Julien Rasquinet courtesy of the perfumer

 I have been a fan of perfumer Julien Rasquinet’s work since before I even knew his name.  Julien’s creations for Naomi Goodsir (Bois d’Ascese, Cuir Velours & Iris Cendre) are what initially captivated me and prompted my purchase of the intensely smoky bonfire scent Bois d’Ascese.  However, it wasn’t until late 2015 when, on the same day, I purchased Iris Cendre and Fidelis by Histoires de Parfums; two scents on opposite ends of the fragrance spectrum, that it occurred to me this is a perfumer to whom I should be paying close attention.

Naomi Goodsir (Bois d’Ascese, Cuir Velours & Iris Cendre photo by Rachel

Without repeating all of Julien’s background which has been so brilliantly written about and told through his own words in our Young Perfumer series from 2016, he does have an intriguing story of how he got his start in the world of perfumery and was fortunate to have been personally trained by the master perfumer, Pierre Bourdon.  Backstory aside, what drew me to Julien and his perfumes is a more personal connection; we were both expats living in Dubai.

Julien took a position at the Dubai office of the perfume creation house, IFF (International Flavors & Fragrances), in 2014.  He writes of the opportunity to experience, “…the Middle East, as it is for me a great idea laboratory, a place of intuition, of excess, and it gives the rare opportunity to talk directly to the owners of beautiful perfume brands. It is also something I used to appreciate a lot in the European niche. It is key today for a perfumer to understand this booming market, in terms of business, as it’s a source of inspiration for the rest of the world, and also in terms of a perfumery with strong identity.” Being that Dubai is where I initially started my own fragrant journey, I understand just what Julien means about the Middle East being both a land of excess and opulence but also open and welcoming with the desire to share their culture with the world.

Collage by Rachel (bottles her own)

Mr. Rasquinet created a host of perfumes during his time in Dubai (he is back in France now) for both Arabic and Western brands.  Some of his creations are well publicized, such as Roses Berberanza for Lancome (winner of the 2017 Fragrance Foundation Arabia award for fragrance of the year – niche) and The Moon for Frederic Malle while others require a little more hunting in order to give him credit such as the Arabian Oud global sensation, Madawi, on which he collaborated with Dominique Ropion.  Julien continues to create a wide variety of fragrances for a host of brands both niche and prestige and while not all his perfumes hark back to his days in the Middle East, I find that more often than not, he draws upon his adopted culture to add a very authentic twist to his work.

While I never hesitate to recommend any Julien Rasquinet’s creations I have, with much effort, chosen “Three You Should Be Wearing” (in chronological order):

 Creed Royal Oud photo by Rachel ©

Creed Royal Oud (2011): I risk having to turn in my perfumista badge by admitting Royal Oud is the first and only fragrance by Creed that I own.  There is something about the brand that has always made me hesitate to explore the line despite having the opportunity to freely test them at the boutique in Dubai.  In fact, it is only recently that I became aware of this particular scent and yes, it is because of its creator Mr. Rasquinet.  Not to delve into the particulars that have come to light about the house of Creed and its founder, Olivier Creed, I will simply say how satisfying it is that the creators of Creed perfumes are finally being recognized; a movement all brands should embrace.

Back in 2011 when Royal Oud was released, the trend of using oud in Western perfumery was going strong.  As mentioned in the original Çafleurebon review of Creed Royal Oud, there was, “…an almost daily parade of oud fragrances coming from every perfume house big and small… they are starting to coalesce into one large similar smelling group.”  Fortunately, Creed Royal Oud is more of an “oud in name only” fragrance.  Mr. Rasquinet himself spoke in a recent interview about how he created this scent prior to his time in the Middle East and before he had a complete understanding of the vast scent profile of “real oud”.  The fact that Royal Oud is not a barnyard or fecal oud and is more of a beautiful spicy green incense over a soft layer of creamy sandalwood probably explains why it has taken some time to gain the notability it has.  There are certainly people (myself included) who stayed away because they were not willing to smell yet another Westernized oud scent that had little to do with the real material.  Perhaps if Creed had named this fragrance Royal Incense it would not have taken me over a decade to discover and add it to my collection.  I urge you to give it a try even if you are not an oud fan and especially if you enjoy resinous and incense perfumes with a touch of oud.  Notes: Pink Pepper, Lemon, Bergamot; Cedar, Angelica, Galbanum, Sandalwood, Agarwood (Oud) and Musk.

 photo by Rachel ©

Jusbox, Golden Serenade (2019):  Julien Rasquinet has created several scents (Black Powder, Green Bubble, Siren & Sailors, Night Flow, Suit of Lights) for Jusbox, an Italian niche house utilizing music genres as their inspiration.  It is the 2019 release, Golden Serenade, part of Jusbox’ “Award Collection” and an homage to the romantic jazz serenade: Chattanooga Choo Choo, for which I most often reach.  While Golden Serenade is not as quirky as Black Powder or Green Bubble, it has all the richness and intensity I have come to adore and associate with Arabic powerhouse creations that withstand even the most extreme climates.  The twist with Golden Serenade is that Julien expertly blends gourmand notes of sweet vanilla and amber with the resinous incense and dusty patchouli.  Golden Serenade is the perfect cozy winter scent, enveloping you in the warmth of a heavy blanket of scent as you sit by a roaring fire.  As an extrait de parfum, you will be sure Golden Serenade will not leave you out in the cold.  Notes: Saffron, Clove, Incense, Patchouli Heart LMR, Oud Oil LMR, Vanilla, Opoponax, Amber Xtreme

 Amouage Incense Rori photo by Amouage and collage by Rachel

Amouage Incense Rori Attar (2022):  While not privy to the story of how Julien Rasquinet  was first brought into the Amouage fold under the creative direction of Renaud Salmon, it is certain from his first Amouage creation, Enclave, there is not a better match for a house that has made its mission to bridge the gap between traditional Arabic and Western perfumery.  Filling the void left by the discontinued original Amouage attars is no small feat, but Julien has managed to recreate traditional Arabic perfumery utilizing the highest quality Hojari Frankincense in Amouage’s Incense Rori.  The lemony green top notes of frankincense mixing with smoke and dark wood takes me right back to the narrow stone allies of the Omani souqs where shelves of hand-marked bottles fill the tiny alcoves, and the shopkeepers are more than willing to offer up a test swipe on the back of your hand to facilitate the sale.

Omani souq picture by Rachel ©

It requires someone like Mr. Rasquinet who has first-hand experience of the cultural aspects of perfumed oils – how they are layered and utilized not just for one’s own benefit but to build a bond between people – to successfully walk the line between ancient and modern.  While I treasure the classic Amouage attars, I am grateful Amouage chose Julien to carry on the tradition, within the boundaries of IFRA, in order that more of the world will be able to experience the magic of Amouage attars.

With over a hundred creations under his belt, Mr. Rasquinet, despite his young age, has already amassed a master’s portfolio. There is no question I will be keeping an eye out for future additions, and I urge you to do so as well.

Rachel Watson, Senior Contributor

Disclaimer: Golden Serenade and Royal Oud reviews based on bottles I purchased. Incense Rori is based on a sample from the attar discovery set graciously provided by Amouage.  Opinions are always my own.

Thanks to the generosity of  a team member we have a sample of Amouage  of Incense Rori for one registered reader in the US. You must register or your entry will not count. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what sparks your interest about Rachel’s  top three perfumes by Julien Rasquinet , if you have a favourite scent by Julien Rasquinet and where you live. Draw closes  June 1, 2022

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