Have you ever wondered what your favorite commercial perfumers could do if they had the freedom to create like our best independent perfumers? What would someone used to creating something for thousands do if they could create for hundreds? What if they could use a limited access ingredient or more fully explore an idea, or ingredient, they were personally interested in? Until recently that question could only be answered by those perfumers taking the financial risk of creating their own line. With the advent of the Fragrance Republ!c these perfumers have the chance to create a small limited edition for a community of aficionados which allow them unlimited creative freedom.

For those who are hearing about the Fragrance Republ!c for the first time it is a combination of perfume subscription service and online community. Every month Fragrance Republ!c releases a one-of-a-kind limited edition fragrance. This started in October 2013 and as of January 2014 there have been four of these released. If you choose to join as a Freepeople you can access the community and can buy each monthly release as they are released through the website. If you pay to become a Patrician you receive a 15mL bottle of each monthly release sent directly to you plus a 20% discount if you want to buy a full 75mL bottle. The top level of paid membership is Senator which includes the opportunity to submit a brief which could become one of the monthly releases plus free admission to all Fragrance Republ!c events.

I was immediately taken with the idea when I first heard of it last May and now that there have been four fragrances released I thought it might be a good time to assess the State of the Republ!c.

Nathalie Feisthauer

The first fragrance was released in October 2013, 01/01 composed by Nathalie Feisthauer. 01/01 is an iris centered fragrance which Mme Feisthauer opens with a crisp green pear. This is a pear a couple days short of being ripe it still has a bit more bite than sweet to it. The heart is a sheer iris paired with exotic saffron. The pillow fight between the floral and the spicy is kinetic but soft. It eventually leads to a base of ambrette seeds as a source of natural musk and vetiver. The use of ambrette seeds is common among many perfumers in the indie community and with 01/01, Mme Feisthauer also gets to show off its versatility as a natural source of musk.

Julie Masse

01/02 was composed by Julie Masse. For her fragrance she wanted to tackle that show-stopper of a note tuberose but she wanted to create an “ethereal” version of it. When talking about tuberose, “ethereal” is not usually an adjective one uses to describe it. What Mme Masse does is to keep it simple. By pairing Rose de Mai and Cocoa with the tuberose she creates something much lighter than the usual white flowers powerhouse fragrances. The choice of the cocoa helps create an almost desiccated version of the tuberose as if it was removed from a memory jar. I also like that the slight mentholated quality of tuberose is more easily detected in 01/02. It adds an interesting chill down the spine effect to the entire composition.

Cecile Matton

01/03 was composed by Cecile Matton. Mme Matton wanted to create a Mojito in fragrant form. To do this she chose an ingredient which she was familiar with from her childhood in Africa, gurjum. Gurjum is described by Mme Matton as a very dry spicy and woody note. The gurjum is the wooden pestle used to muddle the other ingredients in the alcoholic inspiration. There is rum, mint, and citrus all being crushed together under the spicy, woody influence of gurjum. 01/03 is a perfect example of the creativity the Fragrance Republ!c provides its perfumers. In an interview on the FR! Website she mentions that she always wanted to use gurjum in a fragrance ever since she smelled it as a child and this afforded her the opportunity to finally do that.

Amelie Bourgeois

01/04 was composed by Amelie Bourgeois. Mme Bourgeois wanted 01/04 to evoke a weekend getaway to Argentina. The concept is a tango of floral and woody notes with magnolia taking the floral lead and sesame and tonka providing the woody dance partner. Early on, after a citrus opening, the floral component of magnolia and jasmine are stalking the olfactory dance floor with authority. Ever so slowly the sesame starts to exert some control before tonka takes those floral notes and fully in control dips them towards the floor. As they swirl together in harmony this dance continues long into the night trailing a white musk vapor trail behind it.

I have been thrilled with my monthly delivery and I feel like Fragrance Republ!c is the subscription service for those who really love the creative side of perfumery. I look forward to my box every month to see what is inside. After four months I can say this Republ!c is living up to its potential and then some.

Disclosure: This review was based on my Patrician membership in Fragrance Republ!c.

Thanks to Fragrance Republ!c we have a special draw for a free three-month Patrician Memebership in Fragrance Republ!c which will entitle the winner to receiving 01/05 by Antoine Lie, 01/06 by Karine Chevallier, and 01/07. This is a US only draw. To be eligible you need to go over to the Fragrance Republ!c website and register as a Freepeople then leave a comment below saying you have registered and are in the US. Please use the same e-mail addresses for both your comment and your registration on FR!. The draw will end on January 27, 2014.

We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our RSS option…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.

-Mark Behnke, Managing Editor