Les Parfums BIO

To Vanessa M.:

Gisele Bundchen for PHOTO magazine

Photo credit: Paul Vainer

Synthetic raw materials transformed the history of perfumery and gave birth to what we call today - The Modern Era of Perfumery. With the turn of the 19th Century many discoveries and inventions took place. The advance of modern chemistry developed in a way never seen before, and the taste of the society for perfumes changed and lead to the perfumes as they are today. The official beginning of fragrance chemistry happened in 1868 with the discovery of the artificial production of coumarin by Perkin, and the use of this ingredient in Houbigant's Fougére Royale marks the beginning of Modern perfumery.

The possibility of creating scents in the lab opened a new door to perfumery, not only in terms of ingredients but in terms of price. Perfume became a more accessible product.

I love synthetics, it is not a secret. But I cannot turn my back to a trend when it is here in front of my nose! Perfumes BIO.

The trend that has been applied to food and beverages has conquered the world of fragrances and cosmetics. Consumers worried about the environment and about their health (the ones who believe that synthetic materials are not good for us) are looking for ECOCERT fragrances.

The challenge for perfumers is to create fragrances that do not smell like colognes from the 18th century or fragrances that smell like something you would find in those hippie shops of the 60's. And this is exactly what captured by attention.

How brands can develop perfumes with such a limited palette and yet create ECO friendly beauties? By hiring very skilled perfumers such as Olivia Giacobetti and Céline Ellena.

L'EAU DE JATAMANSI - L'ARTISAN PARFUMEUR

In 2007 L'Artisan Parfumeur launched their first perfume BIO (100% natural) in a line called JATAMANSI (Himalayan Nard in Sanskrit) with notes of grapefruit, cardamom,bergamot, sage, nard, Guaïac wood, ylang ylang, rose, sandalwood, incense and light papyrus. A minimalistic woody fragrance created by Karine Vinchon, with an uplifting, harmonizing and peaceful effect.

Two years later Céline Ellena created a real beauty - Coté D'Amour. A fragrance with the smell of sand castles, sea breeze, shell, coconut and summer vacation in the Atlantic Loire.

Notes of green mandarine, pink grapefruit, rosemary, everlasting dune flowers, cypress, gorse flowers, coconut, rose, honey flavored heather, floating woods, broom, and pine.

It is salty sweet, totally natural, very sensual and with a special summer aura. You close your eyes and you imagine house beaches, sailing boats, lighthouses etc... a blue, red, white dream!

Although she mastered the challenge beautiful, she confessed she has no desire to make a carrier out of perfumes BIO. She loves synthetics, just like me.

After that Clarins launched also its fragrance called KIBIO. A product that is part of a line of organic skin care products containing at least 95% active ingredients.

KIBIO

Today we see the rise of many interesting brands with delightful fragrances such Parfums Honoré des Prés, developed by perfumer Olivia Giacobetti. The brand offers 5 different French perfumes with five different auras: Chaman's Party, Bonté's Bloom, Nu Green, Sexy Angelic and Honoré's Trip. The motto of the brand is rich is simple, connecting feelings with essential natural elements.

HONORÉ DES PRÉS NYC

And the newest launch is the NYC line, with 3 different fragrances, also designed by Olivia Giacobetti: Vamp in NY (tuberose rhum associated with ,balms), I Love Le Carottes (with carrot flowers, vanilla, orange and orris butter) and Love Coco (spicy delicate coconut milk with coriander leafs). It will be available May 17th in France.

+ Q perfume Blog will review these fragrances in the near future - keep track!

PATYKA

Patyka offers to bridge exactly this gap between organic and luxury. All their products are ECOCERT. Their perfume collection bring 8 different fragrances: citrusy, woody, ambery and chypre options of fragrances.

Jo Wood, a model in the past, created a brand - JO WOOD ORGANICS - combining her love for Rock n' Roll, for Africa (her mother is South African) and Art Nouveau. The brand offers 2 different lines: Jo Wood Everyday - a exotic way of living and Jo Wood Collection - glamour and sophistication. Certified ECOCERT, her products are 93% organic.

AMKA ORGANIC BATH OIL

The collection of perfumes offers 4 different fragrances: AMKA, a citrusy-flowery perfume, USIKU - spicy, woody, earth perfume, TULA - a floral perfume, LANGA - a fresh, uplifting, zesty perfume. All the fragrances are Eaux de Toilette.

PROVENCE & NATURE PATCHOULI ET ROSE

You will find many ECOCERT and BIO brands in the market today:

Senke, Shantara, Le Sense de Fleurs, Acorelle, Labo. de Sources, Cattier, Lavera, Provence & Nature, and many more.

In a nutshel the sandalwood natural essential oil X javanol might be a question of how someone cares about health or the environment, or it can be a just a question of taste or budget. It can be a question of way of living or a question of olfactive preferences. The fact is, BIO is a trend, and we hope it will be here to stay - together, with our beloved-synthetics!!