Histoires de Parfums 1828, photo by Dalya Azaria
Histoires de Parfums, the French perfume house founded by Gerald Ghislain in 2000, creates “stories to be read on your skin.” Their olfactive library was inspired by remarkable people, decades, raw materials, and creative expression throughout world history. Histoires de Parfums 1828 is an ode to the birth year of Jules Verne (February 8, 1828 – March 24, 1905 who is acknowledged as the father of science fiction). Verne’s novels inspired generations of scientists, inventors, and explorers. He was a man truly ahead of his time.
Steampunk, image by Currens via Pixabay
Jules Verne famously authored Journey to the Center of the Earth (1863) and Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Seas (1869), in which his description of Captain Nemo’s underwater ship anticipated some not-yet-invented functions of modern submarines. Several of Verne’s stories are considered to be the earliest examples of steampunk, though they were written more than a century before the term for this literary and social movement existed. In Verne’s day there was great interest in science and technology—it was considered a wondrous age of progress and innovation, producing both the steam locomotive and electrical power, which in turn led to a great enthusiasm for exploration.
Jules Verne via wikipedia Felix Nadir
At first bright and citrusy, the grapefruit and tangerine top notes of Histories de Parfums 1828 immediately suggest the bracing quality of a classic barbershop scent, a nod to an era of bewhiskered gentlemen. It’s sharp and tart, a little sweet. Then a woodsy eucalyptus creeps in, followed by warming cedar and a hint of pine. This ignites a transition, introducing lightly spicy notes of pepper and nutmeg. The spices suggest a bygone and exotic world of trade routes traversed by creaking wooden ships, and landscapes dotted with vetiver. The faintly spicy drydown of Histoires de Parfums 1828 retains the citrus and wood notes from the opening, grounded by a hint of incense and lashings of earthy vetiver.
Jules Verne Buoy, photo by liselenain via Pixabay
Jules Verne has been one of the most frequently translated author in the world, ranking second after Agatha Christie and one ahead of William Shakespeare. Inspired in 1889 by the fictitious voyage in his book Around the World in Eighty Days, New York World assigned reporter Nellie Bly to follow protagonist Phileas Fogg’s path. It took her 72 days, six hours, 11 minutes, and 14 seconds. Then in 1901, the newspaper Echo de Paris assigned a reporter to beat her time and he made it in 63 days. A 73-year-old Jules Verne was waiting at the Amiens to shake the reporter’s hand as his train pulled into the station. Today, it is technically possible to fly around the world within 40-55 hours (depending on weather, airplane weight, and other factors). But like an expertly crafted fragrance, the romance of a journey (or the legacy of a great author) is found through time spent savoring the experience, like one would do with Histoires de Parfums 1828 from start to finish, instead of rushing to a destination, conclusion, or other endpoint.
Notes: Grapefruit, Citrus, Tangerine, Eucalyptus, Nutmeg, Pepper, Cedar, Incense, Vetiver, Pine Cone.
Disclaimer: A bottle of Histoires de Parfums 1828 was generously provided for this review by Eden Square, U.S. distributors of Histoires de Parfums fragrances. My opinions are my own.
Dalya Azaria, Senior Contributor
Histoires de Parfums 1828, photo by Dalya
Thanks to the generosity of Gerald Ghislain of Histoires de Parfums we have a 120 ml bottle of 1828 for one registered reader in the EU, USA, Canada or UK. To be eligible for the draw, please leave a comment saying what appeals to you about Histoires de Parfums 1828 based on Dalya’s review, whether you have a favorite Histoires de Parfums fragrance and where you live. What historic writer, place or figure would you like to see Histoires de Parfums create a fragrance for? Draw closes 4/29/2021
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