Olivia Giacobetti 2010

Iunx (pronounced “Yonks”) Perfumes of Paris are the brainchild and passion of Olivia Giacobetti, perfumer and nose for some of the most iconic scents of the last 30 years. Among her many accomplishments are Ofresia and Philosykos for Diptyque, Hiris for Hermes, En Passant for Frederic Malle, Lubin’s Idole, and numerous perfumes for L’Artisan Perfumeur including Dzing, Safran Troulblant, Thé Pour Un Ete,  2010’s all natural Honore de Pres fragrances and the fig perfume which is often credited for kickstarting the trend for “neo-gourmands”; 1994’s Premier Figuier.

Iunx Boutique courtesu of iunx.com

In 2011 Mme. Giacobetti opened up her own bijou in the luxe  Hotel Costes in the Sixth arrondissement of Paris featuring an exclusive-to-Paris line created by her, called Iunx. The boutique is a cool and serene oasis amidst the hustle and bustle of the City Of Light, an architectural exhale-of-breath, sleek, simple, contemporary and absolutely beautiful. The perfumes share the same aesthetic as the shop; light, airy, spacious and other worldly. And like the shop, breathtaking. Produced in Grasse using the finest ingredients then bottled and packaged by hand in Paris, each scent is presented perfectly and the 150 ml. bottles are truncheon-sized and a sight to behold.

The word Iunx very loosely translates from Latin/Greek to “seduced by scent”, and each of the perfumes which represent a single moment in time are works of art. The newest perfume is an Eau De Toilette called simply Iunx Talc. Now I must admit to being quite the Giacobetti FanBoy. I have always found her work to be perfume perfection, and her fragrances never feel as if they’ve been rushed through production, but rather extremely deliberate and well thought-out. Her creations are ready when they’re ready and not sooner, so although her production may not be as prodigious as some, her products are always “choice.” Iunx Talc is no exception.

Photo Kazuo Ohno William Irwin©

Iunx Talc is inspired by Butoh, (dance of darkness) an avant-garde dance form created post WW2 which often features almost-nude dancers covered in white powder and addresses issues of life, death, sexuality, and lost Japanese cultural identity.

Kiyo Hasegawa©

And yet this fragrance doesn’t project feelings of despair or isolation, but rather that of a small child being put to bed; bathed and wrapped in a fluffy white towel or clean pajamas. This scent perfectly represents an abstraction of the color white, with its clean and slightly carroty iris blended with the scent of jasmine rice being steamed in a rice-cooker. But even that description does Iunx Talc a disservice, as the perfume is as soft and ethereal as the down from a gosling. This is the scent of cotton shirts drying in the summer sun filmed in slow-motion. It is soft, it is puffy, and it is pure, with a perfect inherent innocence.

Robert H with his decant

The only despair I can think of will be my own when the day arrives that my sample is sadly finished and empty.

Notes: Rice absolute, powder of white iris, essence of white cedar, ambrette.

The perfume and opinions are my own.

Robert Herrmann, Senior Editor

Art Direction: Michelyn Camen, Editor-in-Chief

Iunx Talc is available exclusively at the Iunx boutique in Paris.