New Perfume Review: Richard Lüscher Britos Natural Terroir Perfumes 46०N 08०E by Jean Claude Gigodot + Swiss Mountain Cowboy Draw

RichardLuscherBritas

 Malvin Richard, Lukas Lüscher, Serena Britos courtesty of Richard Lüscher Britos

When The Silver Fox reviewed Richard Luscher Britos Natural Terroir’s 14°S 48°E, Ambanja in north-eastern Madagascar, I was intrigued. This Swiss fragrance house has an impressive pedigree, and an amazing concept behind it; of the three founders, Malvin Richard is the son of esteemed perfumer Jean-Claude Richard, Lukas Lüscher is a perfume marketing authority and Serena Britos is an expert on ethnobotany, (the connection between plants and local culture). Terroir means land in French, with the connotation of the unique soil, climate and conditions that produce particular wines. Natural Terroir Perfumes worked with fantastic perfumers such as Andy Tauer, Vero Kern and Jean Claude Gigadot (Au Pays de La Fleur D'Oranger) to create an initial collection that delivers beautifully on its promise of transporting the wearer to a specific place, at the exact latitude and longitude.

HotelMuottas

Hotel Muottas Muragl courtesy of homedit.com

To me, Switzerland symbolizes serenity. I’m not a skier, but waking up under a plush eiderdown and then having morning coffee served on a terrace overlooking the snow-capped Alps is the closest to heaven I’ve been. (I happened to be about to leave Switzerland when the first Gulf War broke out and made “tearful” calls to my parents begging them to wire more money so I could stay where I’d be “safer in a neutral country.”)

 

AlbertBierstadtAmongTheBerneseAlps

Among The Bernese Alps, Albert Bierstadt

The fragrances are named by their map coordinates, which can be difficult to remember, but also bear indications of the place and feeling they are meant to evoke. 46०N 08०E is subtitled Valais: Swiss Mountain Cowboy, and the contrast inherent in that phrase is highly evocative of the fragrance itself.  46०N 08०E  is immediately recognizable though the inspiration is the native flora and fauna of Switzerland, he has taken the raw materials and put his unique spin on them, an alchemy of wood and smoke and although M.Gigodot is French 46०N 08०E is unmistakably Swiss.

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 46०N 08०E Illustration Courtesy of Terroir Natural Perfumes

 In addition to listing notes (Swiss pine, oakmoss, and fir balm) the Terroir website describes  46०N 08०E as follows: “Accord 1: Tough…Swiss pines..blue gentians…gurgling mountain streams…sun-warmed needles release a wonderfully fresh and aromatic perfume.” The copy goes on to mention nutcracker birds that stockpile pine seeds, the lichen that grows on the stately trees, and enjoying the silence after a thick blanket of snow by relaxing by a fireplace.

VallkullaAndersZorn1908

 Valkulla, Anders Zorn, 1908

It is exceedingly difficult to create a pine-scented fragrance without evoking the sensation of cleaning products, and it is here that the quality of the natural ingredients excels. One can feel the pricks of the pointy tips of the pines and taste the slight bitterness of the pine sap. “Fresh” in this context does not mean the horrible ozonic notes in so many commercial fragrances, but a sense of the cool but thin air at high altitudes, where one becomes more conscious of breathing.

Smoke from a wood burning fire is definitely noticeable, but I sense it fueling a blond wood sauna where steam rises from stones gathered in a mountain stream, while a hint of lemon adds the cleanliness the Swiss are renowned for. The fragrance epitomizes the silence and calm of the mountains, but is only “rustic” in the sense that a ski chalet in the Alps is rustic. Richard Lüscher Britos Natural Terroir Perfumes Swiss Mountain Cowboy presents the best Swiss hospitality has to offer without the ten thousand dollar price tag attached and can whisk me away for a long weekend any time. 46०N 08०E also represents one of the rare chances to experience a hint of real oakmoss.

. Disclosure: Samples provided by Richard Lüscher Britos.

— Nancy Lichtenstein, Deputy Editor and Beauty Editor

five Richard Lüscher Britos Natural Terroir Perfumes samples

Thanks to the great generosity of Lukas Lüscher, we have a sample set of 2ml each of all five Richard Lüscher Britos Natural Terroir Perfumes  including 44°N 03°E Mystic Violet Hills by Andy Tauer, 04°N 74°W: Canton of Valais in Switzerland, 14°S 48°E’: Ambanja in Madagascar, 44°N 03°E: Causse Méjean,  04°N 74°W: the coffee plantations of Columbia and 38°N 16°E Calabria in southern Italy for a US or EU reader. You can follow Richard Lüscher Britos on Facebook to learn more about the founders’ journeys and olfactive philosophy.   To be eligible, please leave a comment with what appeals to you about this fragrance. . If you are feeling ambitious and want your comment to count twice include the latitude and longitude  of the locality  that would be intriguing for Natural Terroir Perfumest to introduce next.  For example Editor in Chief  Michelyn Camen chose 6.1333° S, 39.3167° E, Zanzibar as a prospective tropical perfume. Be sure to indicate where you reside. Draw closes 8/25/2014.

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

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30 comments

  • cdb73110 says:

    8.6500° S, 115.2167° E
    Bali, Coordinates…..might make a beautiful perfume.

    I have never found a pine type fragrance I really care for except Esencia our Homme by Lowe. This new fragrance sounds like the one I am looking for. I love Andy Tauer’s fragrance esp. Lonestar Memories. It wears very well on my skin. Would love to give this a whirl and see where it take me. In the USA and thanks for the info and the draw.

  • Sandi L says:

    I am so intrigued right now with the conifers that this review sparked my attention rather quickly not to mention the perfumer is so adorable. I could use an escape to the Swiss alps and this fragrance so like the perfect substitution to actually packing up.. My choice for new coordinates would be
    33.7000° N, 43.5000° E Mesopotamia, why because of my love of incense and the oldest mention of incense comes from Mesopotamia in 3000 B C. I am in the US..

  • Cynthia Mc says:

    37°52′54″N, 121°54′51″W
    Mount Diablo, California – a beautiful variety of plant species endemic to the San Francisco Bay Area.

    I am definitely a mountain and forest type of person. The description of this fragrance – the silence and calm, the surprising fullness of the forest air – reminds me of my childhood in the Pacific Northwest. (Albeit with a Swiss twist.)

  • Nemo says:

    I have also been curious about pine as a perfume note recently 🙂 My chosen coordinates would be N 42° 26′ 52.4713″, :W 76° 28′ 40.7917″ which is in the currently wonderfully lush state that summer brings to upstate NY. I am in the US, thank you!

  • Steve A says:

    I like pine scents and they work so well in cold weather. For my coordinates choice I have:Latitude:45.4375, Longitude:12.3358.
    USA

  • HeatherP says:

    As someone of Swiss heritage, I’m intrigued by this one. I also have a weakness for fragrances that make me think of the woods, especially as I currently live in a desert.

    I have two suggestions: 37.8919° N, 122.5708° W, which is Muir Woods in California or 51°24′42″N 116°13′41″W, which is Lake Louise in Alberta. I’ve been to both places and was captivated by the rich scents and contrasts in the air. (For Lake Louise, the smell of glacier would be involved; I’d love to see that captured!)

    I’m in the US; thanks for the draw!

  • Jeannie 07 says:

    I am a person who loves nature ! Mountains, lakes, seas, forests with big conifer trees like pines and the description of this perfume silence and calm, the smell of the forest air filled with rich pine essence oh yes definitely this is a perfume that I have to experience !
    My suggestion would be of Tatoi woods in Acharnai with coordinates of latitude and longitude (38.108898, 23.7836) the beauty of this place is unique especially during autumn and winter time, full of big pine trees and other conifer trees as well.
    I live in EU and I have to thank you for this lovely draw!

  • Connie says:

    I would love to vacation in the Swiss Alps and I’d love to smell this. I’m already imagining its pine-y cool scent in my head! I would love to see a perfume based on the smell of Marrakech (31.6300 N, 8.0089 W), my current dream vacation destination. I’m in the US.

  • Patty P. says:

    Switzerland is a country I have always longed to visit. Perhaps this fragrance is the closest I’ll get. I was interested in what this hint of lemon might be. For my coordinates I have chosen, Lat 40.5579, Long 8.3192, Sardinia.
    usa

  • julesinrose says:

    I enjoy pine notes in perfumery. They evoke the woods where I live, not cleaning products, to me. I’ve been intrigued by this Terroir since the last post about it, so I’d love to try the samples! My coordinates are for Cherryfield, Maine 44.6072° N, 67.9258° W during blueberry season.

  • Eva says:

    Lat 16° 30′ 22.5792” S Long 151° 44′ 58.3080” W Vaitape, a fabulous place in Bora Bora. I want to go there one day. I think there are wonderful smells. This perfume would smells of coconut and exotic flowers.
    I like the article. Natural perfumes are so lovely.
    I live in Europe.

  • Erzsebet says:

    Lat 8° 24′ 34.2648” S Long 115° 11′ 20.0976” E
    Bali, one of the most beautiful place in the world. This perfume would make exotic fruits and flowers.
    The article is very nice.
    I live in Europe.

  • Timea says:

    Lat 20° 3′ 17.5284” N Long 72° 47′ 32.8596” W
    Tortuga. It is a famous place in the Caribbean Sea. That place is was frequented by many pirates. This perfume would smell of sea, rum and a little tobacco.
    I find appeals in these perfumes in the review, that, they are all naturals. And I think they are all fabulous.
    I live in Europe.

  • silvrolive says:

    I adore perfumes that can transport you to a place and would like to experience the pine trees and gurgling streams in this scent.
    JerusalemLatitude: 31°46′44″ N Longitude: 35°13′31″ E
    It would be a scent of rose gardens, open air food markets, new pine forests, and zaatar spice, over a base of pink limestone and olive tree wood.
    I am in the US.
    Thanks for the draw!

  • Kim M says:

    Wow — what an exciting concept! I’d love to see
    Latitude: 24.5557025
    Longitude: -81.7825914 — Key West! — represented in a fragrance. I think the sweet-saltiness of brine, rum, sea air and coconut milk would be incredibly fun to experience.

  • Fazal Cheema says:

    A fragrance with a prominent pine note that doesn’t remind one of cleaning products as well as smoky undertones make me curious about 46०N 08०E. thanks so much for the generous samples. For next fragrance, my recommendation would be Thar Desert 26.9844° N, 71.0017° E . I am in the US

  • Liz K says:

    I am of Swiss heritage and have several online friends from Switzerland, they are ridiculously fun. I have been looking for a pine foresty perfume and still haven’t found one that speaks to me. I would love to sample all of the line.
    I know I’ve said it before but Xilitla, Mex. (21°23′08″N 98°59′25″W ) would be magical as a perfume and I’m surprised nobody has done it yet. I am in the US. Thank you.

  • Esther says:

    That sounds almost as good as a trip into the mountains.
    I’d love to sample this line and I enjoy perfumes wuth a natural touch.
    And I dream of a desert scent. My favorite place at the Red sea coast in Egypt.
    29°2′N 34°40′E
    I’m in the EU

  • Cynthia says:

    There is something in my soul that responds to nature scents and pine is a very calming scent for me. But I agree, it can be hard to get it right. This one sounds very interesting, and the pictures illustrating the scent make me want it all the more. I love this concept. Perfumers are such a creative bunch! I would pick (62 degrees N by 7 degrees west) the Faroe Islands. My son is there now and sending me the most beautiful photos. It’s a spec in the ocean between Iceland and Norway, and where I would pick to be if a plague overcame the world! It looks a lot like New Zealand, at the other end of the globe. I’m in the US

  • Holly F. says:

    Wood and smoke… my favorites. I’m still on my quest to find the perfect pine scent, this might be it. I’m in the U.S. And though I no longer live by the beach, there was a spot by the bay that I would run past in the morning, it somehow smelled all at once of bay breeze, coniferous tree, and wildflowers. I inhaled deeply, every time, my favorite beach to run in New Jersey, 39.0163° N, 74.9360° W.

  • Jiminy says:

    This is such an interesting concept. I lived in Switzerland for a brief period and made some great memories. This would definitely help me recall some of those times. That is exactly what appeals to me about this offering. Thanks for the draw. I am in the US.

  • Vlada says:

    Great article! My choice for coordinates would be Sicily: 37.5000° N, 14.0000° E .
    Thank you for the draw!
    I’m in the US

  • SAntonio says:

    I am intrigued by how this line integrates ethnobotany, which in retrospect every fragrance should, given how fragrance is associated with memory, and by extension, local experience and the foundations of culture. I reside in the US.

  • Rodd says:

    I love the idea of smoke from a burning fire, the alps and a sauna. Please enter me in the draw. 51.1788° N, 1.8262° W is the longitude and latitude of Stonehenge. I think the mysteries and potions of ancient druids would be amazing.

  • Mujo says:

    The notes sound so nice. Pine, oakmoss and fir balm. I love these notes. I live in the Netherland, EU. Thanks for the draw!

  • Cynthia Richardson says:

    The wood and smoke of this fragrance sounds like summer in the forest. I’d like to see how it wears.
    18.1824° N, 77.3218° W
    Jamaica, Coordinates

  • Missi B says:

    The idea seems to be amazing, what I would love about this fragrance is the woods, the calm, the silence of the mountains.

  • Missi B says:

    I am sorry for the second comment, I forgot to mention I am from the EU. And I am adding the place I think would be amazing to have in fragranceN 48° 21′ 13.79″   W 4° 33′ 43.81″. It is a place by the ocean and it is fresh and salty and woody and I love the place 🙂

  • Corinne says:

    I am from Switzerland and have spent most of my life in the alps. When I first came across this perfume I was absolutely amazed about how similar it feels to a fresh, alpine forest – absolutely brilliant!