BINET-PAPILLON No.1 Alkemist Pepper collector’s bottle via website

 “BINET-PAPILLON, a single ambition: “May your heart open”. All BINET-PAPILLON creations seek to obey Louis XIV’s famous phrase, which is in itself a hymn to perfumery: “Do me the grace that your heart open” (“Que votre coeur y réponde”)”. ~ via website

 Ida at the BINET-PAPILLON booth during Esxence

The fragrance house BINET-PAPILLON first captured my imagination at Esxence 2024, and then again in 2025; I found their parfums to be creative and extraordinary. 2024 was their initial exhibition in Milan, and they had few available samples at that time; I nevertheless earmarked the brand as one to watch. This past February was more organized and samples were available upon request, as were full bottles (available for purchase). I spent a significant amount of time exploring each and every one – and determinedly purchased the fragrance which had haunted me for a full year: BINET-PAPILLON No.1 Alkemist Pepper (formerly known as Alkemist 1758 under the brand name Papillon Rouge): a mythical floral/spiced/incense/leathery potion with spectacular longevity on the skin. I discovered afterwards that Alkemist Pepper happened to be the Creative Director/ Co-Perfumer Virginie Choné’s signature scent.

Via the brand

All the fragrances in the BINET-PAPILLON pantheon are the collaborative work of self-educated nose Jean Sauvage (who prefers to remain as anonymous as possible) and Mme. Choné, who entered the world of fragrance as a marketing director for Guerlain in France.

Virginie Choné Creative Director and Founder via the brand

Virginie Choné and her in-house nose founded Papillon Rouge fifteen years ago and rebranded as BINET-PAPILLON, thus combining the reference to Louis XIV’s perfumer Benoît Binet (and his familial legacy of perfumery) with Papillon Rouge’s original mission and aesthetic – to compose long-lasting perfumes which were respectful of nature, and honored the iconic raw materials of the 17th C. while employing a minimum of synthetics (which are utilized in the interest of preventing animal cruelty). In fact, BINET-PAPILLON’s compositions are 90% natural and 84% organic, produced in Grasse.

BINET-PAPILLON No.1 Alkemist Pepper via Instagram

Why did BINET-PAPILLON No.1 Alkemist Pepper intone its siren song in my ear (and my nose)? I concur with French poet Alfred de Musset’s assertion that one must love many things in order to determine what is loved the best, and my olfactory tastes are wildly varied. Often, my dearest perfumes are those which vibrate with mystery and complexity – which is why Alkemist Pepper has ensnared me. Every fragrant component in it delights me, and when wed to one another, there exists a soulful synergy which I find so compelling. Its earthy and ethereal elements are skillfully balanced so that neither overshadows the other. The fragrance opens with a pétillant burst of spicily floral black pepper in tandem with a deeply lavender-hued violet; they are accompanied by the woody/flowery complexity of petitgrain. It’s a sparkling way to introduce the more shadowy aromas which ensue that are resinous, woody and balsamic. Lemony elemi is an aromatic pleasure, and even more so when the likes of patchouli, cade, cistus, vetiver, and styrax are so deftly handled in a scented symbiosis.

via Instagram

When you regard the notes provided, the tendency is to envision a weighty, tarry fragrance – which is far from Alkemist Pepper’s reality. Perhaps this perfume resembles an individual whom one might dismiss as a little quirky at first encounter, only to discover later that they are actually enlightened and profound. This person will remain by your side for the long haul – which is much like Alkemist Pepper: it’s a faithful and tenacious, welcome presence which is never intrusive. One spray will linger for many hours, even more so on a scarf or sweater; it leaves a lovely trail in its wake. I have applied it in the early morning and continued to enjoy it at bedtime without reapplication. It’s difficult to resist a fragrance this attractive and soothing.

Notes: black pepper, petitgrain, violet, elemi, patchouli, cade (also known as juniper tar), cistus labdanum, vetiver, styrax

This perfume reviewed is one that I purchased at Esxence 2025. My nose is my own…

BINET-PAPILLON No.1 Alkemist Pepper No.1 was launched in 2017

~ Ida Meister, Deputy and Natural Perfumery Editor

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