Discover French niche perfumery with L’Artisan Parfumeur at Faradays, featuring the beautifully unconventional Abyssae rose fragrance.
Some perfumes are lovely. Others are intriguing enough to make you stop, turn around and ask what someone is wearing. French fragrance house L’Artisan Parfumeur has been creating the latter for 50 years, and now New Zealand fragrance lovers have a beautiful new place to discover its wonderfully individual world.
Taking pride of place within the fragrance offering at Faradays, Auckland’s stunning new department store, L’Artisan Parfumeur brings a little Parisian perfume magic to Queen Street. And for anyone who considers fragrance as much a part of personal style as fashion or jewellery, this is a discovery worth making.
Founded in Paris in 1976 by chemist and botanist Jean Laporte, L’Artisan Parfumeur was something of a rebel from the beginning. At a time when perfume was largely dominated by the big fashion houses, Laporte was interested in something more imaginative. He wanted to capture the natural world in scent, experimenting with unexpected ingredients, unusual combinations and fragrances that told stories rather than followed trends.
The result was a pioneering approach to niche perfumery, one that celebrated creativity and individuality long before discovering an obscure fragrance house became something of a fashion statement.
Today, L’Artisan Parfumeur continues to approach fragrance as an art form. Its collections draw inspiration from gardens, landscapes, travel and the more mysterious corners of nature. Some are fresh and botanical, others warm, woody or wonderfully unexpected. What connects them is a sense of curiosity and a willingness to do things a little differently.
And then there’s the packaging. Beautifully considered, understated and unmistakably French, the bottles have the sort of quiet confidence that looks equally at home on a dressing table or alongside a collection of treasured objects.
A Rose With a Darker Side
One fragrance we’re particularly drawn to is Abyssae Eau de Parfum, a beautifully unconventional floral from the house’s La Botanique collection.
Created by master perfumer Daphné Bugey, Abyssae takes one of perfumery’s most romantic ingredients, the rose, and gives it a rather intriguing twist.
At its heart is Rosa damascena, the Damask rose, a flower with centuries of associations with love, beauty and romance. But rather than presenting rose in its familiar soft, powdery form, Bugey pairs it with the cool, aromatic freshness of eucalyptus and the smooth, woody warmth of cashmeran.
It’s a fascinating combination. The eucalyptus brings a green, almost atmospheric quality, while cashmeran adds softness and depth. The rose remains central, but the overall composition suggests something more mysterious and modern than a traditional floral bouquet.
Part of La Botanique, a collection inspired by the secret life of nature after dark, Abyssae has a wonderfully romantic concept. Each fragrance in the collection carries a number representing the attempts required to achieve its final composition. For Abyssae, that number is 33.
The fragrance also received the Fragrance Foundation’s Best Niche Fragrance award in 2023, a lovely recognition of its distinctive composition.
Something Old, Something New, Something Beautifully Scented
For brides, fragrance can be one of the most personal elements of wedding-day preparation. It’s invisible, intimate and has an extraordinary ability to bring memories rushing back years later.
We particularly love the idea of choosing something new for a wedding or significant celebration, a fragrance that becomes forever associated with that moment.
Abyssae feels especially suited to a bride who appreciates florals but wants something with a little more character. Romantic without being overly sweet, feminine without feeling predictable, it’s an interesting choice for a contemporary wedding, an intimate evening ceremony or a beautifully dressed celebration.
And there’s absolutely no reason to save it for a wedding. Think silk dresses, candlelit dinners, gallery openings and evenings that call for something a little more special than your everyday scent.
Of course, fragrance is deeply personal, and the pleasure of discovering a niche perfume is finding the one that feels entirely your own.
Which brings us rather neatly back to Faradays. With its thoughtfully curated selection of international fragrance houses, the new department store offers a wonderful opportunity to explore perfume properly, taking the time to discover something unexpected rather than simply reaching for a familiar favourite.
L’Artisan Parfumeur is a particularly lovely addition to that experience. A house with history, imagination and a genuine sense of individuality, celebrating its 50th anniversary while finding a new audience in New Zealand.
And if Abyssae is anything to go by, this is a French love affair we suspect will extend well beyond the wedding day.
Discover more visit artisanparfumeur.com and faradays.co.nz
