anniversary is a real
feather in our cap.
When we started Fragrance Du Bois only a
few years ago, I dreamed of having a presence
in Paris for our products. That dream has now
come true, and I, personally, am beyond excited.
Jovoy’s dedication to the highest quality
fragrances, created by the world’s most
innovative perfumers, has always been
unwavering. And Fragrance Du Bois’ range
of products can now rightly take its place
among the rare and exclusive items that are
perfectly aligned with the Jovoy ethos; quality,
exclusivity and creativity.
The collaboration is only the beginning of a
planned ongoing partnership between the
two brands. Our values are all shared ones,
and we are very proud to have secured this
partnership, which I see as a meeting of
minds and a coming together of cultures –
with Fragrance Du Bois having its roots in
Asia, and Jovoy representing the finest, most
respected traditions of French perfumery.
Jovoy also represents everything we believe in
as a brand, and the partnership is a testament
to what we have achieved as a company.
This has been a team effort; all the way from
the plantation workers and managers at Asia
Plantation Capital who take such good care of
our Aquilaria trees, through to our Scientific
Advisory Board that makes sure that our
Oud is of the highest quality, on to the
personnel at our distilleries, and finally to
our brilliant team of perfumers who create
our magnificent fragrances.
The trip to Paris was also a real treat as we
got to hear Jovoy founder François Hénin say
such amazing things about us as a brand.
He told guests: “At Jovoy we have very specific
values. Quality is key, but we are also looking
for something a little bit different. The global
fragrance market has become somewhat
generic in recent years, and we pride ourselves
on encouraging those brands that show
originality – extra creativity, if you like.
“We’re delighted to be able to debut Fragrance
Du Bois in Paris at our ‘embassy’, as we share
the same ethos. All products must use the
finest ingredients, sustainably produced,
and blended into exquisite formulations that
stimulate and inspire.”
Here’s to a long and successful partnership.
20

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
“At Jovoy we have very
specific values. Quality
is key, but we are also
looking for something
a little bit different. The
global fragrance market
has become somewhat
generic in recent years,
and we pride ourselves on
encouraging those brands
that show originality – extra
creativity, if you like.”
21

Taken for Granted
How iconic actor Richard E.
Grant switched from films to
fragrances
In our debut issue of Fragrance Du Bois
magazine, we pontificated at length about the
flood of cheap, nasty ‘celebrity’ scents that
have infiltrated the perfume market over the
past couple of decades.
In issue two, we’re going to backtrack. Well,
ever so slightly.
After a 30-year acting career, Richard E.
Grant’s lifelong perfume obsession led him to
create a unisex scent, Jack, in 2014.
That same year, Jack was Liberty’s third bestseller,
and went on to win a Power Perfume
award from Cosmopolitan magazine, and Best
New Independent British Fragrance at the
perfume Oscars, ‘The Fifis’.
The Withnail and I actor told high50.com:
“When I was a boy (growing up in Swaziland)
I wanted to buy a perfume for someone I had
a mad crush on, but I couldn’t afford it on
my pocket money. So I took all the gardenia
and rose petals I could steal from my parents'
garden, boiled them with sugar water in jam
jars, and buried them in the ground. Two
weeks later they turned out to be stink bombs.
“Four and half decades later I was on holiday
and a fellow house guest, Anya Hindmarch,
saw me sniffing and smelling everything
in sight. She said, ‘Are you going to do
something about that?’ So I said, ‘What,
psychiatrically?’ And she said, ‘No, are you
going to make a perfume?’
“I told her that had been my secret dream,
so she put me in touch with some people in
London. I then met Katherine Mitchell, who
I’d been introduced to by perfumer
Roja Dove, and things started moving.
“I used my friends to blind test and take notes
on every variation we made. I also worked
with a team at Liberty, where I tested it and
eventually got down to two favourites. One
morning I mixed the two together and that
was it, an epiphany that was exactly what I
had dreamed of.”
Grant has now launched the second scent in
his range, called Jack Covent Garden, while
another, Jack Piccadilly – which Grant says
“is like petrol, patchouli and bergamot, and
smells just like sex” – is due for release later
this year.
22

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
BIG IS BEAUTIFUL
As a decade, the 1980s is much-maligned in
some quarters. Granted, the worldwide political
upheaval that saw the Cold War almost morph
into World War III was more than a touch
scary, but in terms of popular culture and
fashion, it’s difficult to deny that it was an
exciting, innovative time.
Of course there were mistakes – Dynasty
inspired shoulder pads, bubble gum pop music
and dodgy perms to name just three – but there
was a real sense of adventure.
In the perfume world, big and bold aromas
were the order of the day. When a woman
walked in the room, she left a fragrant
impression – good or bad.
Now, after far too many years in the wilderness,
those big, individual fragrances are back; led
of course by Oud and other Middle Eastern
influences.
Actress and former fragrance shop worker,
Anna Young, told the New York Times: “People
are trying to move out of big-box-store
uniformity. And they look for that everywhere,
even in scents. It is an invisible expression
of self.
“I love wearing Oud. For one thing, it’s
inherently androgynous. Women are as
interested in it as men, which feels very
modern for where we are at with
gender dynamics.
“Also, the name sounds like wood, but it also
sounds like some faraway Middle Eastern
fantasy. It has a mystical, magical allure.”
Myriam Badault, the creative director of French
perfume house Diptyque, who introduced its
first Oud scent, Oud Palao, in October, added
to the theme in the same newspaper article,
calling Oud the ‘new patchouli’.
“Strong, creative fragrances are back,” she said,
“and we really feel that perfume experts are
not looking anymore for clean and ‘me too’
products.”
And so say all of us.
23

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
“Until I was a teenager, I used red pokeberries for lipstick and a
burnt matchstick for eyeliner. I used honeysuckle for perfume.”
Dolly Parton
24

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
The Esxence
of Quality
Fragrance Du Bois caught the attention of perfume lovers from all over
the globe at its second appearance at Esxence, the world’s foremost
luxury perfume trade show, which was held in Milan.
The niche perfume house launched multiple new products, including
APC Essentials – a new division of the Group dedicated to working
with large and small companies to supply them with their own
naturally sourced and grown products.
“This complements another of our initiatives, L’Essence Du Bois,
which takes the form of an exclusive journey through the 52 essences
of nature found in all fine fragrances,” said Gary Crates, European
CEO of Fragrance Du Bois.
“We are also introducing a range of hand-made, bespoke, artisanal
boxes that can be selected and customised for each of our fragrances,
as well as a range of exquisite hand-made crystal bottles for our pure
Oud oils, designed by the eminent creators of luxury crystalware,
Cristal De Paris.
“We've also entered into a design collaboration with Swarovski
for Fragrance Du Bois’ Shades and Privé ranges of fine fragrances,
featuring a selection of bejewelled caps that can be carefully chosen
by clients and tailored to their preference of the perfumes in all
our boutiques.”
25

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
ALL ROADS LEAD TO AFRICA
Niche perfume label Roads has unveiled a quartet of fragrances inspired
by Africa, including an ambitious number called Big Sky, which contains
naturally derived Oud.
As well as Oud, Big Sky boasts notes of zesty citrus, lemon and orange
flower, and an earthy mix of patchouli, papyrus, and myrrh.
Roads is the brainchild of Irish businesswoman and entrepreneur,
Danielle Ryan.
As well as a range of niche eaux de parfum, the brand also has a publishing
and entertainment arm – producing high-end books specialising in art,
photography and culture, and a film production company.
Their other fragrances inspired by Africa include I Am Dance, which
contains hints of mandarin, pineapple and lavadin, and falls back on a
woody heart.
Past|Present is a fragrance that contains bergamot, smoked black tea and
jasmine, with brooding tonka bean in its base.
And finally there’s Afropolis – a combination of gin, spearmint, oakmoss,
iris, ebony woods and amber.
26
FESTIVAL
CHEER
Omani fragrances, including Oud,
were captivating visitors at the 2016
Muscat Festival.
Visitors to the Heritage Village at
the Al Amerat Park were welcomed
by traditional fragrances of Oman
– the demand for which is growing
as fragrance lovers become more
accustomed to their unique
scent profiles.
“People are very keen to buy perfumes
and other items,” an Omani trader told
the Times of Oman.
“I have been dealing with these
products for more than two decades,
and at the Muscat Festival from its very
beginning,” said another trader.
“What is amazing for me is that more
youngsters are getting fascinated with
the smell of Oud and attar (Omani
perfumes), and luckily we are having
good business here.”

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
DEAL
BANKED
COLOUR
& CREED
Fragrance Du Bois has signed a one-year partnership agreement with
Dukascopy Bank SA, the organisers of the Geneva Forex Events at
the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues in Switzerland.
The house of Creed has launched a new perfume that it believes is
the embodiment of the ‘little red dress’.
“Royal Princess Oud is inspired by over 20 volumes of sketch books,
revealing a time when the Creeds were steeped in men’s and women’s
tailoring in London. It marks the first scent born from a century of
the family’s couturier history,” said a Creed spokesperson.
“From high tea to grand balls, this enchanting scent is like a modern
day little red dress. Royal Princess Oud is perfect for the woman with
a passion for life who is seductive and captivating.”
Expect top notes of bitter Sicilian bergamot, rose and sweet violet,
followed by a heart of jasmine, vanilla, patchouli and iris from
Tuscany, and base notes of Mysore sandalwood, styrax and benjoin
Siam – a sweet gum resin from Thailand.
The Geneva Forex Event is a series of monthly meetings that brings
together financiers and other key players in Geneva’s financial sector.
The events offer the perfect opportunity to combine glamour, luxury
and business in an informal and yet convivial setting.
The concept is to facilitate regular get-togethers that allow
participants to keep up with and/or stay ahead of business trends,
and establish privileged professional relationships in a relaxed
atmosphere.
Asia Plantation Capital (APC) was delighted to be able to support the
perfume brand at its Geneva launch, and help promote its sustainable
plantations that produce such a wide and fascinating variety of end
products. The launch event was held on Thursday February 4, and
was attended by Gary Crates – CEO Europe, the APC Group SA.
“We are delighted to have the opportunity to make new contacts, and
at the same time support our partner company,” said Crates.
“Fragrance Du Bois has just made its European debut with a launch
at the Jovoy boutique in Paris, and this will be followed up by other
openings in Europe in the near future.
“The entire range of Fragrance Du Bois perfumes contains 100%
pure and sustainable Oud oil that we produce, so we are very
pleased to be a part of such an auspicious event.”
27

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
13.11.15
Launching of new BMW Series 7.
The Banjaran Hot Spring Retreat House
28

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
I’VE STARTED,
SO YOU’LL
FINISH
Brunei born television presenter and
actress, Paula Malai Ali, finishes the
sentences that we start
My childhood heroes were…
Wonder Woman and the Bionic Woman. I also
really liked Muhammad Ali and genuinely
thought he was my uncle because we had the
same surname. I would drink Capri Sonne
because back in the 80s his face was all over
the packets. I hate Capri Sonne.
My first job was…
As a production assistant with a theatre
company in Singapore called Act 3, specialising
in theatre for young people. I ironed costumes,
cleaned out the make-up box, made props and
acted as Cinderella, The Little Match Girl and
was one of the Three Little Pigs, among other
stellar roles. I was 18.
I’m not very good at…
Wrapping presents. And I don't know how to
do the cool ‘turn around in the pool under
water’ when you reach the end of your lap.
The most exciting trip I’ve ever been on was…
My first trip to New York, which was also the
first time I'd ever been to the States. Everything
was so exciting and just like it was in the
movies. The yellow cabs, Rockefeller Centre,
Broadway – I was dizzy with the energy. I
remember walking through Manhattan in
a dress I had just bought. I thought I looked
sensational. Until two girls walked by and
said, "nice 20 dollar dress". I was mortified.
(It was actually $19.99.)
I get up…
Fumble for my glasses. Look in the mirror
and hope I have magically un-aged overnight.
Devour a cup of coffee and brace myself for my
five-year old to once again tell me he wants a
‘cheeky’ day off school.
The last time I had butterflies in my stomach
was when…
I hosted a press event in India for Usain Bolt.
Interviewing anyone you don't know is always
a gamble – the pressure is magnified when you
do it in front of journalists.
The last person I phoned was…
My twin sister. She didn't answer. She never answers.
My proudest moment was…
Giving birth and not having an epidural. I felt like
a warrior. Who really, really wanted an epidural.
I get most scared when…
I'm flying. And about to go live on TV. And
when someone drives too fast. And when
I'm forced to go on a rollercoaster… should I
continue? I'm a scaredy cat.
My biggest failure was…
Not learning to speak Malay properly when I
lived and started my career in Kuala Lumpur.
The last thing I posted on social media was…
A picture of a friend and I wearing ponchos in
the rain. Not the cool ponchos. The ones that
look like plastic bags. Because they are.
The most famous person I’ve met is…
Beyoncé. It was also a thrill meeting Superman
– Henry Cavill.
My first love was…
A young boy who was my Nanna's neighbour
in Birmingham (UK). His name was Tommy.
He tried to kiss me, but I ran away crying.
Actually, I was wearing rollerskates so I skated
away. Most. Awkward. Escape. Ever. I was
seven years old.
I hate it when…
People don't look me in the eye when they’re
talking to me. I literally want to walk away.
And when people use the word ‘epic’. And
people who take selfies. The vanity makes me
cringe deep in my bones.
The secret to happiness is…
Living in the moment. I have yet to master it.
ALL TIME FRAVOURITE SCENT
“The new Chanel No.5. It’s pretty and
fresh. Like babies and buttercups with
a great whoosh of grown up
sophistication.”
FAVOURITE OUD FRAGRANCE
“Oud is quite new to me, but I really like
Fragrance Du Bois' Oud Jaune Intense.”
29

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
As marketing ideas go, informing customers that they could
potentially smell like their dead grandmother doesn’t sound like the
most commercially savvy of suggestions from a fragrance brand.
However, French biotech company Kalain has begun sales of what it’s
calling ‘olfactory links to the dead’.
For US$609, you can bottle the smell of the recently departed, whether
it’s a relative, a friend, or even a pet. Although maybe you’d have to
have a rethink if you’d been actively domesticating skunks for the past
few years.
Company founder Katia Apalategui – a 50-something former
insurance sales person – came up with the idea for Kalain during the
final stages of her father’s life eight years ago.
Using a piece of a dead person’s clothing, she now claims to have
discovered a way to perfectly recreate their scent, after working at
length with the macromolecular organic chemistry department at the
University of Le Havre in France.
“With smell, you can really close your eyes and feel like you are with
them,” said Florian Rabeau, who runs Kalain with his mother Katia,
in an interview with fusion.net.
“If you give us clothes really soaked with the smell of your father, you
will get exactly the same smell in a perfume. Almost 100% sure.”
Blood Thirsty
A blood donation drive is just one example of how
local communities are benefiting from Fragrance
Du Bois’ sustainability initiatives
Ethical business practices, sustainability and the idea of giving
something back, are concepts that many organisations pay lip service
to, without actively following through.
However, that’s not an accusation you can throw at Asia Plantation
Capital (APC) – the company that provides 100% natural, pure,
sustainably sourced Oud to Fragrance Du Bois.
APC works closely with the local communities in and around which
the company operates, by providing investment as well as social and
cultural support.
One of the communities benefiting is the Kathiran Kattu Estate – a
plantation situated in rural Sri Lanka. It recently held its annual
blood donation drive at the Sri Bodhimalu Temple Hall in Puttalam,
in celebration of one of its plantation’s fifth anniversaries. And once
again APC was heavily involved.
Held in conjunction with the Puttalam General Hospital medical
team, each donor donated a pint of blood, and the turnout for the
drive hit record numbers – even including members of the Sri Lankan
police force.
30

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
Model
Perfumer
A jazz-loving, dandified model is the
accidental perfume maker behind Vilhelm
Parfumerie – a fragrance house that is hoping
to take New York by storm after establishing
itself in Sweden and Paris.
Jan Ahlgren became obsessed with the process
of fragrance making after approaching the
famed perfume house Robertet to scent
his leathers.
“The power with which a scent can conjure up
all sorts of emotions and tell a tale was really
intoxicating to me,” Ahlgren told Vanity Fair.
Of his eight creations thus far, Smoke Show is
the most interesting to those of us who preach
at the altar of Oud.
As a jazz-lover, he’s created Smoke Show as
a homage to a night of smoky rooms and
spotlights, with an air of mystique. It contains
notes of pink pepper and saffron at the top,
with rose oil and leather in the middle, all
wrapped in vetiver, cedarwood, and Oud.
Vilhelm perfumes can be found in Barneys
of New York, Colette in Paris and Liberty
in London.
31

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
Introducing...
Sospiro – a bespoke fragrance inspired by classical music that’s now
available in Fragrance Du Bois boutiques
Sospiro is a luxury fragrance house that draws inspiration from a
creative marriage between Italy and the Middle East.
Focused on integrating fragrant imagery from a rich and colourful
heritage that inspires the imagination and touches the senses, their
15 perfumes collection – divided into two chapters plus a recently
released special edition – offers a graceful balance of the old and
the new.
Focusing on an artistic approach to creating a truly sophisticated and
fragrant experience, Sospiro perfumes are created by internationally
recognised perfumers throughout Europe.
Appealing to the most discerning of perfume collectors, each creation
uses only the finest and rarest ingredients, and is inspired by classical
music terms that underline the character and performance of the
scent itself.
Unique and inspiring notes ranging from bright citrus to floral
arrangements are weaved together to create a truly harmonious
perfume blend.
Each finely crafted collection of scents pays homage to a long and
prized Italian heritage of perfume making, while adding a twist to each
scent – the addition of prized Oud.
The luxurious compositions of each scent bring to mind a bygone
era of epic trade routes and fabled seas, crossed by those who were
inspired to discover something new.
32

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
33

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
MIDDLE NOTES
Iris Germanica. Oil on canvas. J Swarbrick. 2016
35

36
FRAGRANCE DU BOIS

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
We visit the town in the French Riviera that’s
recognised as the world’s capital of perfume
Disciples of Chanel No. 5 probably think that Grasse’s status as the world’s
epicentre of the perfume industry is purely down to the fact that Gabrielle
Chanel created the iconic fragrance there. However, there’s much, much
more to the story.
Grasse, of course, is where master perfumers are trained in their art, and
it’s also the place where nearly three-quarters of France’s natural aromas
are produced, thanks to the town’s amazing warm and wet microclimate,
which allows the flower farming industry to flourish.
The first thing visitors to Grasse notice – apart from the vibrant street art,
pastel buildings, and incredible views across the French Riviera – is the
overpowering smell of jasmine.
However, refuge can be sought in the International Museum of Perfume,
where visitors can smell the individual scents that are used to create some
of the world’s most iconic fragrances.
Grasse wasn’t always a hotbed for the perfume industry. Way back in the
12th Century, the town was renowned for its leather tanning; supplying
leather to nearby Italian cities such as Pisa and Genoa.
However, production techniques at the time caused leather products to
smell rather unpleasant, and so, at the behest of the Royal Court and high
society, came the rise of scented leather gloves.
‘Glovers Perfumers’, who cleverly extracted flowers to make top quality
scented gloves, became highly sought after, and Grasse was at the
forefront of the industry.
However, the town soon faced stiff competition for leather from Nice,
which gradually increased its production and market share, marginalising
the operation in Grasse in the process.
With the demand for scented leather gloves from Grasse decreasing,
townsfolk were forced to innovate. They continued to adopt the processes
of extracting aromatics from rare flowers, but instead used these skills and
scents to make perfumes.
Nearly a thousand years later, it’s hard to imagine that the Grasse is
greener anywhere else.
37

38
FRAGRANCE DU BOIS

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
Master Perfumer Olivier Pescheux on being inspired
by Paris, the joys of working with Oud, and the fragrant
masterpiece that he would love to have created
In the past couple of decades, famed Master
Perfumer, Olivier Pescheux, has been
instrumental in creating some of the world’s
finest fragrances.
The proud Frenchman graduated from the
ISIPCA school in Versailles back in 1990,
before moving to Bangkok to work for Payan
Bertrand. He returned to his native Paris in
1992, and worked for Annick Goutal, and
latterly the Kao Corporation, before joining
Givaudan in 1998.
Among his most enchanting creations is
Fragrance Du Bois’ Oud Vert Intense, which
features fresh top notes that surrender to a
complex and seductive undertone.
Released in 2013, the fragrance opens
with elements of Mediterranean bergamot,
Madagascan ginger and Sri Lankan
cardamom, which blend perfectly with the
aromatic heart of coriander seeds, captivating
nutmeg and a dash of green geranium, on a
base in which smoky Oud melds with vetiver,
cedar and musk.
We caught up with the 2010 International
Fragrance Prize (formerly the Prix François
Coty) winner to discover more about his life
and inspirations.
39

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
Where were you born? Any childhood olfactive memories?
I was born in Paris, I am 100% Parisian. I have many olfactive
memories, and the strongest one is probably the scent of the hot bread
coming out of the bakery near the home where I used to live with my
parents. I also remember the scent of the lily of the valley in May, and
the specific odour of the nearby vineyard in summer time.
If you weren’t a Master Perfumer, what do you think you would be?
A cook or an oenologist. I’m really into wine.
How long have you been into wine? Are you a collector?
Concerning wine I consider myself a real non-professional. I buy wine,
but I am not a collector.
Why and when did you decide to become a perfumer?
I was 10 years old when I watched the French movie Le Sauvage,
starring Yves Montand and Catherine Deneuve. As you can probably
guess, it is a love story, but Mr Montand is playing a perfumer: he is
smelling flowers and paper blotters and writing a perfume formula. I
said to my mother, “it is magic, I want to do that.” And she answered:
“it is probably not so easy.” By chance I reached my dream.
I’m sure there was much more to it than chance, but we admire your
modesty, Olivier. What are the qualities and characteristics that a
Master Perfumer needs to possess?
The main quality is to have a lot
of imagination and to be able to
stick to ‘l’air du temps’.
What makes a truly great
fragrance?
A unique signature and a
strong trail.
What was the first fragrance
you bought?
I remember it very well because
I was 16, and I bought a bottle of
Eau Sauvage by Dior.
What do you do when the
person you meet is wearing a
terrible fragrance?
If I don’t know it, or if I can’t find
the name of the fragrance, then I
ask for it.
What makes working with Oud such a special experience?
Oud is so very special. It is fascinating; rich, dark, deep, animalic. We
love it, yet we hate it at the same time.
Why do you say “we love and hate” Oud?
We love Oud because the scent is so unique and special that it is
fascinating. Yet we hate it because some facets are dirty and animalic,
and almost disgusting. It shows that our brain is fighting between a
deep animalic root, and our education that bans bad smells.
But you wouldn’t argue when people say that Oud is the ‘fragrance
of the 21st Century’?
Oud is the main contribution from the Middle East to the world of
perfumery. This material has been used for centuries in the Middle
East (even in Japan for the KODO), and, at the beginning of the 21st
Century, it is finally here as a global phenomenon.
“Fragrance is a creative idea.
To preserve its strength and
authenticity, the idea must be
translated with precision and
definition. The challenge is to find
the right balance between creativity
and accessibility.”
OLIVIER PESCHEUX
What are the similarities between a Master Perfumer and a top chef?
The capacity to imagine the final result by mixing different materials.
Writing a perfume formula is like writing a recipe. The sense of detail
and precision is immense.
If you could only drink one more bottle of wine in your life
(horrible thought I know…), what would it be?
If I had to choose one bottle it would be for sure a Moulis en Médoc
designation like Chateau Chasse-Spleen (2009 would be great). I
can’t explain why, but I like the taste of this wine – the balance of the
flavours, the lingering in the mouth maybe. It is not the most expensive
within Bordeaux, but it is my favourite.
When creating a fragrance, do you ever get it wrong?
Always. That’s why it takes so long to finally create a fragrance that is
well balanced and with a strong signature.
Why did One Million take so long to create?
Which fragrance do you wish you’d
created?
No doubt: Eau Sauvage. A
masterpiece.
What makes Eau Sauvage so
special?
Eau Sauvage by Dior is a piece of
art. It is the symbol of elegance,
the perfect dosage between the raw
materials, and the finest choice of
ingredients. Few perfumes reach this
level of perfection.
Which fragrance took the longest
to create?
It is always a long process, but I
would say that One Million took a
long time.
The creation of One Million was a long process because the objective
was very ambitious: create the most innovative fragrance from the last
10 years. It was a real challenge.
Can the ‘art of the perfumer’ be taught?
I don’t consider myself as an artist, but more like a craftsman. So, as
with all jobs, it can be taught, but there is no guarantee that you will
become a good perfumer.
Jean-Claude Ellena once said, “I smell with my brain.” What did he
mean?
It means that the nose is only the tool to evaluate the perfume – the
ideas come from the brain and not from the nose.
How many ingredients should a fragrance contain?
The main rule in perfumery is: there are no rules. So the number of
ingredients is not a question.
40

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
41

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
Where do you stand on the ‘natural versus chemical’ debate in the composition
of a perfume?
Perfumers need both. Creating with only natural materials will not bring
innovation. Thanks to chemistry, perfumers can be more creative and enrich
the palette.
Is there a difference between a nighttime scent and a daytime scent?
Usually daytime scents are lighter, but once again no rule.
Who do you look up to within the industry?
Every day I am impressed by the talent of my colleagues at Givaudan and at the
competition. It is a real challenge to compete with such talented people.
Can you talk a little bit about ‘seasonal scents’ and how we can best adjust our
perfume style?
People need to feel comfortable with the fragrance they wear. In Europe, cologne,
fresh waters, sparkling and light fragrances are preferred in summer time. In the
Moyen-Orient (Middle East), and maybe because of air conditioning, fragrances
need to be stronger. A date will probably require a more sensual fragrance. Sport
will ask for a clean, fresh fragrance.
Do you read blogs or critiques of your fragrances?
I can’t be a judge and also be part of the game.
What is the best way to apply perfume?
You know the answer: no rules! On skin if you prefer this way, or on clothes if it is
your choice.
Of all your creations, do you have a personal favourite?
Can you ask a father which is his favourite kid? It is a difficult question, but I am
particularly proud of Oud Vert Intense because I had the opportunity to use real,
excellent grade Oud. I’m also very proud of One Million, because it is one of the
market leaders around the world.
How do you remain inspired and what has been the biggest influence on your
career so far?
I try to be open to the trends in art, music, lifestyle, movies etc. My biggest
influences by far are the ideas brought by the niche perfumes. This segment is very
creative and a real source of inspiration.
When does the nose get tired? How many fragrances can you really smell?
I realise my nose is tired when I smell a blotter with no reaction (I ask myself, what
am I smelling?). It means I need to rest and maybe to stop for the day. The capacity
to smell is totally given by your physical condition – if you’re tired and sleepy then
it will be a real struggle. A good day is when I can smell from 9am to 6pm, but I
need to have some breaks during that time.
What advice would you give to someone looking to follow in your career
footsteps?
Be patient, work hard, and try again and again to reach the ultimate scent.
If you had the day off right now (or weren’t answering these questions...) what
would you be doing?
I would love to walk around Paris, my city.
42

44
FRAGRANCE DU BOIS

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
Why YSL’s iconic Oud fragrance,
M7, was way ahead of its time
Business history is rich with tales of pioneering companies that have
remained at the very top of their particular sector after blazing that
initial trail.
For instance, the likes of Coca-Cola and Levi Strauss are still the
best selling and most profitable brands in the fizzy drink and denim
sectors respectively – their name familiarity crucial in securing repeat
business and new custom.
The competitive advantages are significant for the pioneer, but what
happens when a company hits the marketplace too early?
Just over a decade ago, Friendster was the most exciting website in the
world – the first genuine social media site that pre-dated both MySpace
and Facebook, and one that garnered over three million users in
its first few months.
However, the site was infuriatingly slow and unreliable, and behind
the scenes personality clashes between a wide variety of venture capitalists
saw their progress grind to a halt. Friendster remained popular
in Asia until 2012, but was finally shut down last year.
Who remembers Vodaphone’s Palm Treo? The product was the first
ever smartphone, but the company behind the innovation was unable
to move swiftly enough to reduce the sheer heft and weight of the
product in future editions, and was soon overtaken by the
revolutionary Apple iPhone in 2007.
Going much further back, the Sony Betamax was technically a much
better product than VHS, but its failure to introduce tapes that
played and recorded for longer than an hour saw it swiftly
become obsolete.
45

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
So what have these albeit rather interesting
corporate tales of woe got to do with a
fragrance magazine devoted to Oud, I hear
you cry?
Well, even though Oud has been used for
various purposes in the Middle East for
centuries, the first Oud fragrance to truly
make a move in the Western market was a
product that’s still posthumously revered by
the Perfumeratti – despite the fact that, at the
time it was around, it failed to capture the
attention of the perfume buying public.
In the right way, anyway.
The product in question, of course, is the
iconic Yves Saint Laurent creation, M7, which
careered at breakneck speed into a startled
marketplace in 2002, accompanied by a very
risqué advertising campaign that featured a
significantly hirsute and fully-nude
male model.
Although the launch of M7 was little more
than a decade ago, the fragrance landscape at
the time was markedly different. This was an
era, lest we forget, in which the ‘clean fresh’
style that took hold in the early 1990s firmly
ruled the perfume roost.
If Issey Miyake’s Eau d’Issey was a forerunner
for the title of Clean Fresh King at the dawn
of the 90s, then it was soon succeeded by
Acqua di Gio, whose ascension to the throne
precipitated a swift opening of the floodgates.
Davidoff ’s Blue Water was another clean
fragrance favoured by fans of bland aquatic
scents, but it was still far superior to the
plethora of cheap imitations that quickly
followed that were so synthetically clean that
they literally smelled of laundry detergent.
This, then, was the fragrance landscape
when YSL laid down its revolutionary Oud
marker in 2002, in much the same way that
the intrepid Roald Amundsen stuck the
Norwegian flag in the middle of the South
Pole nearly a century earlier (okay, I’m
massively over-egging the pudding, but you
get my drift).
Not only was M7 the first mainstream Oud
fragrance to hit the Western market, but
it was also anything but a mild and subtle
introduction to the intoxicating scent of liquid
gold. M7 was complicated and complex,
aggressive and confusing.
One Thousand Notes described it as: “A smoky,
incensey, bristly, growling thing. You’ll either
love it or hate it; there’s no in-between.”
Customer reviews seemed to confirm the
theory that M7 was singularly incapable
of finding any middle ground – it was the
archetypal Marmite fragrance.
A review on Fragrantica read: “I just received
my package by FedEx and tried it on. I must
confess, I don’t think highly of it; it does not
impart an impression that it is a fragrance.
It, as so many have said, smells of cough
syrup or a medicated pancake syrup. It causes
headaches and it is also very nauseatingly
repulsive.”
An anonymous critique, that appeared on the
Kafkaesque website, demonstrated that even
die-hard perfume lovers were really struggling
to understand this pioneering new kid on the
block, and that reviewing the scent conjured
up as many questions as it did answers.
It read: “Weirdly intoxicating. Medicinal
yes, perhaps smoky as well? Like dousing a
campfire with some antibiotic perhaps, but
not in a bad way.
“After some time, the incense came out, but
not in a strong, pungent way that would
nauseate one. It does still smell medicinal,
but in a more intriguing and less abrasive
way. Like a clean band-aid or like gauze with
a mild ointment on it. But less potent and
unpleasant. I’ve read some comments that
liken it to a hospital, but I think that does it
a disservice.
“Someone described M7 as both hypnotic and
comforting, and I utterly agree. I am totally
under its spell. It’s definitely for cool/cold
weather. M7 makes me want to mysteriously
wander the streets of Paris on a cold, rainy day
while wearing a trenchcoat.”
The latter part of the above review illustrates
just how M7 stirred passions among those
who dared to spray and splash. However, the
desire to wander around rainy Paris dressed
in a trenchcoat is a fundamentally niche
yearning, and certainly not aligned to YSL’s
ambition to hit the mainstream with Oud.
YSL’s team, headed up by none other than
Tom Ford, put Oud at the epicentre of M7
as part of a huge commercial release – the
product took pride of place on every major
department store counter across America
and Europe. Everyone involved with M7
was soaring with ambition and confident
of success, so the fact that it bombed on
a purely commercial level was a massive
disappointment.
Mark Behnke, Managing Editor of fragrance
website CaFleureBon, picked M7 apart thus:
“M7 does start with a classic citrus opening
of bergamot and orange. A bit of rosemary is
also present to give the early stages of M7 an
almost classic cologne feeling.
“The Oud arrives almost immediately after
that cologne opening resolves itself, and it
takes M7 to a different place.
“(But) what is especially interesting is that the
creative team didn’t attempt to remove the
quirkier, less pleasant character of the Oud
itself. All of the adjectives we use to describe
Oud were on display; medicinal, leathery,
resinous, ‘smells like band-aids’, but it was
placed on an intelligently chosen group of
notes to give it a velvet pillow to lie upon.
“Vetiver is used to enhance the woodier facets
of Oud early on, and then slowly but surely
the quirkier medicinal aspects begin to peek
out. The creators very cleverly don’t allow that
stage to linger long as they use sweet myrrh
to bring the focus over to the less challenging
resinous quality of Oud, and it is in that
combination of myrrh and Oud where the
heart of M7 beats.
“Labdanum, amber, and musk all support
that heart and keep it beating strongly until it
fades away.
“M7 has overnight longevity and above
average sillage, and I know when I first
smelled it, it was so different and amazing
it took me all of 24 hours to return and buy
a bottle. At that point in 2002, there was
nothing like it to be found anywhere else.”
Behnke’s retrospective 2013 blog proves that
hindsight has been kind to M7.
46

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
47

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
He added: “It was a resounding failure at the
time, although it would probably be very
popular if it were introduced today due to the
current market’s new familiarity with Oud.
“It was apparently too much, too soon, as it
was a very powerful fragrance, but it has a
cult following to this day, due in part to its
provocative ad campaign.”
Ah… the ad campaign.
Most magazines outside of France refused
to run the advert in all its full frontal naked
glory; instead opting for a more acceptable
above-the-chest close-up.
One thing that can be said for the advert is
that there was no ambiguity about who the
scent was for – although a few hardy women
continue to espouse the virtues of wearing
M7, this was most certainly a male fragrance.
But the reaction to a naked, hairy male as the
poster boy for a style of fragrance that almost
nobody in the Western hemisphere had ever
encountered before, was just one of the many
nails in M7’s coffin.
Soon after the product’s launch, a review
of the advert in UK newspaper the Sunday
Herald attempted light-hearted amusement,
yet its tone was unmistakably one riddled
with panic and fear.
Respected fragrance expert, Kafkaesque,
observed: “If that was the British reaction, one
cannot begin to fathom what the American
one would have been!
“Of course, that would have required the full
advert being shown here in America, and
that would have been highly unlikely given
the puritanical mores (the lingering effects of
Janet Jackson’s ‘Nipplegate’ are still not over).
“How did M7 have a chance to make it, and to
introduce the mainstream, soccer dad world
to Oud? It didn’t. Not a chance in hell. Even
if the perfume notes hadn’t made it too alien
for the time (mandrake root?), that ad simply
sealed its doom.
“The bottom line is, M7 arrived too early
to really have a chance against the powerful
trend of ‘fresh clean’ fragrances – especially
as it was launched during the reign of Acqua
di Gio. When people wanted an alternative to
that they opted for the new gourmand style
that still dominates, now possibly even more
than the ‘clean fresh’ aesthetic.
“What it did do was open a door that has now
become a flood of Oud. But in 2002, it was a
bit of a perfect storm situation for M7.”
48

50
FRAGRANCE DU BOIS

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
How a school in Sri Lanka is
benefitting from Asia Plantation
Capital’s commitment to
ethical business
Asia Plantation Capital (APC) – the company that
provides 100% natural, pure, sustainably sourced
Oud to Fragrance Du Bois – continues to ramp up
its support for local communities in which
it operates.
At the end of last year, senior staff and APC
investors once again visited Morapathawa Primary
School in Sri Lanka – a school consisting of 36
junior pupils, which APC has supported for the
last six years.
Barry Rawlinson, Chief Executive Officer of APC,
led the drive to provide pupils with much needed
stationery, bags and water bottles.
“In developing countries such as Sri Lanka,”
said Rawlinson, “it is easy to simply make
provisions in monetary terms. At Asia Plantation
Capital, we believe that we can all play our part
in contributing to society by investing in the
community.
“Holistic sustainability in Asia Plantation Capital
embodies equal care and encouragement given to
all members of staff; from top management all the
way through to plantation workers and
their families.
“Most of the students at this school are living
below the poverty line, and in order to create a
lasting impact on the sustainability of society, the
health and wellbeing of the local population and
its future generations is essential and needs to
be addressed. I believe that handing gifts to the
children personally goes a very long way.
“On behalf of the company, I would like to thank
all our donors and staff for their kind donations
and their tireless efforts in organising
the event.”
Mr Satianathan, a valued APC client, and former
school principal in Singapore, added: “It is always
a pleasure to be able to help out.
“A smile from these children is priceless, and a
small gift to them is of significance when it comes
to improving their livelihoods. I am very proud to
be a client of APC – not many companies actually
practise sustainability to the core – and I am
extremely glad to be able to be a part of this event.”
The level of poverty in Sri Lanka is decreasing, but
remains an issue. APC has pledged to continue its
support in the years ahead, with plans to supply
new bicycles, computers, fans and other essential
educational supplies this year and beyond.
51

52
FRAGRANCE DU BOIS

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
Balancing work and play is always tough when you're at
the forefront of a vibrant brand in the ultra-competitive
world of high-end perfumery. We meet Fragrance Du Bois’
Brand & Retail Manager, Clotilde Antoine, to discover
how she juggles her time
What is your role at FDB and what does it entail?
My job title depicts two main roles, but in
reality I am doing so much more than that.
My main roles are to manage my sales team in
Singapore, oversee other outlets in the region
at times, and to participate in the development
of our retail network worldwide. Moreover, I
am assisting my team with communications,
events and product development. It’s a very
versatile job, which is one of the reasons why
I love it. I never do the same thing from day
to day.
What time do you wake up? How much sleep
do you generally get?
I wake up at around 7am after a solid ten
hours’ sleep. I like to wake up early before
work in order to enjoy the cool morning air
and to hit the gym. Before I started this job, I
would go to the gym every day. It’s now much
more difficult, but I try to go in the morning
before work three times a week.
What do you have for breakfast?
I’m French, so I love sweetened delicacies. A
routine breakfast is toast, fruits, juices and
cereals. On Sundays, I’ll make crepes and cook
brunch with my boyfriend.
What do you usually wear for work?
I would love to be a high heel kind of lady, but
it’s just not for me, due to the fact that I have
to be on the move all the time. I usually go
for smart-casual outfits. Of course, if there’s
an event which requires me to be dressed
‘properly’, I would make more effort to suit up
for the occasion.
What time to you get to work and how do
you get there?
I usually leave the house around 9.30; my
boyfriend drops me at work and picks me up at
night. He’s well trained! We’re also into cycling,
which is very pleasant with the weather we
have in Singapore – although not so great
during monsoon season… My candy pink
helmet seems to have won me lots of fans.
What do you do after work?
I always have dinner outside and then go home
to relax with my partner. We are both very
busy at work and it’s good to catch up and
relax at night.
53

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
Let’s wind the clock back – what did you want to be when you were
at school?
An architect, or certainly to work in design. However, when I
started my bachelor’s degree in applied arts, I eventually realised
that precision-based work and I were not in the same league, so I
decided to take my career down a different path. I pursued visual
communication and luxury management, but I like the fact that in
my job I can still exercise my creativity. This is something I cannot
live without.
What was your first job?
I was very lucky to start my career in retail at Chanel in Monaco, and
then Paris. This was the experience of a lifetime; every day at work
was a source of learning, and even though the pressure was high, it
was a pleasurable and exciting feeling to go to work in the morning.
What’s your secret to being productive?
My notebook is my best friend, I don’t go anywhere without it. Inside
is every detail of what I have to do, what has been done, what is
on the way, and every meeting I have scheduled. I always clear my
emails, computers and phones of what is not relevant to what I
am doing.
What advice would you give to someone aspiring to do what
you do?
You need to be daring and hardworking. When you stop finding
excuses you can realise who you are, and what you are capable of
doing. With a bit of commitment and dedication, it is not so hard to
achieve your objectives.
Do you think you’ve got the work/life balance about right?
When you’re in retail, your work sometimes has to spread into your
personal life. However, from a general point of view, I think I manage
pretty well. I can easily disconnect from work.
What are your main hobbies?
I love to go to art exhibitions, concerts or whatever is going on in
town. If you want to get rid of me, leave me in an art bookshop, it will
make my day. I love travelling, shopping, and exploring new places
to eat. I do miss French gastronomy, and I am far from being a chef,
hence why I am always looking for new places where I can satisfy my
cravings.
How good are you at keeping in touch with family and friends?
Most of my friends are back in France, and I’m not as good as
others at keeping up, but I will try to make a point to organise lunch
gatherings with my friends here in Singapore. My family is my
priority, so we keep in touch via Whatsapp every day, and I try to
Skype with them on a regular basis.
What music are you listening to at the moment?
Depends on the time of the day. I am quite open music wise, but what
really puts me in a good mood is old school music: Nat King Cole,
Mel Carter, Eartha Kitt, Otis Redding, Billie Holiday. I like to listen
to more commercial music on the radio also, but the artists today
certainly aren’t in the same league as those who went before.
How often do you take a holiday and where do you like to go?
I don’t take many holidays; the must for me is to go back to France
for Christmas and to travel to a new place that I have never been to
once a year. If we fancy a weekend break, or if we have a birthday or
occasion, then we would likely head to Indonesia.
54

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
BASE NOTES
Rosa Macdub. Oil on canvas. J Swarbrick. 2016
55

56
FRAGRANCE DU BOIS

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
Tripe carpaccio, a trip to the psychiatrist and an intensely
personal perfumery creation. Di Lawrence is ready to rock
her own individual fragrance. We think…
In principle, I think that the idea of getting
my very own perfume made for me by
someone in the know who has taken the time
to look into my eyes and by implication now
knows the pathways to my soul – and by
further implication and dint of perception
now understands me better than I understand
myself – is very cool.
In reality, however, the prospect terrifies me –
for some of the reasons suggested above, and
for quite a lot more that will be expanded
on below.
Am I right to be trepidatious? Could there
really be anything finer, more personal,
more luxurious than having your very own
fragrance, expertly crafted for you?
Imagine the scene: posh cocktail party; all
attendees resplendent in glad rags of varying
hues and textures, all superbly tailored, each
fashionista upholding his or her side of the
bargain when it comes to the inherent dictates
of the designer/wearer relationship.
I’m sure I look good. I spent long enough
getting ready and preparing myself for an
important event – the requisite asses milk
bath; exfoliation with the crumbs of some
soon-to-be-endangered species of deep sea
sponge; a tomato stem cell facial, followed by
a cucumber wrap (although that was for
my lunch).
My clothes are stylish and understated – I am
always understated, mostly because the kind
of statement I would like to make wouldn’t be
believed by anyone with a basic education or
a sliver of urbanity.
The conversation tinkles around the room as
the men and women twinkle like stars, and
I get buttonholed by some exquisite creature
who looks as though she’s just stepped off
the pages of Vogue – not the society section
(we all know how bad we can look after 5pm
and rather too many Mimosas), but from
an actual photoshoot. How do some people
manage to look airbrushed in real life?
“Darling, you look wonderful, and what’s that
you’re wearing.”
“Oh this...this…?” I gesture to my robe that
resembles a kaftan and makes me look like
an overfed koi, “I just threw it on. It’s from an
up and coming Latvian designer called Latka
Berzins. I think his design house is called
De Riga, or something like that. I forget. You
know how it is...” Obviously I trail off at this
point, because I don’t know ‘how it is’, and she
probably does.
“No, I mean your fragrance,” she susurrates
– both airbrushed and sounding like delicate
leaves being tossed by a sirocco (I may be
mixing my geographical metaphors here, but
I would have been that unnerved). Is there no
end to this person’s élan?
“Ah…my fragrance,” I reply. “Well, that’s
mine. It was made for me by someone with
an extremely sensitive nose, who asked me
lots of questions and then formulated an
expression of his artistry for my delectation.
And yours, obviously. But mostly mine.”
I would have already said too much, and I
know it. But there would truly be something
faintly glorious about wearing a fragrance
that no one else in the world was wearing. Or
could be wearing.
“I haven’t decided what to call it yet,” I say,
trying to colour the monochrome silence that
has ensued. “I was thinking Di Hard, or To Di
For, but I realise it’s a bit self-indulgent.”
“Unhappiness is the only self-indulgence
worth mentioning,” says Nadine (I don’t
know why I’ve called her that, it just feels
right – slightly exotic but rooted in the
57

truth; sophisticated but not unapproachably
so; stylish but not in your face ‘look at me!)
She’s smart, beautiful, and smart; the whole
package. I want to hate her (or at least resent
her just a teensy bit), but I can’t. She’s too nice,
as is the fragrance in which I am enveloped,
and which is proving, if nothing else, a
genuine (non-emergency) conversation topic.
It’s the process of arriving at the end product
that concerns me a little.
As a child I was the embossy one in our
family. It’s safe to say that I put the ‘boss’ in
emboss, insisting that everything I owned
carried my initials – ‘DHL’, as luck wouldn’t
have it. Why my parents decided to give me
‘Helen’ as a middle name I can only guess at.
There was no grandparent or even aunt to
blame. Perhaps they were hoping that at some
point in my life I actually might deliver.
Everything I owned was labelled in one way
or another, since I was the proprietorial sort,
and had two brothers, either side of me in
age, whose sole aim in life, it seemed, was
to dispossess, possess, and in some cases
repossess that which had once been
taken away from me and that I had
somehow reclaimed.
I was an acquisitive child – I am much less so
as an adult – but there are a few possessions
of which I am probably unduly proud and
fiercely protective of, and I imagine that a
bespoke perfume would be one of them.
The cocktail party conversation would
continue no doubt in this vein; “Your
fragrance…it’s extraordinary,” says Nadine.
She likes it. And I like her for liking it. And I
like myself even more for knowing what I like
and for liking what I know. Because, simply
put, my personal fragrance works for me.
Because, even more simply put, why
wouldn’t it?
It was made for me by someone who
understands me, my moods, my character, my
personality and even – if we liken the Master
Perfumer’s art to a melange of sophistry and
psychiatry – my hidden peccadilloes and
idiosyncracies. My fragrance was formulated
by someone who knows me, and appreciates
the manner in which I can complement
myself, even allowing for the occasional
moments of self-doubt and the bouts of low
self-esteem that afflict all of us at one time or
another.
The process would have been an interesting
one. I imagine it would be a bit like meeting a
highly recommended psychiatrist for the
first time.
“Would you like me to lie down?” I would
ask my Master Perfumer (whom I will name
‘Claude’) at the initial consultation.
“Why? Are you tired?” he would retort.
“Should I tell you about my mother and
father?” I continue.
“Why, are they interesting?” he would
retort, again.
And on it would go; the fencing duel of thrust
and riposte, counter thrust and… counter
riposte? I’m not sure. I have never fenced and
58

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
never intend to – I don’t look good in white
– although I do know that there is a ‘parry’ in
the nomenclature somewhere.
Could there be
anything finer, more
personal, more
luxurious than
having your own
fragrance, expertly
crafted for you?
Let’s just say that there would be lots of
questions and possibly fewer answers (I
don’t open up easily, even to people who are
trying to help me – maybe especially to those
interfering busybodies).
Slowly but surely, however, Claude constructs
the seemingly unconstructable – a perfume
that, first and foremost, smells divine. It
also makes me feel good (about myself and
the world around me), makes me feel right,
and without getting too highfalutin about
it, speaks to my soul. Nadine recognises
something different, you see, and it was
Claude who made it. Should either party
actually exist, I would introduce them. Or
would I?
Probably not, is the answer. I don’t think I
would want anyone else to go through the
experience of having their very own fragrance
created for them. I’m not being mean spirited
I hope, but this one is mine, and it’s special,
and it must never be commonplace. What’s
the point in having something supremely
individual if everyone else has one too, and
has to accommodate a divergence in logic into
the bargain?
That, of course, is not at all the point of the
exercise. Bespoke perfumes are individual to
every person, and it’s almost impossible for
any two to be alike. There will be some of the
same ingredients, naturally, but the endless
permutations will ensure that each and every
tailor-made fragrance will be different.
I sought therapy once. I wasn’t honest,
and, not surprisingly, the results were
disappointing. After a few sessions I more or
less decided that what I was trying to achieve
was akin to a diner entering a restaurant,
asking for recommendations from the waiter
and refusing to reveal any food preferences
whatsoever. It was never going to work,
unless, that is, you’re someone for whom a
dish of tripe carpaccio with a dandelion puree
would come as a pleasant surprise.
Somehow though, answering a few questions
and establishing a profile to enable an artist
to create magic doesn’t seem like such a bad
fate. If Claude can create something that even
people like Nadine can appreciate, I could be
on to a winner.
59

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
French brand Alexandre.J is hitting the right notes with its Oud creations
When our esteemed panel of fragrance
industry experts were debating which Oud
perfumes should be included in our Top 100 in
issue one of Fragrance Du Bois, there was much
disagreement. Some fragrances completely
polarised opinion, and led to heated exchanges.
However, there was very little debate over the
inclusion of Alexandre.J’s flagship fragrances:
Rose Oud, and Zafeer Oud Vanille. In fact,
there was none whatsoever; they entered
the exclusive chart without a murmur of
dissension, as though it was their divine right.
So what makes this pair of fragrances special
in a marketplace littered with so many
outstanding scents?
Rose and Oud is a classic perfumery
combination. However, Alexandre.J Rose Oud
somehow smells fresh and original with its
spicy oriental tones.
Early notes of sweet candied fruits make way
for deep rose – beautifully balanced with rich,
musky Oud and white woods accord. This is
accompanied by saffron and a sweet note of
patchouli, and its base of vanilla and ambery
musks make it rich, deep and complex.
Zafeer Oud Vanille is spice-laden oriental, but
also boasts a unique tropical opening of leather
and coconut, and a light floral heart of clove,
tonka, and Oud – in fact it somehow treads
that fine line between light, dark, gourmand
and oriental quite beautifully, thanks to the rich
vanilla Oud base.
There’s no doubt that these two products are
special, but what do we know about the brand
and the man behind it?
Alexandre.J is a French designer obsessed with
history, art, and luxury craftsmanship. In fact,
his perfume bottles are as special as his Oud
scents – handcrafted works of art in themselves.
Each 100ml mother of pearl bottle for his
Legacy products (White and Black) took over
200 hours to make, polish, enamel and inlay.
Oh, and it was all done by hand.
Alexandre.J describes the brand as being “an
architect of materials and senses, making
unusual use of exceptional materials, by
sculpting them and pushing the limits of
creation to give life to objects that
arouse emotions.”
He goes on to add: “Each creation explores a
wide range of olfactory notes, ideally dosed for
a unique design and composition.
“The raw materials used are noble and valuable.
As each of them reacts differently to heat, a
slow development process is carried out to
reach a perfect balance.
“We never refuse a challenge or make
compromises. The olfactory revelation
alone counts.”
There is real passion behind the products, of
that there is no doubt. But where does the
inspiration come from?
“Everything is a source of inspiration,” he adds.
“Travelling, meeting with a craftsman,
discovering for the first time a sculpture, an
exhibition – the idea is to transcribe feelings
and visions into designs.
“Our fragrances are dedicated to all;
everyone can find something he or she likes.
“The wide range of fragrances offers a large
choice to a demanding clientele.”
Demanding clientele in a very
demanding marketplace.
Every year more than 3,000 fragrances are
released, most of them on the mass market it
has to be said, rather than the exclusive end
that discerning readers of Fragrance Du Bois
are concerned with.
However, that sheer number still speaks
volumes as to how competitive the
marketplace is, and how difficult it must be as
a relative new kid on the block (Alexandre.J
launched its first product in 2012) to
stand out.
“Actually, it’s not difficult to stand out when
you have strong concepts and products,”
he argues.
“Raising the awareness of a brand like ours?
Yes, it’s quite difficult; indeed it is similar
to communicating on jewellery – it must
remain exclusive and selective.
“Generally speaking, the industry wants a
fast return on investment, and as a result only
a few brands invest in outstanding packaging.
This offers an opening.
“The end consumers are used to buying
minimalist labelled bottles at a high price, so
the challenge was to educate them on getting
an added value object.”
60

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
61

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
One way Alexandre.J has worked on raising
awareness and showing off its artistic flair is
via its clever use of social media.
“Community management is very important
for us,” adds Alexandre.
“We are using Facebook on a daily basis to
share with our customers and partners all the
exciting news related to the brand.
“Instagram is used to highlight our creativity
through beautiful visuals, and we also have
a website that shows the universe of each
creation. Digital is really important to us.”
The fact that they have such a firm grip
on the tiller regarding their approach to
marketing and communications means
that the brand’s popularity is really starting
to grow – especially in Europe, which was
initially a slow burner.
“The brand was launched in the Middle East
and eastern countries due to the fact that
consumers there were already looking for
original products, beautiful packaging and a
luxury experience.
“In addition, people were already educated
to niche brands, which was not the case in
Europe four years ago.
“However, we are now noticing that things
are moving in the right way. Alexandre.J is
really appreciated in Italy, Germany, and
France for instance, due to the uniqueness of
our creations.”
There’s little doubt that their Oud perfumes
are original creations, but which products
from his 22-strong fragrance base does
Alexandre rate as the best?
“As you may know, we do have two lines
of perfume – one selective and one more
exclusive," he adds.
“If I had to pick one perfume among each
line I'd go for Morning Muscs, which takes
you on a journey for the mind and the body.
It’s a suitable-for-all fragrance, dressed in
beautiful and modern packaging.
“However, Legacy is our masterpiece, made
of mother of pearl, which requires 200 hours
of work and 160 pieces of mother of pearl.”
The brand has made giant strides since
launching its first product in 2012. But what
kind of Legacy will it leave?
“In five years’ time, I imagine a bespoke
world where everyone will be able to create
the perfume that fits oneself the most.
“The perfume itself will be different,
using bio-ethic and environmentally
friendly components.
“The sensorial marketing will wipe out the
operational to reinforce the experience.
“Alexandre.J wants to build a full universe
of products; the real pleasure is to explore
different artistic areas, so it’s also safe
to assume that there will be product
diversification along the way.”
62

“Actually, it’s not
difficult to stand out
when you have strong
concepts and products.”
FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
63

64
FRAGRANCE DU BOIS

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
Chinese
Dynasty
Oud has long been a culturally significant and precious commodity in China,
but now demand for ‘liquid gold’ is growing to insatiable levels
In the Beginning
According to myth and legend, when Adam
and Eve were banished from the Garden of
Eden, they were allowed to take with them a
branch from only one tree.
That tree turned out to be the Aquilaria tree
– also known as ‘agarwood’ and ‘aloeswood’
– and it should come as no surprise that
the species has taken on a mysticism and
reverence for many cultures ever since. Why,
we ask ourselves, was that particular tree
deemed to be so special?
It’s mentioned in mankind’s oldest recorded
texts – the Sanskrit Vedas – and is cited
frequently in the Bible (testaments old
and new), not to mention several
Muslim scriptures.
In one such, the Prophet Muhammad
suggested that agarwood be a distinct item
in paradise. He is written to have said, “The
first group of people who will enter paradise
will be glittering like the full moon, and those
who will follow them will glitter like the most
brilliant star in the sky. Their combs will be
of gold, and their perspiration will smell like
musk. The aloeswood will be used in
their centres.”
Heaven Scent
Since the beginning of recorded history, and
even before, agarwood (also known variously
as aloeswood, gaharu, Oud and oudh) has
fascinated and delighted, engaged and uplifted
a bewildering variety of different cultures and
religious practitioners. Again it should come
as no surprise that the species is revered and
highly valued throughout the world.
Not so much, perhaps, for the tree itself – it
is light, not particularly resilient, and the
wood itself has little practical value or use.
But this remarkable species produces an inner
heartwood, when infected by any number
of stimuli – it could be insects, it could even
be lightning – that, when distilled, creates a
magical substance that is now the ingredient
of choice in the modern world of perfumery,
not to mention a very wide range of other
uses both practical and ostensibly spiritual.
There are a variety of reasons for this.
Firstly, the distilled oil, known as Oud,
gives a fragrance an extraordinary depth,
not to mention a renowned longevity. It is
an ingredient with which today’s Master
Perfumers relish the opportunity of working
– being the equivalent of the highest quality
paint with the richest colour on a fine
artist’s palette.
The Art of Oud
For perfumers who create masterpieces, there
is no finer ingredient than Oud and, in some
respects, no more challenging an ingredient
with which to work. It is rich, complex and
inordinately powerful, calling into play
the skills, expertise and imagination of the
individuals capable of incorporating the
substance into a harmonious melange.
Those who accept the challenge, delight in the
process, but with high quality Oud oil selling
at in excess of US$100,000 per kilogramme,
it’s not difficult to appreciate why an expert,
delicate hand is required. The uses of Oud,
however, go above (no pun intended) and
beyond its deployment in the fragrance world,
having become a material of considerable
significance to a wide variety of cultures for
multifarious reasons.
For example, since time immemorial, Oud
has been an important part of the way of life
in China. It is, after all, one of the top ten
ingredients in Chinese Traditional Medicine,
and is also used in cultural and religious rites.
Extremely wealthy Chinese used to have their
coffins made out of agarwood, convinced of
its spiritual value in death and the afterlife, as
much as in the days when they drew breath.
Up in Smoke
With more than 65% of the Chinese
population being either Buddhists or Taoists,
the use of incense in China is widespread, and
while sandalwood, musk and even amber are
desirable materials, agarwood always sits at
the top of every wish list.
According to Trygve Harris, an aromatherapy
expert, and founder of ‘Enfleurage’, “beyond
65

66
FRAGRANCE DU BOIS

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
“Prices have risen by approximately
20% year on year since the
beginning of the century.”
a pleasant smell, a drop of agarwood essence will
softly invade your lungs, your mind, your body
and spirit.”
Qi Whizz
Agarwood is an essential element in 'feng shui',
particularly with reference to 'Qi' – the essence of
essence, if you will – meaning 'air' or 'breath'. It is
the life force of a human being, our vital energy,
and 'chen xiang' (as Oud is known in Chinese)
energises Qi in the sense of smell.
Woody, earthy, elemental, Oud speaks to our
vestigial nature, conjuring the past and charting
our evolution as species among so many other
species since the beginning of time. Oud has been
around since well before we were, and that seems
to affect us in a subliminal, probably subconscious,
but nevertheless powerful way.
When Oud is burnt or used as incense, the smoke
is rich and mildly intoxicating. The swirls and
eddies of the visible suspension ascent to the
heavens, which to many people reflects the spiritual
conversation that connects the earthly world with
the heavenly one.
Keep Calm and Breathe In
Oud is often associated with calmness, and at
the same time can focus the mind and enhance
alertness, which sounds counterintuitive. This may
say more about Oud than we know. Somehow,
this magical substance seems to delve into our
innermost selves, seeking out what needs to be
fixed or ameliorated; augmenting what’s already
there and needs to be brought to the fore.
While it should never be regarded as a panacea,
despite its highly efficacious medicinal properties,
it’s been clear to generations of people, across
a wide variety of cultures and civilisations, that
there’s something very special about the inner
heartwood of the Aquilaria tree. So say billions
of people around the world, not to mention the
finest perfumers on earth who have the privilege of
working with the ingredient in their formulations.
In Demand
While Oud has always been a part of Chinese
culture, the economic development that has taken
place recently in the world’s most populous country
has had a significant effect on demand and supply.
New wealth, an expanding middle class, and the
startling increase in demand for luxury goods
around the country, have contributed to a massive
increase in demand for Oud in China since the year
2000. The ‘desire for conspicuous consumption’ has
also led to an increase in demand, and while supply
is very much finite, attendant price increases have
been the order of the day.
67

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
There are more rich Chinese than ever before, and the demand for
Oud is ever-increasing, showing few if any signs of slowing down.
Prices have risen by approximately 20% year on year since the
beginning of the century, and many people are now viewing Oud and
agarwood chips and sculptures as valued investments – guaranteed to
rise in price with the paucity of supply, and exceptional items to have
and to behold.
Expertly worked sculptures and artefacts are now being treated as
would a fine work of art, and are being bought and sold at similar
price points. It’s not difficult to see why there is so much excitement
about a substance that has been around since the beginning of time
and the sources of which, until recently, had been on the brink of
extinction.
Trading Up
It means that the argument for sustainable plantations that grow the
trees that yield the wonderful Oud oil is increasing in both intensity
and volume. Trade in Oud oil and its ancillary products has, over the
years, been notoriously difficult to monitor and document, with its
inherent value leading to the evolution of a significant black
market trade.
With this, unfortunately, comes indiscriminate logging, which accounts
for the perilous state of the Aquilaria species. While it’s gratifying to
note that ethical plantation companies (such as Asia Plantation Capital,
“The startling increase in
demand for luxury goods
around the country have
contributed to a massive
increase in demand
for Oud.”
which now has operations on four continents and is blazing the trail in
an ever-growing forum that preaches the values of sustainability and
renewability) have stepped into the breach to address the situation, there
remains plenty of work to be done.
Fragrance Du Bois is delighted to be able to play its part in the
ongoing operation to save the species and to ensure that there is
future supply. The partnership with Asia Plantation Capital has borne
considerable fruit, and Fragrance Du Bois (FDB) now owns its very
own plantations, on which the 100% pure, natural Oud is produced.
This has created a quite extraordinary business model, as there are few
(if any) luxury fragrance houses that can boast such control over the
constituent elements of its creations. FDB’s plantations are assiduously
managed and its stock is carefully nurtured, with respect for the
environment as well as the communities that work in and around the
ongoing operations.
It all amounts to everything that Fragrance Du Bois stands for, and
provides a natty mantra that everyone involved with the company
values and believes in; 'Luxury with a Conscience'.
End Game
Oud is incredibly valuable, but it’s also vitally important to take a long
term view of an industry and a commodity that represents so much to
so many people.
Conservationists are taking a keen interest in the preservation of
a valuable species, and businesses are beginning to recognise that
opportunities exist – not purely to make money, but to put modern,
ethical business practices into effect while also turning
a profit.
China is recognising the current situation with regard to the Aquilaria
species, and has developed an agarwood induction mechanism to
ensure that the few existing sources of Oud oil are properly managed,
and produce the best possible yields.
68

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
Ultimately, this will lead to the continued propagation of the species,
with science lending a helping hand, and the industry getting back on
its feet – bidding a not so fond farewell to the illegal loggers and black
market traders who have ravaged supplies for longer than any of us
care to remember.
Helping Hand
Chinese companies are planting and propagating in several areas
around the country – Guangzhou, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, Enping,
Huazhou and Lianjiang – to name but a few, although it will still
be many years before the supply will even get close to satisfying the
burgeoning demand.
Fragrance Du Bois, working alongside Asia Plantation Capital
to produce the pure, natural, high quality Oud oil that is such an
important ingredient in all of its products, is achieving great success
in Hong Kong, reintroducing the native species of Aquilaria Sinensis
– that which produces the finest Oud oil – to its natural habitat and,
according to one journalist, “putting the ‘hong’ back into Hong Kong.”
Scent from Heaven
‘Hong Kong’, when translated from the Cantonese, means ‘fragrant
harbour’, and it was thought that the name was given after sailors and
seamen experienced the perfume of the Aquilaria tree on their way in
and out of port.
Sadly, the species was all but extinct from the territory prior to the
intervention of Asia Plantation Capital. Working alongside Mr Chan
Koon Wing – a third generation agarwood farmer, who owns the last
remaining commercial agarwood plantation in the whole of Hong
Kong – the species is recovering, and shows signs of being able to
flourish once again in a part of the world where it was intended to be.
Oud oil has not been produced in Hong Kong for more than a century,
and illegal loggers have been known to visit plantations in the territory
during the day – wounding the trees in the hope of developing the
response to infection that produces Oud – before returning in the
dead of night to cut down the trees for their inner treasure.
Taking Stock
While the process is outlawed, and the tree species protected, it is
perhaps an occupational hazard for a plantation owner whose stock is
so valuable, but with laws and restrictions now in place, and the global
clamour for ethical and sustainable practices becoming impossible
to ignore, there are genuine hopes for the future of the species and
indeed the industry both in Hong Kong and the rest of China.
Fragrance Du Bois is certainly doing its bit in Hong Kong, working
together with Chan Koon Wing to offer both moral support and the
patented technologies that the company has evolved through years of
research and development. It may take a little time, but it’s conceivable
that with plantations flourishing once again in Hong Kong, some of
the Oud produced there could be included in FDB’s future creations.
Value Added
The value of the global agarwood trade is almost impossible to
quantify, but experts estimate that it is somewhere in the region of
US$10 billion per annum.
CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) placed the Aquilaria species on
its endangered list at the end of the last century, and this has helped
immeasurably in curtailing illegal practices. It also means that
the products produced by companies conforming to the stringent
regulations – thereby acquiring CITES approval and certification – are
in even higher demand and scarcer supply.
The global market for Oud and all its ancillary products is dynamic
and ever-growing, with China being a great example of the
attractiveness and desirability of this rare and valuable commodity.
With rites and practices dating back thousands of years, that demand
is only ever going to increase, while ethical companies in the industry
strive to slake the thirst, meet the supply, and provide what’s needed in
a sustainable manner.
It’s not going to be easy. But, as they say, where there’s a will there’s a
way, and as there does not seem to have been a drop off in the allure
of, and the demand for Oud throughout history, known provenance
(and quality, naturally) have become more important than
ever before.
69

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
The Perfume Garden
Reviewer: Dominik Stanok
Civil war in Spain. Collapsing
towers in Lower Manhattan.
Skeletons buried in both closet
and garden. Loves lost and found.
Many family secrets.
Historical romances seduce
a loyal audience with dreamy
tales of aching hearts stranded
on a swirling mote in history.
Kate Lord Brown’s The Perfume
Garden embraces much across
300-plus pages. Too much. The
story often sags under its own
weight, flattening characters and
crushing empathy for them. If
written as a novella, or at least
shorter by a third, this story could
be compelling, potent, and even
poetic, easily more precious and
true to the promise of its title.
Brown splits apart the historical
and romantic into two stories
seven decades apart: a drawn-out
back story set in Spain’s 1930s
civil war, and the main narrative
wrapped around 9/11 in 2001.
Linking the two storylines are an
old grandma and an older villa.
We toggle nonstop between these
two storylines, back and forth for
60 out of 66 chapters. Only a deft
hand can pull off this narrative
structure, and there needs to be
a reason to use it. The Perfume
Garden lacks both.
We open with Robert Capa, a reallife
(and famous) photojournalist
covering the Spanish Civil War.
It’s a perfect set-up to foreshadow
senses and memory, driving story
and characters. Sight, after all,
is the most infallible access to
memories, particularly through
photographs. But Brown’s Capa
reveals little about photography
or memory or senses or anything.
He’s a replaceable template. A
shame, really, but a consequence
of the ping-pong story structure;
until one has ploughed through
much of the book, identifying the
story-critical characters
is maddening.
Shifting to the main storyline
set in 2001, Emma Temple,
primary protagonist and one of
three partners in a top London
perfumery, finds herself pregnant
by Joe, another partner in the
company. Joe has dumped Emma
for Delilah, the business’s third
partner, but now regrets it. Joe
perishes in the collapse of New
York’s World Trade Centre on
9/11, leaving two stirred but
unfulfilled hearts.
“Perfume, cosmetics, it all seems
so pointless after 9/11,” sighs
Emma. Her grandmother, the
novel’s link between past and
present, assures Emma that people
need things “like perfume and
poetry, music and art, more than
ever during times like this.” Emma
brightens. Scents are her joy.
Of all our senses, smell is the
most fleet-footed trigger of
memory. Specifically, Brown
tells us, perfume is “the key to
our memories... it makes our
heartstrings crack.” There we are.
What could be the story’s top,
middle, and base notes. Head
and heart.
Emma’s mother once created
a fragrance for Emma’s 18th
birthday. “On her it smelt like
rain in a garden at first, fresh and
intoxicating, then, as the green
top notes evaporated, Emma
always thought of the earth, of
picking flowers in a forest with
her mother. The heart note of
lily of the valley and jasmine
melded perfectly with the base of
sandalwood and musk... shy but
surprisingly fierce.”
When she died, Emma’s mother
had left her a big chunk of the
perfume company and a small box
of after-I-die letters. “Follow your
heart, Emma, follow your nose,”
revealing to Emma that “to be
alive is glorious, and people need
to remember that, and to stop and
smell the flowers.”
So Emma escapes to Spain, 'the
land of flowers and love'. There,
near Valencia, is a broken-down
villa her mother bought decades
ago. Turns out, we learn in the
forced march of historical back
story, Emma’s grandmother stayed
in it when she was a nurse for the
anti-Franco Republicans, during
the Spanish Civil War.
Unoccupied for decades, the villa
is a fixer-upper. Emma converts
an old shed into a flower shop for
a blossom-selling street urchin she
befriends. Emma names the shop
The Perfume Garden. Bless. The
reader can plead common sense
and optimism for thinking that
both street urchin and flower shop
have narrative purpose. But they
don’t. They evaporate from the
pages soon after.
Emma’s future is clear: restore
the villa and create artisanal
fragrances. Luca, a dashing
Spaniard, appears as a new love
interest. Curiously, he often seems
neither interested nor interesting.
Perhaps Luca needs his own
bespoke fragrance.
From her mother’s collection
of essences, Emma concocts
a perfume for Luca, whose
fragrance straddles “a halfremembered
melody she couldn’t
sing, but would know instinctively
the moment she heard it.”
Blossom and citrus develop
into deeper notes, while Emma
imagines Luca’s windblown hair
and molecular gymnastics as the
fragrance evolves. It’s complicated.
The “Morse code of her heart
strong in her,” Emma pushes on.
But Delilah, the company’s
other partner back in London,
parachutes into Emma’s life once
again, convinced that Emma’s
new baby – Joe’s spawn – should
belong to her and not Emma.
Don’t fret, the logic matters not.
Delilah nicks the baby and brings
the novel to a close in a contrived
and sadly comical finale.
Yes, we’ve mostly skipped over
half the novel, the historical half
of the historical romance. While
the author’s approach to Spain’s
civil war is informative and gives
The Perfume Garden street-cred
as a historical romance, it’s mostly
back story about family secrets.
If a fan of the genre, the thin
character development and
contrived plot points of The
Perfume Garden won’t matter. Its
length might, as it often feels like
a forced march of anti-Franco
Republicans across Spain’s
northern mountains.
70

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
71

Serving world-class brands
with cutting edge,
high quality and
innovative packaging
and display solutions.
www.eversun.hk, info@eversun.hk, +86 138 0250 2009

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
FINISHING NOTES
Gardenia Jasminoides. Oil on canvas. J Swarbrick. 2016
73

74
FRAGRANCE DU BOIS

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
Oud Edition
One of the UK's leading car fashion houses has teamed up with Fragrance Du Bois and Range
Rover to develop a limited edition bespoke vehicle for the fragrance house’s select clients.
The initial idea was to create a car solely for one of Fragrance Du Bois’ private, aristocratic
clients. However, the project has since morphed into the limited edition series known as
'Oud Edition', which will be launched at the Monaco Grand Prix in May.
See issue three of Fragrance Du Bois magazine for an exclusive story on this exciting partnership.
75

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
DAVIDOFF
Agar Blend
100 ML - 390 AED
Showcasing the latest
Oud perfumes to hit
the fragrance market
STRANGELOVE NYC
meltmyheart
15 ML - USD 650
CLEAN
Suede Oud
100 ML - USD 90
ODIN
00 Auriel
100 ML - USD 185
78

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
BY KILIAN
ENDURANCE
LM PARFUMS
MONTALE
Royal Leather
50 ML - GBP 350
Flamboyant
Price Unavailable
Scandinavian Crime
100 ML - USD 345
Tropical wood
100 ML - EUR 120
PACO RABANNE
1 Million Absolutely Gold
100 ML - 70 GBP
PARFUMS DE MARLY
Akaster
125 ML - 215 GBP
AMOUAGE
Opus X
100 ML - 235 GBP
VILHELM PARFUMERIE
The Oud affair
100 ML - USD 145
YVES ROCHER
Rose Oud
50 ML - EUR 69.80
GOSH
By Gosh
100 ML - Price Unavailable
H&M
The New Noir
50 ML - USD 9.70
ROSENDO MATEU
NO 4 Saffron, Oud, Vanilla
60 ML - EUR 135
HOUSE OF SILLAGE
N.001
100 ML - Price Unavailable
AVON
Premiere Luxe Oud
Price Unavailable
MANOS GERAKINIS
Silver Oud
60 ML - EUR 300
HERETIC PARFUMS
India Ink
100 ML - USD 260
79

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
Fragrance Du Bois has set out to create the world’s largest reference
database of Oud perfumes and brands in this definitive directory.
Enjoy perusing our A to Z listing, which you can also find on the
Oudbook website, oudbook.com.
This list is regularly updated. However, because new Oud perfumes and
brands are entering the market on an almost daily basis, we may not be
able to list them all here. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you know
of a brand not listed, and we will be happy to add the product to
the list.
Also, if you are a brand owner or perfumer, please feel free to send us
any details of your new ranges, or any information that you think may
be useful.
Abdul Samad Al Qurashi
AL BASHA BLEND
ANTIK AGED AOUD
SAFARI
DHEN AL OUD SAFA
AKABIR FOR MEN
AL MOULOUK BLEND
Accendis
0.2
ACLUS
Acqua di Parma
COLONIA INTENSA OUD
Acqua di Venezia
NOTTURNO
RONDÒ
Aedes de Venustas
IRIS NAZARENA
Affinessence
PATCHOULI OUD
Aftelier
OUD LUBAN
SHISO
Agonist
DARK SAPHIR
Nº 10 WHITE OUD
Aigner
AIGNER N°1 INTENSE
AIGNER Nº 1 OUD
Ajmal
DAHN AL OUDH RAYSAN
DAHN AL OUDH SHAMS
DAHN AL OUDH WATANI
MISK AL OUDH
DAHN AL OUDH SAIF AL HIND
DAHN AL OUDH MAYSAAM
DAHN AL OUDH RABIA AL OMR
DAHN AL OUDH THARWAAN
BAKHOOR KHAS
DAHN AL OUDH MOATTAQ
Al Aneeq Perfumes
BAHRUL OUDH
Al Fudhi
BLACK OUDH
Al Haramain
ATTAR AL KAABA
ATTAR AL ZOUJAN
BLOOM
DEHNAL OUDH ATEEQ
DEHNAL OUDH KHOSSOSI QADEEM
DEHNAL OUDH MALIKI ATEEQ
DEHNAL OUDH SEUFI
Al Khayam
HAREEM AL SULTAN
Al Musbah
DEHAN OUDH MUKHALLATH GOLD
Al Rehab
ASEEL
AROOQ AL OUD
AROOQ AL DAHAB
DEHN AL OUD
DEHN AMBER
GUAPO
SAAT SAFA
Alexandre.J
ZAFEER OUD VANILLE
ROSE OUD
Alysonoldoini
CRYSTAL OUD
Alyssa Ashley
OUD POUR ELLE
OUD POUR LUI
Amordad
VICTRESS
Amorino
ARABIAN ROSE
BLACK CASHMERE
PRIVÉ LEGEND
Amouage
AJWAD
AL MAS
AFRAH
ASRAR
AYOON AL MAHA
BADR AL BADOUR
BASMAH
EPIC MAN
EPIC WOMAN
INTERLUDE MAN
INTERLUDE WOMAN
JUBILATION XXV MAN
MAWADDAH
MOLOOK
OHOOD
OPUS V
OPUS VII
OPUS X
OUDH AL KHALOUD
SALAMAH
SHAMS AL DOHA
Amouroud
MIEL SAUVAGE
OUD DU JOUR
SAFRAN RARE
Annick Goutal
1001 OUDS
Antonio Visconti
ALHAMBRA
AKABA
BOIS DE GAYAC
80

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
FLEUR DE NUIT
OUD NOMADE
OUD MAHARAJI
OUD MOHAVE
Aquaflor
AOUD
Aquolina
BLACK SUGAR
Arabian Oud
WOODY
SUPERIOR OUD WOOD
MAJESTIC SPECIAL OUD
Aramis
PERFUME CALLIGRAPHY
Ard Al Zaafaran
OUD 24 HOURS
OUD AL SULTAN
ROOH AL OUD
Armaf
CLUB DE NUIT INTENSE
Atelier Cologne
OUD SAPHIR
GOLD LEATHER
Atelier des Ors
ROSE OMEYYADE
Atkinsons
LAVENDER ON THE ROCKS
OUD SAVE THE KING
OUD SAVE THE QUEEN
Au Pays de la Fleur d’Oranger
BLACK ROSE
NEROLI OUD
Avon
PREMIERE LUXE OUD
Axis
AXIS OUD
Baldessarini
SECRET MISSION
Baldi
LAPISLAZZULI
MALACHITE
Banana Republic
WILDBLOOM
Bath & Body Works
CITRON
TWILIGHT WOODS
Bella Bellissima
BLACK EBONY
BLUE DIAMOND OUD
EMERALD OUD
PRECIOUS AMBER
ROYAL SAFFRON
RUBY OUD
WHITE LEATHER
Ben Sherman
BEN SHERMAN GOLD
Benefit
UNDER MY SPELL NOELLE
Bentley
BENTLEY FOR MEN ABSOLUTE
Blackbird
ZOLA JESUS TAIGA
MOTO OUD
Blood Concept
PH - BRIGHT OUDH
Boadicea the Victorious
ALMAS
ARDENT
AZRAK
BAYSWATER
BLUE SAPPHIRE
CHARIOT
CHELSEA
COMPLEX
DOMINANT
ELABORATE
EMPRISE
GREENWICH
IMPERIAL
INQUISITIVE
INSPIRE
INTRICATE
JUBILEE
KING'S ROAD
LEGEND
MAYFAIR
MONARCH
NEMER
PIONEER
PROVOCATIVE
VANQUISH
VICTORY
Bois 1920
COME IL SOLE
ITRUK
VENTO NEL VENTO
Bond No 9
BOND NO. 9 PERFUME
MANHATTAN
NEW YORK OUD
SAG HARBOR
SHELTER ISLAND
DUBAI - INDIGO
HARRODS AGARWOOD
HARRODS OUD PATCHOULI
HARRODS SWARVOSKI CRYSTAL
OUD EDITION
HARRODS AGARWOOD
PURE TOLA OIL
HARRODS OUD PURE TOLA OIL
PERFUME PURE TOLA OIL
NEW YORK OUD PURE TOLA OIL
NEW YORK AMBER PURE TOLA OIL
Brecourt
AGARESSENCE
OUD SANTAL
Brooks Brothers
BLACK FLEECE (FOR WOMEN)
Bvlgari
LAZULIA
EAU PARFUMEE AU THE NOIR
By Kilian
AMBER OUD
BLACK OUD
CRUEL INTENTIONS
ETERNAL OUD
EXTREME OUD
GOLD OUD
INCENSE OUD
PEARL OUD
PURE OUD
ROSE OUD
ROYAL LEATHER
MUSK OUD
Byblos
FUSION
Byredo
ACCORD OUD
OUD IMMORTEL
Calé Fragranze d’Autore
PRELUDIO D’ORIENTE
MISTERO
Calvin Klein
ENCOUNTER
Carner Barcelona
CUIRS
Carolina Herrera
OUD COUTURE
Caron
SECRET OUD
81

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
Cartier
EAU DE CARTIER ESSENCE DE BOIS
OUD & MUSC
OUD & OUD
OUD & ROSE
Cerruti
1881 BLACK
Cesare Paciotti
ORIENTAL SUPREME FOR HIM
Chabaud
MYSTERIOUS OUD
Chanticaelle
KALIMANTAN
Charriol
ROYAL PLATINUM
ROYAL WHITE
Chopard
OUD MALAKI
Christian Dior
FAHRENHEIT ABSOLUTE
OUD ÉLIXIR PRÉCIEUX
LEATHER OUD
OUD ISPAHAN
Clean
SUEDE OUD
Clive Christian
C FOR MEN
L FOR MEN
V FOR MEN
Coach
COACH ROSE D'OR
Comme des Garçons
WONDEROUD
WONDERWOOD
DAPHNE
Comptoir Sud Pacifique
AOUDA
EPICES SULTANES
NOMAOUD
AOUD DE NUIT
OUDH SENSUEL
OUDH INTENSE
OUD INTENSE
Costume National
SOUL
21
Crabtree & Evelyn
NIGHT GARDEN: ASSAM OUDH
Creed
MILLESIME 1849
ROYAL OUD
ROYAL PRINCESS OUD
Cuarzo The Circle
ALCHEMY
JUST GOLD
JUST WHITE GOLD
SAPPHIRE
Czech & Speake
DARK ROSE
David Yurman
DAVID YURMAN LIMITED EDITION
Davidoff
HOT WATER NIGHT
AGAR BLEND
Dear Rose
LA FAVORITE
Detaille 1905
BOIS D'OUD
Diptyque
OUD PALAO
Divine
L’HOMME INFINI
Dolce & Gabbana
VELVET DESERT OUD
VELVET TENDER OUD
Dorin Paris
UN AIR D’ARABIE : OUD
D’Orsay
AL-KIMIYA OUD ET BOIS
Dr. Gritti
NOCTEM ARABS
Dueto Parfums
CITY LOVE
CITY OUD
UBER
Dunhill
ICON
ICON ABSOLUTE
E99-EsAns
MIAMI SUNSET
OUD AL EBRAR
SULTAN AL YASMINA
Ed Hardy
LOVE AND LUCK FOR MEN
El Nabil
BLACK MANGO
OUD ROYAL
Elie Saab
ESSENCE NO. 4 OUD
Endurance
FLAMBOYANT
Ermenegildo Zegna
INDONESIAN OUD
Esteban
ORIENTALISSIME
BELLE AU PARFUM DE OUD
Estēe Lauder
AMBER MYSTIQUE
MODERN MUSE CHIC
WOOD MYSTIQUE
Estevia Parfum
OUD MUSK
Euphorium Brooklyn
CILICE
WALD
Eutopie
NO. 3
Ex Nihilo
OUD VENDÔME
Federico Mahora
FM 605
FM 606
FM 607
Fendi
FAN DI FENDI POUR HOMME
ASSOLUTO
Ferrari
FERRARI OUD ESSENCE
RED POWER INTENSE
Florascent
AQUA ORIENTALIS - BAHOU
KYOTO EDITION - JINKO
Floris
HONEY OUD
LEATHER OUD
Fortnum & Mason
1707 NOIR
Fragrance Du Bois
OUD JAUNE INTENSE
OUD ROSE INTENSE
OUD VERT INTENSE
OUD ROUGE INTENSE
OUD BLEU INTENSE
OUD NOIR INTENSE
OUD ORANGE INTENSE
OUD VIOLET INTENSE
SAHRAA OUD
82

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
LONDON OUD
Francesca Dell'Oro
ENVOUTANT
WHITE PLUMAGE
Franck Boclet
LEATHER
OUD
François Delì
SPICY AGARWOOD
Frédéric Haldimann
FRÉDÉRIC N°2
Frederic Malle
THE NIGHT
GAP
GAP ESTABLISHED 1969 FOR WOMEN
GAP ESTABLISHED 1969 INSPIRE
Giorgio Armani
ARMANI PRIVÉ - OUD ROYAL
ARMANI PRIVÉ - CUIR NOIR
Givenchy
EAUDEMOISELLE DE GIVENCHY
BOIS DE OUD
OUD FLAMBOYANT
GOSH
BY GOSH
Grossmith
SAFFRON ROSE
Gucci
GUCCI OUD
INTENSE OUD
Guerlain
OUD SENSUEL
ROSE NACRÉE DU DESERT
SANTAL ROYAL
Halston
MAN AMBER
Harvey Prince
BIG
Heeley
PHOENICIA
AGARWOUD
Henri Bendel
ROSE & OUD
Henry Jacques
ROSE OUDH
FABIEN ABSOLUTE
Heretic Parfums
INDIA INK
Herr Von Eden
EUTERPE
Histoires de Parfums
PÉTROLEUM
ROSAM
H&M
THE NEW NOIR
House of Sillage
DIGNIFIED
N.001
PASSION DE L’AMOUR
Hugh Parsons
OXFORD STREET
Hugo Boss
BOSS : BOTTLED OUD
BOSS : DAMASK OUD
Iceberg
EAU DE ICEBERG 74 : OUD F C
Illamasqua
FREAK
Illuminum
WHITE OUD
BLACK OUD
HINDI OUD
VETIVER OUD
MAJESTIC OUD
SCARLET OUD
ROSE OUD
INDIAN OUD
TONKA OUD
INCC Parfums
AXIS OUD
J.F. Schwarzlose Berlin
RAUSCH
Jacoglu Paris
OUD PRESTIGE
Jacomo
OUD FOR MEN
Jacques Bogart
CITY TOWER
ONE MAN SHOW RUBY EDITION
ONE MAN SHOW OUD EDITION
Jean Paul Dupont
AMBRE ORIENTELE
OUD MAJESTIQUE
Jean-Charles Brosseau
OMBRE ORIENTALE
Jesus Del Pozo
ARABIAN NIGHTS
ARABIAN NIGHTS PRIVATE
COLLECTION WOMAN
ARABIAN NIGHTS WOMAN
DESERT FLOWERS DAHLIA
DESERT FLOWERS LILY
Jo Loves
JO LOVES A SHOT OF OUD
OVER MANGO
Jo Malone
OUD & BERGAMOT
VELVET ROSE & OUD
John Logan
JUST OUDH
John Varvatos
JOHN VARVATOS OUD
JŌvan
INTENSE OUD
Jovoy
JUS INTERDIT
Judith Williams
ARABIAN OUD
Jul et Mad
AMOUR DE PALAZZO
NIN-SHAR
Juliette has a Gun
MIDNIGHT OUD
ANOTHER OUD
Junaid Perfumes
AL OUDH AL HINDI
DHAN OUD
HAJAR OUD
Keiko Mecheri
AMBRE MIRABILIS
BAL DE ROSES
CANYON DREAMS
CUIR FAUVE
GRAND'SOIRÉE
TANGERI
VETIVER VELOURS
LOUKHOUM PARFUM DU SOIR
Kemi Blending Magic
'ILM
TEMPEST
Kenzo
MADLY KENZO OUD COLLECTION
Kerosene
BLACKMAIL
BROKEN THEORIES
R’OUD ELEMENTS
Korres
SAFFRON AMBER AGARWOOD
CARDAMOM
Krigler
OUD FOR HIGHNESS 75
83

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
OUD AZUR 75212
OUD SUMPTUOUS 75213
ULTIMATE K’OUD 75214
L`Aromatica Perfume
ANIMUS
La Collina Toscana
LOGGIA DEI MERCANTI
La Maison de la Vanille
ROYAL OUD
La Prairie
SILVER RAIN
Lalique
HOMMAGE À L’HOMME
Lancôme
L’AUTRE OUD EN ROSE
L’AUTRE ÔUD
OUD BOUQUET
Lang Lang
AMAZING LANG LANG FOR HIM
L'Antichambre
L'OMBRE CACHÉE
L’Artisan Parfumeur
AL OUDH
Lattafa
24 CARAT PURE GOLD
ABSHERK
AL DUR AL
MAKNOON GOLD
AL FURSAN
AMEER AL OUDH
JUST OUD
JUST OUD BOULEVARD EDITION
NIGHT OUD
PURE OUDI / KHALIS OUDI
RAGHBA
RAGHBA WOOD INTENSE
AMEER AL OUD 2
Laura Ashley
EMMA (2013)
Lé Chameau
GENESIS OUD MALAKI
GENESIS GOLD
Le Galion
AESTHETE
Le Labo
ROSE 31
OUD 27
Lengling
NO 6 - À LA CARTE
L’Erbolario
LEGNI FRUTTATI
Les Liquides Imaginaires
FORTIS - EAU DELÀ
Les Parfums du Soleil
LES JARDINS DE SHÉRAZADE
Liaison de Parfum
I DARE YOU
Lisa Hoffman Beauty
JAPANESE AGARWOOD
Lise London
A PERFECT GENTLEMAN
LM Parfums
HARD LEATHER
BLACK OUD
MALEFIC TATTOO
SCANDINAVIAN CRIME
UNIQUE RUSSIA
L’Occitane
OUD & ROSE
Loewe
TRAS LA TORMENTA EN EL JARDÍN
BOTÁNICO
UN BALCÓN SOBRE EL PASEO
DEL PRADO
Lolita Lempicka
AU MASCULIN INTENSE
Lomani
AB SPIRIT MILLIONAIRE BLACK ROSE
AB SPIRIT MILLIONAIRE OUD
GOURMAND
CODE
INTENSE BLACK
Lorenzo Villoresi
THESEUS
Louis Cardin
CREDIBLE
Lubin
GALAD
KORRIGAN
Lucky Scent
UNTITLED #6 BY SUSANNE LANG
Lui Niche
COUNT
Lush
THE SMELL OF FREEDOM
SMELL OF FREEDOM PART THREE:
OUDH HEART
Lvnea
DESERT NIGHT
M.Micallef
AOUD 1
AOUD 2
AOUD 3
AOUD
AOUD GOURMET
ARABIAN DIAMOND
ART COLLECTION 103
ART COLLECTION 201
EMIR
N°7 LACE
NIGHT AOUD
NASREEN
OSSWALD FOR MEN
ROYAL ROSE AOUD
VANILLA AOUD
Madonna
TRUTH OR DARE NAKED
Maison Francis Kurkdjian
OUD
OUD CASHMERE MOOD
OUD SATIN MOOD
OUD SILK MOOD
OUD VELVET MOOD
Maison Incens
FIGUE AOUDII
Maître Parfumeur et Gantier
AMBRE DORÉ
Majda Bekkali
J’AI FAIT UN RÊVE
Mancera
ROSEAOUD & MUSK
SAND AOUD
THE AOUD
AOUD BLACK CANDY
AOUD CAFÉ
AOUD LINE
AOUD S
AOUD SANDROSES
AOUD VANILLE
AOUD VIOLET
BLACK TO BLACK
BLUE AOUD
VOYAGE EN ARABIE
BLACK INTENSIVE AOUD
VOYAGE EN ARABIE
GOLD INTENSIVE AOUD
VOYAGE EN ARABIE
SILVER INTENSIVE AOUD
WILD ROSE AOUD
Mandarina Duck
MANDARINA DUCK MAN
Maison Dorin
UN AIR D'ARABIE : OUD
84

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
Mansfield
GEORGES FEGHALY - COUP DE
FOUDRE
Manos Gerakinis
SILVER OUD
Manuel Canovas
BALLADE VERTE
Marc de la Morandière
KOZMIC OUD
Marco Serussi
MS OUD
MariaLux
ARAMESH
YOURS DEEPLY
YOURS MADLY
Mauboussin
MAUBOUSSIN ELIXIR POUR ELLE
Mazzolari
OUD
Memo
AFRICAN LEATHER
LALIBELA OUD
IRISH OUD
LUXOR OUD
SHAMS OUD
Menditorosa
ALFA
ID
OMEGA
Meo Fusciuni
NARCOTICO
Mercedes-Benz
MERCEDES-BENZ LE PARFUM
Miller Harris
LA FUMÉE ARABIE
LA FUMÉE MAROC
Milton-Lloyd
COLOUR ME OUD
Min New York
DAHAB
Missala
QESSENCE
Molinard
CHER WOOD
Molton Brown
MESMERISING OUDH ACCORD
& GOLD
SHISUR
Mona di Orio
OUDH OSMANTHUS
Monotheme
BLACK OUD
ROSE OUD
Montale
BLACK AOUD
CRYSTAL AOUD
DARK AOUD
GOLDEN AOUD
HONEY AOUD
MOON AOUD
NEPAL AOUD
ORANGE FLOWERS
ORIGINAL AOUD
OUDMAZING
RED AOUD
ROYAL OUD
SILVER AOUD
STEAM AOUD
WHITE AOUD
WILD AOUD
TROPICAL WOOD
AOUD AMBER ROSE
AOUD AMBRE
AOUD BLOSSOM
AOUD CUIR D’ARABIE
AOUD DAMASCUS
AOUD EVER
AOUD FLOWERS
AOUD FOREST
AOUD GREEDY
AOUD LAVENDER
AOUD LEATHER
AOUD LIME
AOUD MELODY
AOUD MUSK
AOUD NEPAL
AOUD NIGHT
AOUD ORANGE
AOUD PURPLE ROSE
AOUD QUEEN ROSES
AOUD RED FLOWERS
AOUD ROSES PETALS
AOUD SAFRAN
AOUD SENSE
AOUD SHINY
AOUD VELVET
Montana
OUD GRAPHITE
Moresque
AL-ANDALUS
Morph
KOLONAKI, 1977
My Perfumes
DARK OUD
MyParfum
ADLERHOLZ
Nabeel
INSIJAM OIL PERFUME
Narciso Rodriguez
FOR HER AMBER MUSC
FOR HER DÉLICATE
Nasomatto
BLACK AFGANO
DURO
PARDON
Neela Vermeire Créations
TRAYEE
MOHUR
Neil Morris Fragrances
ASSAM
FETISH
FLOWERS FOR MEN - GARDENIA
IZMIR
LE PARFUM D'IDA
SWOON
TAJ
Nejma
BOIS DE AOUD
LE SOMPTUEUX
THE OUD
NEJMA 1
NEJMA 2
NEJMA 3
NEJMA 4
NEJMA 5
NEJMA 6
NEJMA 7
Nicolaï
ROSE OUD
AMBER OUD
Nobile 1942
VESPRI ORIENTALE
Odin
00 AURIEL
Oliver Durbano
BLACK TOURMALINE
Oliver Sweeney
ARGENTO
Organic Glam
ORGANIC GLAM OUD
ROSE OUD
85

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
MIDNIGHT PEARL
Oriflame
Ormonde Jayne
BLACK GOLD
NAWAB OF OUDH
ORMONDE MAN
Oscar de la Renta
EXTRAORDINARY
Oud Al Shams
AL SHAMS SPECIAL EDITION
Oudh Al Anfar
ANFAR DEHENAL AL OUDH
COMBODI
Paco Rabanne
1 MILLION ABSOLUTELY GOLD
Pal Zileri
ESSENZA DI AOUD
Pantheon Roma
NOTTE D'AMORE
Paolo Gigli
ALHAMBRA
BAHAMAS
JAMAICA
NIGHT
Paolo Pecora
ÉDITION 1: MILANO - MAGENTA
ÉDITION 1: MILANO - SENATO
Papillon Artisan Perfumes
ANUBIS
Parfumerie Berdoues
OUD AL SAHRAA
Parfumerie Générale
ISPARTA NO.26
L'EAU GUERRIÈRE NO.20
Parfums De Marly
AKASTER
KUHUYAN
Paris Bleu
ARMATEUR GOLD LIMITED EDITION
DIPLOMATE INTENSE
TRAVELLER EARTH
Paris Gallery
BLEND OUD - HAYAK
BLEND OUD - LAYLATY
BLEND OUD - OUDALEMARAT
BLEND OUD - ROUH AOUD
BLEND OUD - SAHAR
Penhaligon’s
AS SAWIRA
86
HALFETI
LEVANTIUM
Perris Monte Carlo
BOIS D’OUD
OUD IMPERIAL
Philly & Phill
GLAMOROUS AOUD
EMOTIONAL AOUD
SENSUAL AOUD
Pierre Cardin
CUIR INTENSE
INNOVATION
Pineider
OUD ASSOLUTO
Pino Silvestre
OUD ABSOLUTE
Pour Toujours
KHAMSIN
Providence Perfume
ROSE BOHÈME
Radley London
RADLEY
Ralph Lauren
POLO SUPREME OUD
Ramón Molvizor
ART & GOLD & PERFUME
5ELEMENTS
BLACK CUBE
Ramon Monegal
AGAR MUSK
HAND IN HAND : ROSE & OUD
Rania J.
T. HABANERO
OUD ASSAM
Rare Device
COLOGNE #002
Rasasi
AL WISAM DAY
KHALTAT AL OUDH
KHALTAT AL KHASA
RE Classified
UNIVERSAL LOVE
THE MAGIC LAMP
PARTY ANIMAL
Régime des Fleurs
OUD & WHITE MUSK
Reiss
BLACK OUDH FOR MEN
Réminiscence
OUD
Richard E Grant
JACK
Roads
HARMATTAN
Robert Piguet
OUD
OUD DELICE
OUD DE ROBERT PIGUET
OUD DIVIN
Roberto Cavalli
ROBERTO CAVALLI TIGER OUD
ROBERTO CAVALLI OUD EDITION
OUD AL QASR
Rochas
SECRET DE ROCHAS OUD MYSTÈRE
Roja Parfums
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES SPIRIT OF
THE UNION
SWEETIE AOUD
AMBER AOUD
AOUD
CANDY AOUD
FRUITY AOUD
FORTNUM & MASON TAÏF AOUD
MUSK AOUD
H THE EXCLUSIVE AOUD
Royal Crown
ABSOLUTE
AL KIMIYA'
HABANOS
MUSK UBAR
MY OUD
OUD AL MELKA
OUD JASMIN
OUD SANTAL
TENEBRA
YTZMA
Rosendo Mateu
NO 4 SAFFRON, OUD, VANILLA
Rundholz Parfums
SEPT.21.1966
Sanctum
BLACK OUD
Sara Horowitz Parfums
ARTISAN COLLECTION ROOTS
Sarahs Creations
ASAYEL
ASHIQ WALAHAN
Scent Story
24
24 GOLD

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
24 GOLD OUD EDITION
24 PLATINUM OUD EDITION
Schlossparfumerie Wolff &
Sohn Stuttgart
H - 100 JUBILÉE
P - 100 JUBILÉE
Sentifique
CÈDRE SACRÉ
TESTOSTERONE
Serge Lutens
CUIR MAURESQUE
Shay & Blue
FRAMBOISE NOIRE
OUD ALIF
Slumberhouse
VIKT
SoOud
FAM
FATENA
ILHAM
KANZ
BURQA
NEKTAR OURIS
Sospiro
ADAGIO
ANDANTE
CAPRICCIO
CLASSICA
DUETTO
GRAZIOSO
ST Dupont
OUD ET ROSE
OUD ET SANTAL
OUD ORIENTAL
Stéphane Humbert Lucas
2022 GENERATION - HOMME
QOM CHILOM
OUD 777
Strangelove NYC
DEAD OF NIGHT
MELTMYHEART
Sweet Anthem
ELLA
REBECCA
Swiss Arabian
DEHN AL OUD CAMBODI
DEHN AL OUD EL QAMER
DEHN AL OUD FAKHAM
DEHN AL OUD MALAKI
DEHN AL OUD MUBAKHAR
RAKAAN
Ted Lapidus
BLACK SOUL IMPERIAL
OUD BLANC
OUD NOIR
Téo Cabanel
BARKHANE
Terry de Gunzburg
TERRYFIC OUD
TERRYFIC OUD EXTRÊME
TERRYFIC OUD L'EAU
Tesori d’Oriente
ROYAL OUD DELLO YEMEN
Thameen
NOOROLAIN TAIF
CARVED OUD
The Body Shop
ROSE OUD
The Different Company
OUD FOR LOVE
OUD SHAMASH
The Fragrance Kitchen
ARABIA
GIVE ME A CHANCE
MISTER DANGER
THE FINEST
The Merchant of Venice
BLACK OUD
LEATHER IN NUDE
MYRRH OUD
OUDRAGEOUS
ROSE OUD
SECRET ROSE
Thierry Mugler
ALIEN OUD MAJESTUEUX
MIRROR MIRROR
- MIROIR DES JOYAUX
MIRROR MIRROR
- MIROIR DES VOLUPTÉS
Thomas Kosmala
BLACK OUD
WHITE OUD
Tiziana Terenzi
CHIMAERA
LAUDANO NERO
MAREMMA
GOLD ROSE OUDH
URSA
Tom Ford
LONDON
NOIR DE NOIR
OUD FLEUR
OUD WOOD
PLUM JAPONAIS
SAHARA NOIR
SANTAL BLUSH
TOBACCO OUD
Torre of Tuscany
SAVANE’ OUD
Trish McEvoy
9 OUD
BLACK ROSE OUD
PRECIOUS OUD
Undergreen
BLACK
Urban Scents
SINGULAR OUD
V Canto
MASTIN
Valentino
ASSOLUTO OUD
Van Cleef & Arpels
COLLECTION EXTRAORDINAIRE
PRECIOUS OUD
Van Gils
LIVE
Versace
VERSACE POUR HOMME OUD NOIR
VERSACE POUR FEMME
OUD ORIENTAL
Vilhelm Parfumerie
SMOKE SHOW
THE OUD AFFAIR
Victoria's Secret
ANGEL
SEDUCTION DARK ORCHID
Viktor & Rolf
FLOWERBOMB ROSE EXPLOSION
Volnay
BRUME D’HIVER
Welton London
OUD INSPIRATION
Xerjoff
AL KHATT
ALEXANDRIA II
FARS
GAO
MAMLUK
NAJAF
ZAFAR
BLACK SUKAR
87

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
JAVA BLOSSOM
KAMPUCHEA NOIR
KING MASARAT
OUD LUBAN
WARDA AL OUD
Yves Rocher
ROSE OUD
Yves Saint Laurent
M7 OUD ABSOLU
SPLENDID WOOD
MAJESTIC ROSE
Zara
ZARA OUD
Zarkoperfume
OUD’ISH
MOLÉCULE NO. 8 - WOODEN CHIPS
Zoologist
RHINOCEROS
Introducing
Sahraa Oud
Created for Fragrance Du Bois
By François Merle-Baudoin
TOP NOTES
Grapefruit
Like a moment of stillness broken by
unpredictable shifts of racing wind across
a vast landscape, Sahraa Oud captures
the untamed wilderness of Arabia. It
immediately invokes the mystery and
majesty of the desert, and has been crafted
for the sophisticated palates of both Middle
Eastern connoisseurs and aficionados
with discerning tastes alike.
Beautiful floral top and heart notes of
grapefruit, rose absolute, geranium and
jasmine, create a symphony that blends softly
into base notes of patchouli, sandalwood,
saffron, vanilla, amber and Oud.
HEART NOTES
Rose Absolute, Geranium,
Jasmine, Patchouli
BASE NOTES
Black Pepper, Sandalwood, Saffron,
Vanilla, Amber,
100% pure organic vintage Oud
Retail price: 100ml - USD 715,
50ml - USD 425, 15ml USD 135
88

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS
Fantasy Dinner Party
ZUREINA MAIDIN, Marketing Director, Fragrance Du Bois (Malaysia)
If you could pick anyone – alive or dead – to invite to your
cityscape apartment or sprawling country manor for a bite to
eat, who would you choose?
I’ve been told that I can only invite
four guests, but I’m afraid I’m going
to have to cheat and also allow my
annoying cousin to join us, otherwise
I’d never hear the end of it. Joe Harris is
my partner-in-crime; an unsung lawyer
to be, and super fun – as well as being
able to provide very interesting and
analytical post dinner chat.
My next guest is Johnny Depp. I
adore his acting, he’s very versatile
and talented – it’s not just his good
looks… Over the years he’s added life
to so many different characters on
screen, and I was mesmerised by his
performances in Blow, Sleepy Hollow,
Pirates, and Edward.
I’d have to invite Victoria Beckham.
Despite her amazing achievements
– which I find awe-inspiring as I
never expected her to go this far –
she seems to be the most humble of
the Spice Girls. She’s one of the most
influential people in fashion right
now, and you also have to salute her
for being mum to four kids. How
she still rocks that body, juggles her
career and takes care of her family I
don’t know. She can sit next to me.
My third official guest is Francis
Ford Coppola. I honestly didn’t think
that I would enjoy The Godfather so
much, but the acting, the songs, the
characters, and the storyline are
all perfect.
Last but not least I’d also invite the
French artist Edgar Degas, who was
famed for his paintings, sculptures
and drawings. I wish he was still
around; I’d love to listen to his artsy
talk. I might not understand it all, but
I reckon that everyone would be keen
to have him around.
MENU
Starter: Edamame, sashimi platter, ebi
tempura and soft shell crab tempura
Main: Gindara teriyaki, beef teppanyaki,
assorted sushi set
Dessert: Matcha (green tea) ice cream,
black sesame ice cream
GUEST LIST
Johnny Depp
Francis Ford Coppola
Victoria Beckham
Edgar Degas
90

PURE OUD • PURE LUXURY
A New Fragrance, Quintessentially Parisian, Coming Soon...
www.fragrancedubois.com