L'Artisan Parfumeur

I have been a big fan of L'Artisan Parfumeur since I consciously started collecting fragrances. I guess that's been at least a dozen years now. They have so many scents that I truly like; I own at least ten.

Safran Troublant 
Olivia Giacobetti
Red rose, Passion Flower, Saffron, Vanilla, Sandalwood, Sugar, Ginger

My favorite of the bunch, Safran Troublant is all roses and saffron, with a creamy vanilla backdrop. It's absolutely delicious, and something I want to keep in my fragrance library forever. A shame it's been discontinued, like most of L'Artisan's early creations.

Traversee au Bosphore
Bertrand Duchafour
Apple, Pomegranate, Tulip, Iris, Leather, Saffron, Rose, Pistachio, Vanilla, Musk

I quite like Turkish delight, a sweet confection flavored with rosewater, which is at the base of this fragrance. There are a few scents on the market using this treat as a reference, but not that I like so much as Traversee au Bosphore. Perhaps because in addition to the candied rose, there is also quite a bit of lovely iris, a smattering of leather, and saffron, all on a bed of vanilla-scented powdered sugar. I don't get the apple or pomegranate at the beginning, which would be a nice tangy introduction to this overall sweet--yet not cloying--concoction.

Mure et Musc Extreme
Karine Dubrueil
Orange blossom leaf, Blackberry, Red berries, Musks

This reminds me somewhat of a blackberry fragrance I purchased back in the early 90s while shopping with my brother and a young co-worker. I wore it to work regularly for a while, but after our friend took his own life, I wasn't able to wear it without feeling sad. (I wish I could remember the name of the fragrance, because I might not have the same reaction to it nearly thirty years later.) Mure et Musc Extreme is very purple-smelling, with a similar sweet blackberry note on a musky backdrop. Kinda simple, but very nice.

Bois Farine
Jean-Claude Ellena
Fennel Seed, Iris, White Cedar, Guaiac wood, Sandalwood, Benzoin

When I think of Jean-Claude Ellena, I think of his many bright and sunny scents for Hermes. Bois Farine is quite different from any of those. It's all candy-coated fennel seed wrapped in a doughy iris that vaguely--but not quite--mimics flour (farine).

Tea for Two
Olivia Giacobetti
Lapsang Souchong Tea, Cinnamon, Ginger, Honey, Star Anise, Gingerbread, Vanilla

Imagine a cup of milky chai made with a smoky tea, sweetened with honey, and you have Tea for Two. The smoky tea note is very strong, but yet so are the spices. It starts out strong, but settles down into something quite cozy.

Poivre Piquant
Bertrand Duchafour
Black pepper, Licorice, Sandalwood, Milk, Honey

I wouldn't say the pepper in this scent is at all piquant. It's just a hint of spice in a sweet shortbread cookie dipped in a cup of warm milk flavored with honey and licorice. It's really quite warm and comforting, and perfect for cool--but not cold--weather.

Piment Brulant
Bertrand Duchafour
Hot pepper, Clove, Cocoa, Chocolate, Amber, Musk, Vanilla, Cinnamon

The list of notes implies that Piment Brulant smells like a cup of Mexican hot chocolate, and maybe it would if the chile note had been a dried chile--chipotle, for example, or ancho. Instead, it's closer to a fresh-off-the-vine fruit, almost green, definitely a vegetal pepper note. Bell pepper-ish, for those who have never sniffed a chile pepper (don't do that). Sometimes when I put this on, I only smell the pepper, but other times, when it's behaving, I do get some of the warm cocoa-y backdrop. It's an oddball scent, for sure, but I like it.

Havana Vanille (now called Vanille Absoluement)
Bertrand Duchafour
Clove, Dried fruits, Rum, Narcissus, Tonka bean, Immortelle, Vanilla, Smoked woods, Musks, Resin, Licorice

Though this is a vanilla fragrance primarily, the immortelle really takes over. Thankfully not in its usual pancake-syrup way. Sadly, I don't get the rum at all. On my skin this scent is just meh, and turns rather powdery, but it's pretty good on my husband, which is the only reason I have it in my collection. I bought it when I was in an earlier vanilla phase.

Fleur de Carotte
Olivia Giacobetti
Carrot, Cucumber, Tarragon, Lettuce, Apricot, Ginger

Why this pretty fragrance was only a limited edition is beyond me. Iris lovers, like moi, would be buying this up on a regular basis. The carrot note is a lot like a dry, "rooty," iris, backed up by a warm fruity apricot. I was lucky to get a partial bottle on eBay, which I occasionally decant into a smaller container, but mostly am hoarding. I really should use it before it evaporates though.

Would love if someone would make a dupe of this.

Aedes de Venustas
Bertrand Duchafor
Bright orange oil, Spicy pink pepper, Cardamom, Incense, Black pepper, Rose, Iris, Cedarwood, Incense Resinoid, Patchouli, Coffee, Opopanax, Benzoin, Vanilla

Though not technically a L'Artisan fragrance, Duchafour's creation for the NY perfume shop Aedes de Venustas ("House of Beauty" in Latin--I was finally curious enough to look it up!) was manufactured by L'Artisan, and is indeed in their bottle. It's a complex scent that opens with a hit of fruity orange and pepper, followed by lots of incense and woody balsamic-ness. Some might say there's too much going on in this scent, particularly fans of dry incense, but I think it's just right. Though, tbh, I can't wear this too often.

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Posted by theminx on Minxstinks