Anatole Lebreton Racine Carrée (fragrance visualisation ©Despina Veneti)

Just a few days before writing my “best fragrances of 2021” piece for ÇaFleureBon, a sample of Racine Carrée reached me in an envelope; from the very first minutes of wearing it, I knew that Anatole Lebreton’s latest composition would be a personal favorite. When a full hour passed, the fragrance had earned a place in my annual top-10 with remarkable certainty: Racine Carrée intrigued, surprised and delighted me as few perfumes did during the year that just ended. With a name that translates into English as “Square Root”, this cerebral yet immensely pleasing creation is a thoughtful study on rhizomes, as well as a sensational showcase of the versatile beauty of Haitian vetiver. It also marks a notable change in style for its creator, whose previous work referenced – most often imaginatively – the vintage perfumes that he so much loves, and collects. I had the pleasure of discussing Racine Carrée with Anatole Lebreton, and he agreed with my assessment that his new fragrance is a shift towards modernity; although he didn’t start off working on it with a conscious decision to follow a resolutely contemporary style, he believes that his very subject called for such a treatment. He added that, after having studied the structure of classic fragrances for more than a decade, he has by now fully absorbed that knowledge and is ready to incorporate it more loosely, even abstractly, in his perfume creations.

Perfumer and brand founder Anatole Lebreton (via najunda.com)

Aiming to promote sustainability and eco-consciousness through his fragrances, the perfumer chose materials that reflect these principles as much as possible. Apart from the natural ingredients themselves, in Racine Carrée he used interesting synthetic molecules that also happen to be products of upcycling and/or “green chemistry”. It all started with his idea to make a vetiver-centered fragrance that he would himself enjoy: with less emphasis on the freshness, and more on the rooty aspects of his main raw material (which is, after all, derived from the dried roots of the plant). After that decision, the notion of surrounding vetiver with other roots emerged as a logical choice; eventually abandoning some rather challenging thoughts (at one point, he even toyed with the idea of including a freshly cut potato note!), the perfumer finally opted for orris butter (the precious product of the steam distillation of iris rhizomes, after they have been dried for three years), carrot and celery oil (produced from the seeds of these rooty vegetables), as well as licorice (an accord of his own that does not reflect the eponymous confectionery, but the vivid aroma of the actual plant’s root).

Vetiver roots via wiki

On my skin, Anatole Lebreton Racine Carrée unfolds in a conceptually and aesthetically gratifying manner: the fragrance’s evolution can be described as “vertical”, with the notes surfacing from the ground up. The rich earthiness and nuttiness of the orris butter, carrot seed and vetiver root soon give way to a springtime boom: a grassy, herbal and aromatic force emerges. After the first 15-20 minutes, the fragrance’s star note, the Haitian vetiver, seems to be growing taller by the minute – stalky and verdant, rich in lemony, peppery and gingery undertones, and almost crunchy in feeling (aided by the celery, which adds a unique kind of greenness and textural depth). Around the vetiver’s aerial stems, an amicable field of clary sage and chamomile blooms, completing the olfactive landscape with a well-rounded, prairie-like impression. The licorice note that the perfumer mentions feels to me less like a distinct accord, and more like an effect; I detect its presence in the synergy between vetiver, celery and cypriol, that altogether create a smoky, slightly burnt undercurrent. The use of synthetic molecules in Racine Carrée is also notable: Biomuguet® (Takasago’s 100% bio-based, and biodegradable, muguet-reminiscent ingredient) adds a unifying mist of abstract herbalcy and floralcy; Fixamber® (a DRT/Firmenich raw material produced via green chemistry) offers woody, light ambery and tobacco-like nuances; Ambrox® Super (a Firmenich fragrance component produced via white biotechnology) contributes woody, musky and ambergris-like tonalities; finally, the use of Nootkatone (a molecule naturally found in grapefruit) accents the Haitian vetiver’s inherent zestiness.

Anatole Lebreton Racine Carrée (photo courtesy of Anatole Lebreton)

The word “roots” encapsulates Earth’s motherly reassurance and the poetry of its more metaphorical dimension: they give life to plants and trees, and have nourished billions of beings throughout the centuries – but to us, humans, roots also represent our ancestry, as well as that special place we call “home”. Anatole Lebreton Racine Carrée lovingly captures some of the roots’ most delightful aromas, along with feelings that the broader meaning of the word evokes: groundedness and tranquility, soothingness and comfort. In times of reoccurring travel restrictions and isolation, Anatole Lebreton Racine Carrée packs a sensorial and emotional impact that directly touches one’s heartstrings.  

Official Notes: Carrot, Celery, Chamomile, Clary Sage, Orris Butter, Licorice, Cypriol, Vetiver, Ambrox.

Disclaimer: This review was based on a sample provided by Anatole Lebreton (my thanks!) and a travel spray I subsequently purchased. The opinions are my own.

– Despina Veneti, Senior Editor

 

Anatole Lebreton Parfums Racine Carrée travel spray in the “Racine Box” presentation, accompanied by vials of raw materials (photo courtesy of Anatole Lebreton)

Thanks to the generosity of Anatole Lebreton, we have a draw for a Racine Box (containing a 7.5ml travel spray of Racine Carrée and ten 2.5ml vials of the fragrance’s main raw materials) for one registered reader WORLDWIDE. You must register here or your comment will not count. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what you enjoyed most about Despina’s review, if you have a favorite Anatole Lebreton fragrance, and where you live. Draw closes  1/12/2022

Editor’s note: Anatole Lebreton Racine Carrée is available in 50ml bottles, in 7.5ml spray format (that can be selected as part of the brand’s Travel Set), and in a special “Racine Box” edition that contains a travel spray of the fragrance along with ten 2.5ml vials with its main ingredients.-Despina

2021: Anatole Lebreton’s Racine Carrée was awarded a CaFleureBon Best of Scent by Despina

2020: Anatole LeBreton‘s Fleur Cachee was awarded a CaFleureBon best of scent by Lauryn

2019: Anatole won a CaFleureBon  best of scent for Perfumista by Lauryn

Three CaFleureBon awards in 2018 for Anatole Lebreton’s Cornaline (Ermano, Lauryn and Michelyn)

Anatole Lebreton won Ermano’s 2016 CaFleureBon Rising Star Award. Incarnata received A 2016 Top 25 Best of Scent from Michelyn and Ermano.

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