The Zoo Everlasting (fragrance visualisation ©Despina Veneti)

Most of the dedicated perfume lovers out there are already familiar with Christophe Laudamiel’s name, and quite possibly for a variety of reasons. A French-born, world-class chemist (winner of the National Chemistry Olympiads at the age of 17 and former teaching assistant at Harvard), Christophe started working in the flavor department of P&G, making the switch to perfume in 1994. He left that position in 2000 to study fine fragrance creation next to Pierre Bourdon, subsequently joining the IFF team in New York (where he had the chance to work alongside perfumers like Carlos Benaïm and Sophia Grojsman); he remained there until 2008, discovering molecules and technologies while also composing scents, moving on to become an independent perfumer. His œuvre includes fragrances for Tom Ford (Amber Absolute), Estée Lauder (Youth Dew Amber Nude), Ralph Lauren (Polo Blue), Clinique (Happy Heart), Abercrombie & Fitch (Fierce), Ryan Richmond (Rich Mess), Grandiflora (Saskia), the whole collection of Strangelove NYC, as well as the perfumes for his own brand, The Zoo. He has also co-composed the 15 fragrances of the limited edition coffret “Le Parfum”, based on the scents described in Patrick Süskind’s 1985 bestseller “Perfume: The Story of A Murderer” (the box was released by Mugler in 2006, the year of the book’s film adaptation, and has been highly sought after by collectors ever since).

Left column: Christophe Laudamiel holding the coffret “Le Parfum”; Christophe Laudamiel with Helena Christensen and Elizabeth Gaynes of Strangelove NYC (photos via ©Getty Images) – Right Column: Christoph Hornetz and Christophe Laudamiel; Christophe Laudamiel portrait

Eager to showcase perfume’s interrelations with science and art, Christophe has successfully undertaken a plethora of scent-related projects, ranging from solo exhibitions to scenting/scent-jockeying various spaces and major events, and from analytical writing about perfume and ingredients to inventing novel ways to communicate scent. His company, DreamAir®, is likewise innovation-driven, while his concept boutique “A Perfume Goldmine” in Greenwich Village, NYC is noteworthy for its unique ambiance, fascinating gadgets through which scents are presented, as well as for housing all creations of one perfumer under the same roof. Ever-willing to talk candidly about fragrance, educate those who wish to learn and shed light where others would rather not, Christophe is furthermore an engaging lecturer and gifted teacher, armed with knowledge and conviction, patience and enthusiasm. He’s also the only US-based osmocurator and sponsor of four fragrances at the Osmothèque, the Versailles-based International Perfume Conservatory. Christophe Laudamiel is an outspoken man, passionate about things he believes in: freedom, social justice and inclusivity; transparency in perfume making, marketing and reviewing; or exposing falsehoods cultivated by/perpetuated within the fragrance industry. One can read his Fragrance Manifesto “LIBERTÉ, ÉGALITÉ, FRAGRANCITÉ” to further learn about his beliefs, wishes and hopes about the perfume industry.

Christophe Laudamiel’s NYC boutique “A Perfume Goldmine” (photos @Marianne Butler)

I’ve recently had the chance to test four of his creations for his own brand, The Zoo, ending up being impressed by them all: the avant-garde Scent Tattoo, winner of an Art & Olfaction award; the beautiful woody/aromatic Louis; the brightly ambery Amber Classico Modern; and the brilliant Everlasting, which emerged as my personal favorite due to its captivating combination of narcissus, labdanum and amber. Thanks to former Çafleurebon contributor and friend, Marianne Butler (who now works with Christophe), I had the opportunity to correspond with him about The Zoo Everlasting:

Despina Veneti: Judging from The Zoo samples I tried and your work for other brands, Christophe, I found Everlasting to bear your distinctive creative signature. However, there are two actual signatures on the bottle, “C. Laudamiel” and “C. Hornetz”. Could you specify Mr. Hornetz’s contributions to this fragrance, and maybe tell me 2-3 things about him?

CL: Christoph Hornetz was a Junior Perfumer at the time of Everlasting’s creation, and moved on to become a Perfumer – fully and formally trained by yours truly. We also got formally married, probably the first perfumers to do so, back in 2004 (we’ve been divorced since 2017). He is currently working as a Flavorist in Berlin, and he’s also co-credited for The Zoo Spacewood. The second person I formally trained is Ugo Charron, now a Junior Perfumer at Mane NYC. He’s co-credited for The Zoo Tubereuse Organique. Both were staff/junior perfumers who worked with me during the creation of some of my fragrances, and it only felt right to give them proper credit. If one day the fragrance industry implements a royalty system, like in publishing or music, they will not be forgotten.

Narcissi at night in Aubrac (photo ©Maxime Oudoux)

Smelling narcissus absolute was to me a minor revelation; I realized how “non-floral” – and yet how complex – it really is. I found it green, vegetal even, intoxicating, mesmerizing – and after days on the blotter, it displayed a musky drydown that was almost sexually suggestive. I’ve heard from several perfumers that they either find the ingredient too hard to tame, or they deliberately avoid using it at all (a famous colleague of yours went as far as to call it his “least favorite raw material”), which personally surprised me. How do you feel about it, especially since you grew up in an area blessed with an abundance of narcissi?

CL: Hearing this, I understand even more why the industry is so tamed! Your description of the raw material is spot on. There is 4% narcissus absolute in this fragrance, a large dose considering both the material’s potency and cost (narcissus is no less expensive than oud). I used it because of its fantastic, complex smell; not really because it comes from my birthplace, but it’s cool just the same that it does. It’s a unique raw material, so good luck ever replacing it! I always say that the game is to be more intelligent than the ingredient. I also love narcissus for its earthiness and darkness, which is how I showcased it in SilenceTheSea for Strangelove NYC, a scent that’s totally not floral. In fact, narcissus is one of those ingredients whose name is not really indicative of how it actually smells, how to use it, or what it does in a composition.

Tell me a few things about any synthetic ingredients and/or aromachemicals that may be key to Everlasting.

CL: Everlasting is a fragrance that contains no Hedione, and is not based on Iso E either – which makes it a sort of a rarity these days. It does contain 15% of Benzyl Salicylate, believe it or not an ingredient whose exact necessity in a composition I still have not fully discovered (sometimes I find it useful for roundness, some other times less useful for a certain effect compared to other ingredients). In any case, it is rare for me to use it; its presence in Everlasting was probably an introduction by Christoph, trying to tame the “beasts” of narcissus, artificial moss, and raw labdanum resin. I will always remember Benzyl Salicylate as Pierre Bourdon’s fetish!

Finally, Christophe, please summarize in 1-2 phrases your intention behind the whole beautiful adventure of The Zoo.

CL: I want to show, mercilessly, what it takes to offer fragrances to the public in an expert, connoisseur manner. And to play more with the fun and sexiness of perfumery along the way.

Narcissus at the Source by Caravaggio, 1597-1599, Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica, Rome

The Zoo Everlasting isn’t shy in making its creator’s intentions clear. The first contact with my skin is intense: the fragrance almost forcefully wraps itself around me, and spins me around to its rhythm. The deep, mysterious charm of narcissus becomes one with the dark, carnal sensuality of labdanum, their explosive chemistry giving birth to a fragrant “lovechild” – one of amped-up sensuousness and sass, willing to steadily offer hours of olfactive satisfaction. It’s on complexity (rather than evolution) that the emphasis is placed in  The Zoo Everlasting, with that complexity being admirably sustained, almost unaltered, throughout the scent’s long journey on the skin. I experience a cornucopia of notes, effects and nuances: from aromatic earthiness to sober woodiness, from caramelised amber to warm-skin muskiness, and from smoky, leathery resinousness to warm, cinnamon-like spiciness. The overall combination is arresting and sensual; it evokes to me a sensation of idealized masculinity balancing between virility, playfulness and sensitivity, while echoing classic, suavely seductive “men’s” fragrances of the 1980s. This sensation is nonetheless conveyed without machismo, but with a lovely fluidity that makes me not only want to smell The Zoo Everlasting on men, but to also indulge in it myself with abandon. In the end, there is a certain kind of undefinable longing that cuts through the fragrance’s technical merits and thoughtful composition, giving Everlasting an emotional depth that, for me, significantly elevates the experience of wearing it. That feeling of longing is ultimately supported by a chypre-esque undercurrent that beats, like the scent’s own heart, underneath it all (the perfumer achieved this effect by teasing out the chypre tonalities of narcissus, aided by synthetic moss, and possibly patchouli).

Dean Martin during a recording session via Amazon

Rather than (most enjoyably) linear, I’d characterize  The Zoo Everlasting as vigorously persistent in its quest to provide well-measured pleasure. Whatever one might prefer to call the manner it performs, there’s a crystal-clear intent behind it, and it manifests in a way that a fetish song lingers in the mind. Everlasting “sings” to me like Dean Martin croons “Sway”: with effortlessly seductive, undiminished rhythm it stays (and sways) with me all day long, like an invisible, tireless dance partner. It is with such gusto and diligence that The Zoo Everlasting retains its pulsating, compelling fragrant tune for hours, and re-emerges just when I think it’s about to let go (it just doesn’t – not for a good 12-14 hours, anyway). Lovingly stubborn in its eagerness to please, it is as “everlasting” as anything that’s as fleeting as scent can be.

Notes: Narcissus, Labdanum, Amber, Musk, Woods.  

Disclaimer: This review was based on a bottle kindly provided by Christophe Laudamiel (my thanks!) The opinions are my own.

– Despina Veneti, Senior Editor

Please read Editor Emeritus Robert Herrmann (RIP) 2017 reviews of The Zoo Spacewood and Rhubarb My Love Here

Editor-in-Chief Michelyn Camen named Christophe Laudamiel to the CaFleureBon Hall of Fame 2021

The Zoo Everlasting 60ml presentation (photo ©Despina Veneti)

Thanks to the generosity of The Zoo and Christophe Laudamiel, we have a draw for a 60ml bottle of Everlasting (value: $135) for one registered reader  Worldwide with the following exceptions (China Spain, Russia/Bielorussua,, Brazil)” 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 review, if you have a favorite The Zoo fragrance or which is your favourite Christophe Laudamiel creation, and where you live. Draw closes 3/16/2022

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