photo credits for all images courtesy of Pierre Guillaume of Parfumerie Generale
During the eleventh edition of Pitti Fragranze, Pierre Guillaume, the perfumer and Founder of Parfumerie Generale, showed a capsule collection of perfumes entitled "Contemplation Pitti 2013." At that time M.Guillaume stated that the two fragrances were personal explorations (Ironic Bliss and Indian Rhapsody), were not going to be for sale and that they were created in conjunction with the Company's 10th Anniversary. Happily for all of M. Guillaume's devotees, Parfumerie Generale has introduced “Collection Signature”, which is a similar concept, but M. Guillaume revisits a chosen selection of Parfumerie Generale Collection Numeraire fragrances. Each is a new interpretation with new emotions and ingredients. The originals remain unaltered in the line.
The first three to debut in “Collection Signature” COZE Verde 2.1 ", "Arabian Horse 3.1 and "Vetiver Matale 6.1 revisited COZE 02, Venenum Leather 03 and collectively the "Matales": Hyperessence Matale 12 and L’Eau Rare Metale 06. They are available in 50 ml and 100ml and can be purchased ONLY at Parfumerie Generale's newly redesigned website, nowhere else at this time
Cozé Verdé – Woody Oriental/ Green/Key Notes: Fig Sap and Green Tobacco
A complete reformulation of the original perfume Cozé launched in 2002. In the new Cozé Verdé, Tobacco leaf is the central accord and regains its initial freshness with the support of a lime and fig sap. Licorice brings a new woody and spicy dimension, while pepper and pimento are discreetly added. In the heart Patchouli and Indian hemp are strong, but coffee and cacao are used with a lighter hand. In the background, vanilla has been replaced with salicylates and dry woods. It is still a British gentlemen's club, but somewhere on a beach in Panama …Notes: Essences of lime, fig sap, spicy nuances, licorice, cocoa, tobacco leaf, salicylates, patchouli, dry woods and mineral notes
Unusual Chypre Floral, Sensual, Animalic/Key Notes: herbs, horse accord,amber
The gallop of a horse… Leather is the story figuratively and literally and a noble horse runs through the wet grass of a wide open field. Arabian Horse opens with fresh vegetal notes, wet grass, sap, wildflowers and narcissus absolute. The heart is dominated by leather and a horsehair accord blended with animalic musk. Cypriol, wood and amber bring subtle oriental nuances as in an equestrian painting. The perfume is a deeply evocative experience, as if you are riding a thoroughbred gallop in the English moor… wetland, wild flowers and grasses trampled by the beast, the smell of his mane, the warmth of his fur … Arabian Horse was made of a record number of ingredients, including expensive and exceptional ones like Narcissus absolute, Labdanum absolute, Cypriol Heart … which make the fragrance truly special and unique.
Powdery Woody Amber / Key notes:Vetiver, blond tabacco, honey
With this final installment of the "Trilogy Matale"(Hyperessence Matale 06 and L’eau Rare Metale 12) M. Guillaume creates an androgynous vetiver –which is both fullbodied and soft. The choice of Vetiver Bourbon extremely pure, warm and silky, slightly smoked allows the leaves to meld with Green Tea and absolute blond tobacco. This axis of "woody-amber" oscillates between sophistication and rustic, with contrasting notes of powdery heliotrope, Cashmeran resinoid and honey. In order to best bring out the fragrance’s many facets, M.Guillaume used a concentration of 20% for "Vetiver Matale”.
Which of these would you like to try and which existing Parfumerie Generale in the Collection Numeraires fragrances would you like to see re-interpreted. Musc Maori and Aomassi would be my choices.
–Michelyn Camen, Editor-in Chief
Note: This is my translation of the French copy on www.parfumeriegenerale.com as well as my own re-wording. It is accurate, but I took some poetic license in descriptive language as I attempted to capture the spirit of the Collection. Apologies to Pierre in advance if my translation has any gross errors , which shows that a French husband, living in Paris for a year and 7yrs of French language studies does not make one bilingual .