Scene from 1955 To Catch A Thief with Cary Grant and Grace Kelly
The carefree, cinematic romances of the 1950s, 60s and 70s, set against the sunshine and glamour of the Côte d’ Azur, were the stuff my adolescent dreams were made of. Films like Alfred Hitchcock’s “To Catch a Thief” distilled and fixed in my mind the elegance and the spirit of the times. Today, as I write this review of Atelier des Ors’ three new fragrances in The Riviera Collection, (Atelier des Ors Riviera Drive, Pomelo Riviera and Riviera Lazuli), I find myself re-living my youthful fantasies of the French Riviera.
Jean-Phillipe Clermont and Marie Salamagne via Atelier des Ors
Like treasured postcards from long lost friends – or current photos from my granddaughter as she vacations in Nice – the perfumes of the Atelier des Ors Riviera Collection, composed under the creative direction of Jean- Philippe Clermont and award winning perfumer Marie Salamagne, revive my memories, painting olfactory pictures of scenic drives, fragrant gardens and the deep azure blue of the Mediterranean.
Riviera Drive and Road Map of the Côte d’Azur via Bon-Bon Travel ©
The first breath of Riviera Drive is very fresh, a little wild and ever so exhilarating. I imagine myself speeding around in my 1968 British Racing Green MGB roadster, the soft top down, zipping over narrow winding roads high above the sea. A glint of bright lemon and a loose bouquet of fresh herbs – wild marjoram and rosemary – create the aromatic impression of summer wind in my hair, a sense of freedom, youthful exuberance and possibility.
Sirène au Poisson by Marc Chagall from Nice & the Côte d’Azur.
Bright blues and chartreuse hues are intensified in the heart by deeper resinous greens of cedar leaf and absinthe. The vivid, adventurous spirit and fragrant vistas are grounded in the luminescent warmth of patchouli, Cashmeran and musk.
Notes: Lemon, marjoram, rosemary, cedar leaf, absinthe, patchouli, Cashmeran, cedar and musk.
Photo by Atelier Des Ors and Gardens on the Riviera, details from a photo by Allie Gross ©
I drive for the sheer pleasure of driving, but soon discover that my Riviera Drive is leading me to a quiet and charming destination. I discover an ancient villa perched on a steep hillside, overlooking the sea. The old house is surrounded by a walled garden filled with citrus, white flowers, roses and palms. Atelier des Ors Pomelo Riviera greets me with the sparkling zest of my favorite citrus fruit, the pomelo, seasoned with a zephyr of salt air. A radiant sharpness of bright citrus relaxes into the seductively hypnotic and silky aromas of jasmine and orange blossoms.
Femme au Bouquet by Marc Chagall from Nice & the Côte d’Azur.
The enchanting garden retreat that is Atelier des Ors Pomelo Riviera tempts me to a long afternoon nap in the shade of tropical palms. I leave the garden refreshed and continue my road trip to the shore.
Notes: Grapefruit, jasmine, bergamot, orange blossom, salt accord, rose and cedarwood.
Photo from Atelier des Ors and Sailboats on the Mediterranean, details from a photo by Allie Gross ©
After discovering the freedom of winding roads and the relaxation of ancient gardens, Atelier des Ors Riviera Lazuli brings me to sea level and to the scents of sand, driftwood and sunshine. Sea breezes refresh with notes of lemon and cypress. From my beach towel on the strand I gaze out at the sailboats and yachts bobbing, shiny and white, in the blue Mediterranean afternoon. Clary sage, gaiac wood and immortelle create the sweet, softly spiced effect of warm sand on tanned skin. I close my eyes, enjoying the sun, sea breeze and the resinous soothing effects of balsam and incense.
Palms and Bougainvillea – details from a photo by Allie Gross ©
Atelier des Ors Riviera Lazuli leaves me with images and memories of a perfect day on the French Riviera, reliving youthful dreams and revisiting memories and fantasies of days gone by.
Notes: Lemon, cypress, bergamot, clary sage, cedarwood, gaiac wood, immortelle, fir balsam and incense.
Disclaimer: I would like to thank Megan Paki of Atelier des Ors for the generous decants of the Atelier Des Ors Riviera Collection from Esxence 2019. My opinions are my own.
Gail Gross – Senior Editor
Art Direction – Michelyn Camen, Editor in Chief who thanks both Gail’s grand-daughter Allie for her amazing photos of the French Riviera and Lucas of Chemist in A Bottle for that spectacular three flacon shot
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Photo of Riviera Drive, Atelier Des Ors Riviera Pomelo, Riviera Lazuli by our friend Lucas @chemistbottle
Thanks to Jean- Philippe Clermont we have a reader’s choice of one beautiful 100ml bottle of Atelier des Ors from the Riviera Collection for one registered reader anywhere in the world. Please be sure to register if you have not done so. To be eligible let us know what appeals to you about any or all of the three perfumes in the Atelier des Ors Riviera Collection based on Gail’s reviews which one you would want should you win and where you live. You can also mention your favorite fragrance from Atelier des Ors. Draw closes 5/25/2019
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