They were strangers when their eyes met on a crowded Metro car in Paris. He offered her his seat but she demurred, albeit with a small smile. When they emerged from beneath the street to find it was raining, he offered her his umbrella. On impulse, she took his arm instead, and the rest is history.
Coupe de Foudre Creative Directors: Christophe Cervasel and Sylvie Ganter
Creative Directors Sylvie Gantier and Christophe Cervasel were colleagues nearly nine years before starting their own Perfumery, and if the latest addition to Atelier Cologne’s Collection Métal is any indication, there might have been romance in the air. Rendez-Vous, which is exclusive to Atelier boutiques, Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus, was created by the talented perfumer Jerome Epinette of Robertet, as a celebration of the fifth anniversary of the couple’s fragrance line. Rendez-Vous stays perfectly true to Atelier Cologne’s DNA; cologne with sillage.
Auguste Rodin The Kiss 1889
Rendez-Vous opens with a spicy citrus scent composed of Calabrian bergamot, pink pepper and Sicilian lemon, approximating the anticipation of a couple's first kiss. Like Cupid’s arrow, it very quickly goes straight to the heart; a lush, juicy osmanthus. Its heady sweet scent is reminiscent of the first bite of an apricot at the height of ripeness and is supported brilliantly by the green scent of violet leaves and earthy orris, making it feel vibrant and alive. Base notes of suede, patchouli and white musk intertwine with the fruity floral notes like lovers' limbs.
Atelier Cologne Rose Gold Flacon and Tableau
Rendez-Vous is a synesthetic experience. You can smell, touch and see textures; the velvet of petals, the feel of brushed suede, and the sensation of creamy butter with color and flavor. (The only sense this fragrance does not stimulate for me is hearing.) When you’re head over heels in love, you don’t want variety, you only want your beloved, and I could happily wear Rendez-Vous day after day without ever growing tired of it.
I joke that I don’t have to marry every single fragrance that buys me a drink (unless it is a French 75 cocktail), but Rendez-Vous is a scent that continues to fascinate me and hold my attention as it did at the very first spritz. Like a first kiss, Rendez-Vous left me longing for more.
Disclosure: I received my sample of Rendez-Vous from Atelier Cologne Boutique in Brooklyn, New York
— Nancy Knows, Deputy Editor and Beauty Editor
Photo: Atelier Cologne
Thanks to the great generosity of Atelier Cologne we have a beautiful customized 30 ml rose gold flacon of Rendez-Vous for one lucky reader from the U.S., Canada, or the E.U. To enter, please comment indicating what your favorite Atelier Cologne fragrance is and why you would like to try Rendez-Vous. Draw ends 7/31/204.
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