L’Artisan Parfumeur Sur L’Herbe, La Chasse Aux Papillons and Mûre Et Musc Extrême + 3 You Should Be Wearing This Spring Draw

April 14, 2021April 14, 2021

L’Artisan Parfumeur Sur L’Herbe, La Chasse Aux Papillons and Mûre Et Musc Extrême (photo composition/digital editing by Despina Veneti©)

Apart from a few, rather robust, L’Artisan Parfumeur fragrances (Timbuktu, Noir Exquis, Bana Banana) that I tend to wear a lot during winter, I mostly enjoy the brand’s offerings when the weather mellows, and smiles: it’s then that the House’s playful, nature-evoking creations truly bloom for me. For this spring, I propose three of my seasonal favorites: a musky eau de cologne (L’Artisan Parfumeur Sur L’Herbe), a widely loved floral eau de toilette (La Chasse Aux Papillons), and the eau de parfum version of a pioneering fruity fragrance (Mûre Et Musc Extrême).

Perfumer Fabrice Pellegrin & L’Artisan Parfumeur Sur L’Herbe EdC (collage by Despina Veneti with photos courtesy of L’Artisan Parfumeur)

L’Artisan Parfumeur Sur L’Herbe (Fabrice Pellegrin, 2017): A creation from the brand’s eau de cologne collection, L’Artisan Parfumeur Sur L’Herbe is inspired by Édouard Manet’s 1863 painting “Le déjeuner sur l’herbe” (scandalous, at the time, due to its depiction of two fully dressed men casually picnicking with a nude female, while another one bathes in a stream). Although there’s nothing really shocking or provocative about the fragrance itself, it does deliver a somewhat unexpected take on a genre that’s mostly associated with radiant warmth and juiciness. This beautiful eau de cologne does comprise several citrusy notes, its overall sensation, however, is not summery-warm: it feels more like sitting on a cosy blanket placed on well-trimmed lawn, under timid sunshine and a crisp breeze. Perfumer Fabrice Pellegrin used lemon and bergamot placing the emphasis on their zesty, herbaceous qualities: I can almost experience the bitterish, invigorating essential oils sprinkling right out of the fruits’ peel. An intensely green neroli with vibrant soapy undertones introduces its herbal floralcy, while touches of abstract white blossoms, gentle woodiness and ethereal powederness provide interesting contrasts. Catalyst of the composition, the generous cloud of clean musks applies its soft-focus filter; at the same time, it persistently diffuses a highly enjoyable aura of mildly sweetened, cool and streamlined freshness that seamlessly blends into the wearer’s skin Officially listed notes: Lemon, Orange Flower, Musk

Perfumer Anne Flipo & L’Artisan Parfumeur La Chasse Aux Papillons EdT (collage by Despina Veneti with photos courtesy of L’Artisan Parfumeur)

L’Artisan Parfumeur La Chasse Aux Papillons (Anne Flipo, 1999): A top-seller ever since it was launched, this delightful eau de toilette evokes idealized, sunny childhood memories of chasing butterflies amidst blooming trees and garden flowers. Its popularity is not hard to understand: it features a well-mannered (as green as it’s sweet) tuberose readily accessible to all, surrounded by romantic florals (orange and lemon flower, non-indolic jasmine), and honeyed linden blossoms. Perfumer Anne Flipo managed to handle some typically heady floral notes in a way that turned the fragrance’s name into a proper olfactive tale: in tune with the simple lyricism and playful charm of a butterfly’s dance, L’Artisan Parfumeur La Chasse Aux Papillons exudes unaffected beauty and carefree joyousness – all under the prism of an aromatic interplay between sheerness and luminosity, like sunlight being filtered through a butterfly’s gauzy wings. The fragrance’s soft, melodious sillage is entirely appropriate to its story. Although the stronger-performing La Chasse Aux Papillons Extrême EdP is not without charm of its own, I’ve always preferred the uplifting transparency and delicate balancing act of the original EdT; after all, this is exactly what made La Chasse Aux Papillons stand out from the “crowd” some twenty-two years ago – and it’s what keeps it current in a market that’s saturated with innumerable white floral-centered scents. Officially listed notes: Orange Flower, Jasmine, Linden.

Perfumer Karine Dubreuil & L’Artisan Parfumeur Mûre Et Musc Extrême EdP (collage by Despina Veneti with photos courtesy of L’Artisan Parfumeur)

L’Artisan Parfumeur Mûre Et Musc Extrême (Karine Dubreuil, 1993): Jean-François Laporte’s 1978 Mûre et Musc was the fragrance that put the (newly founded at the time) House of L’Artisan Parfumeur on the map: as its joyful sillage started being carried around Paris, the women who radiated it were being stopped and asked what this youthful, exciting new scent was; soon enough, the boutique of L’Artisan Parfumeur became THE place to be for perfume lovers. The brand’s founder and initial perfumer, Mr. Laporte, started with what was essentially a chypre-shaded, eau de cologne type of composition, to which he added an overdose of smooth musks (galaxolide, ethylene brassylate); he then amplified the musks’ inherent fruity aspects with a naturalistic, innovative accord of blackberries (constructed with frambinone – a flavour component naturally found in raspberries – and blackcurrant bud). Comparing it to my pre-1990 sample, I find the current formulation of Mûre Et Musc EdT still pleasant (albeit short-lived on my skin); it does, however, leave me craving for more fruitiness. That is why I now prefer Karine Dubreuil’s L’Artisan Parfumeur Mûre Et Musc Extrême EdP: not only did it largely restore the vividly succulent aura of the original, it further enriched it with a variety of purple and red berries. The fruits feel naturally sweet, sun-ripened and mouth-watering. The musks are satin-smooth, luscious and lightly scented with vanilla, gradually revealing woody/peppery nuances. Under the loving guidance of cuddly orange blossom, fruits and musks melt into each other, emanating a scent of unassuming sensuality that delights my heart while waiting for brighter days to come. Officially listed notes: Blackberry, Red Berries, Musk.

Disclaimer: I’d like to thank L’Artisan Parfumeur for the bottles provided after my selection. The opinions are my own.

– Despina Veneti, Senior Editor

Thanks to the generosity of L’Artisan Parfumeur, we have a reader’s choice draw for a 100ml bottle of ONE of the fragrances included in the article (L’Artisan Parfumeur Sur L’Herbe EdC, La Chasse Aux Papillons EdT or Mûre et Musc Extrême EdP /value: 130-145€), for one registered reader in USA or EU. 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 article, which of the three fragrances you’d like to win, and where you live. Draw closes 4/17/2021

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