I was so lucky as to be able to test five of the eight perfumes by Bertrand Duchaufour that will be launched in June. I smelled all eight of them at the boutique.
Many of you told me to “spill the beans” already, so I will do a quick overview and my first impressions of the scents, more in-depth reviews will follow, when I had more time to test them properly. Usually I won’t attempt to review anything I have not worn at least three times, preferably more often, so I get a complete picture of the perfume in different conditions, moods and circumstances. Hence the mini-not-reviews, if I may borrow a phrase from Undina.
The eight available perfumes, to make matters a little more complicated, are not numbered 1-8. That the number five is already taken, may not come s a surprise, but also the number two is missing, this perfume has been bought by a private person as a bespoke scent and is therefore no longer available. The range was already on the market in 2009 as a kind of semi-bespoke line, where 50 bottles of each number were available. It has been reworked and repackaged since and is now offered in this form.
The range comprises of seven Eaux de Parfums and one Eau de Cologne (N°9) in 100ml bottles. Only highest quality materials are used. They will be launched in late June 2011 in the L’Artisan boutiques AND online as well! Other than that, each number will be exclusive to a market. I remember N°1 going to Malaysia, N°9 is exclusive to France.
Mon Numero N°1: A floral that is happy and smile-inducing. Fruity mimosa, very spring-appropriate and just lovely.
Mon Numero N°3: A very masculine vetiver, the top notes are meant to evoke an alcoholic drink – they do.
Mon Numero N°4: Classic lavender reminiscent of shaving cream and after shave lotion, which is very well since it is modeled after the idea of a barber shop. Not my personal favorite, but excellently made.
Mon Numero N°6: is a rain-drenched green, floral and woody perfume, like the vegetation in the rain forest. It smells like fresh earth and wet plants and tropical flowers heavy with rain, love it! Reminds me of a perfect mix of the best parts of Hermes Un Jardin aprés la Mousson and Amouage Reflection Woman.
Mon Numero N°7: Now this one is interesting – an Indian journey. Initially spices draw me in, as they always do, then jasmine, tea and sandalwood notes envelop me. This is intriguing and unusual.
Mon Numero N°8: the classic iris perfume in the French tradition, very, elegant, powdery and “perfume-y”.
Mon Numero N°9: this is the cologne. Uplifting citrus top-notes lead to an unexpected shiso leaf accord and finally a sophisticated warm drydown of resins and musk.
Mon Numero N°10: this is trademark Duchaufour (therefore I adore it! 😉 ) a voluptuous oriental, warm, heady, sensual, very unusual and interesting, it takes you on a journey you don’t want to come back from. My favorite!
More in-depth reviews of the five I have samples of to follow closer to the launch date.
All in all it is an interesting collection, but there are a few somewhat redundant perfumes in the bunch. The best, meaning most unique not only catering to my own taste, are N°6, 7 and 10 in my opinion.
I will be very interested to read all the reviews of others once they come in.
Are you exited about this launch? What do you think about the mode of distribution? I am looking forward to your opinions!
Olfactoria's Travels 
I’m a big and long-time Duchaufour fan (see Dzongkha !!!), so of course I’m excited. Considering your above description there might be only two (no. 1 and 8) I would pass – the other ones sound very tempting. Can’t wait ! (I should be back in Paris for a business trip in June… 😉 )
Oh, lucky you…Paris in June must be lovely, even when on business. 😉
I hope you find one or more you like.
I have no idea how I managed to put the sunglassed smiley instead of the number 8…
Me neither! The wonders of technology…
I think that the collection sounds absolutely wonderful and I look forward to reading your reviews on the samples you have!
I love “perfumey” so no. 8 has my attention. The cologne would also be for me as well as the rainforest dream.
I fear that it’s the provincial girl in me that makes me annoyed at the 100 ml bottles. I’m perfectly happy with 30 ml – or 50 ml if it can’t be avoided. I don’t have any use for 100 ml of anything. I recall the French lady I worked for when I was an au pair in the mid 1980’s saying that classy women only wore one perfume at a time – they didn’t switch back and forth. Perhaps that is still the attitude – or the illusion – of high class perfumery.
I think it’s great that the collectioni will be available online – hopefully with the possibility of purchasing samples 🙂
And I don’t know where the i in collection came from – perhaps my craving for an Italian holiday 😉
Maybe! Rome has also many great perfumeries! 😉
I told Florian that so many Perfumistas would buy so much more if there would be smaller bottles available, but no: they are even thinking of phasing out the 50ml size and only sell 100ml. Grrrrr! Companies bank on us buying it anyway and spending more money that way, infuriating. I am not singling out Artisan, they are all the same in this issue.
Yes, they are all the same in this respect. Many of them will lose me as a potential customer, but somehow I suspect that the will manage to stay calm in spite of this prospect 😉
Haha, they will probably be able to deal with that, yes… 😉
But, seriously, they should care!
Cheers to 30mL bottles! Or, if I may be so bold, 15mL! A gal can dream 😉
I agree completely – 15 ml bottles would suit me perfectly!
YES!!! 15 ml is a perfect size. I would name it “parfumista sized bottle”.
That’s a very good name for a 15 ml size bottle 🙂
Thanks so much for the sneaky peek! It’s all a bit confusing for my tiny brain though, I was reading thinking “OK there’s 8 perfumes, wait, 2 are taken so there’s 6, but hang on there is a no.9 so actually there’s 7, except there is also a no. 10, so that’s back to 8?!” And that was before I got to the availability issues… 🙂
I am most interested in 6, 7 and 10 so good to hear that you were impressed by them the most at first sniff. So glad you are able to give us advance info on these, it really is an exciting launch to look forward to.
I remember names much better than numbers too, but that would make “Mon Numero” a little obsolete…;)
I’m glad this series was “pulled out of the closet and dusted off”, because it deserves a wider venue than just being stuck in a corner at their Paris boutique, they were hard to sample even when visiting the shop in which they were housed! Smart move to make them available online, now would they consider making a 10ml-each “traveler’s coffret”? I think perfumistas would love that.
So right!
A traveler’s coffret, what a great idea! It would be perfect.
I’m with you, 6 and 10 sound right up my alley. But I hate the distribution plan. I know they are trying to give them an extra air of preciousness with their exclusivity and difficulty to obtain, but it’s all theatrics and just makes it harder for me to try them. And I hate the large sizes too. I think it’s part of the same marketing, ie, if they offer small sizes, then the prices are lower and the perfumes seem less precious. From now on, if I love something in a large bottle, I’m going to search for anyone who wants to do splits.
Ditto for everything you said.
I’d be up for a split any time, as long as I can keep the original bottle.
For many scents I do not even care for a bottle so count me in! (though if I could I’d pay more for a small original bottle)
Yes, me too.
I’m with you—let’s split number 10!!! 🙂
Thanks for the sneak-peak.
#7 and 10, have my number 🙂 Can there ever be enough spices?
I’m with you all on the 100ml bottles, tut tut. There is hope however, PdN do 30mls at a fine price and HdP I see on their webpage is about to release 15ml flacons, it says ‘coming soon’. So maybe somebody does listen 🙂
No, there can never be enough spices! 🙂
That is good news with the small HdP bottles, thank you!
I’m so glad that you got to sample these B., and I can’t wait to smell MN 10! 🙂
Me too! 😉
You would like 10 I think.
So far based on your observations, I am itching to try 6,7,8 and 10 (especially 6!). Duchaufour will always get my attention no matter what he does, I feel his works are always worth a try.
The more I smell them, the more I prefer 6.
I absolutely agree, he is very prolific, but produces such interesting scents without repeating himself all the time.
NN 1, 6, 7, 8 and 10, please. In 10-15 ml flacons in a set. Would be just perfect.
They would make a fortune with sets, I don’t get that this consumer demand is so ignored. But maybe I am just stupid and this would be an economically unsound decision for a line, what do I know of business after all…
Oh my! I’m as nervous as a kid waiting for the late night movie… Would you say (I know it’s a bit too much to ask for from a sneak peek) that Nº9’s drydown is powdery? I am ever on the search of an always fresh-staying, original cologne, and this really cool shiso leaf note might just be it! Otherwise, as an oriental-head I’m inclined for Nº7 and Nº10… I may be buying them blind! (No, I shouldn’t do that – Yes! let’s do it! – No, be rational – What the heck, let’s buy them! – No, think twice…).
Hi Jan,
I understand your exitement, the new collection will be great. I’d have to go back to smell them to answer specific questions, and I’d do it right now if it weren’t for my less than reliable hay fever afflicted nose at the moment.
But I will post full reviews of a few of the Numeros soon. The limited release is really a problem many people will have to buy unsniffed…
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