Anais Beguine

French perfumer Anais Beguine is best known for her beautiful line of perfume and home fragrance Jardins D’Ecrivains, launched in 2011, which has drawn its inspiration from literary characters including the Elizabethan playwrighter Kit Marlowe (Marlowe)  and Beat Novelist William S. Burroughs (Junky). Last year, Anais introduced Les Cocottes de Paris inspired by famous Courtesans.

Debuting at Esxence March 31, 2016 in Milano, Mme Beguine will launch Gri Gri fragrances, leaving literature and Parisian nightlife to transport us to other civilizations, to ancient rituals revolving around the artistry, history and symbolism of tattoos. The term "Gris Gris" is defined as charms or talismans which are kept for good luck or to ward off evil and is closely associated with voodoo. In the new collection they take on a different meaning.

MOKO MAORI Eau De Parfum: In Oceania, master tattoo artists practise tattooing to mark the transition to a new stage in life. MOKO MAORI Eau de Parfum evokes victorious nobility, the very meaning of this practice. A sprouting fern called koru symbolises strength and peace, offering a wonderful olfactory theme. Floral undergrowth is a main component of New Zealand’s lush nature. Honey-sweet manuka flowers mix with lichen to exude the scent of famous celestial legends.

Head notes: Tussock – Harakeke;Heart notes: Fern – Kowhai – Manuka;Base notes: Lichen – Kanuka

TARA MANTRA Eau de Parfum: The holy Sanskrit texts possess a spiritual power that helps its readers explore their inner selves.TARA MANTRA is an invitation to meditation. Its spicy, vibrant song diffuses the scent of monastic incense. Patchouli, enriched with woody and animal aromatic notes, awakens the senses.

Head notes: Saffron – Cardamom – Hing; Heart notes: Patchouli – Ajowan; Base notes: Lotus – Jasmine – Agar Wood

UKIYO-E Eau de Parfum: The Japanese art of tattooing called irezumi is a thousand years old. UKIYO-E captures our imagination, bringing to mind prints of the floating world and the Edo period’s kabuki theatre. Sakura and ashibi flowers endow this fragrance with poetic woody notes and hints of rose, while genmaicha adds a delightful smokiness, creating an elegant, unique vapour trail that makes time stand still with its aromatic and aquatic notes.

Head notes: Genmaicha – Yuzu – Aralia;Heart notes: Daphne – Green Tea; Base notes: Sakura – Ashibi

The three new fragrances use indigenous raw materials for Olfactive gris-gris, which have beneficial properties, and can accompany meditation.

Palo santo: the shamans of South America, burn this sacred wood as incense for its soothing and purifying effects.

Newadhup: This incense is made by the Newari tribe in Nepal and includes over forty-five plants. Buddhist monks use it for offerings and meditation.

Yerba santa: also called mountain balm or bear weed, this is an Amerindian plant used to make a scent that boosts self-confidence and fosters inner growth.

Dragon's blood is an intense interior fragrance that creates an atmosphere with good karma. It is based on nard—one of the Orient’s oldest fragrances, symbolizing great spiritual value—and dragon’s blood, a purifying resin from Borneo.

Via Anais Beguine

-Michelyn Camen, Editor in Chief