A collaboration between two powerhouse brands – L’Officine Universelle Buly 1803 and the Louvre – results in sensorial delight
From the niche new beauty brands doing something different, to the industry’s evergreen icons, Sophie Bew opens up AnOther’s dream vanity in a new series…
- Who should use it? Art lovers and perfume obsessives
- How long until I love it? There are eight new scents to choose from, and with a simple mind’s-eye wander down the Louvre’s hallowed halls, you’ll fix on your favourite in no time
- How planet-/people-friendly is it? The perfume flacons are not easily recyclable however the candle holders and diffuser stone cases can be easily reused endlessly
- How do I use it? Just a sweet spritz onto skin!
In the 18th century, Jean-Vincent Bully garnered Europe-wide fame for his perfumes and scented vinegars. His Vinaigre de Bully was especially revered for its cleansing and tone-correcting properties when applied to the face. Today though, under the tasteful watch of husband-wife duo Victoire de Taillac and Ramdane Touhami, and with only one ‘l’ in ‘Buly’, L’Officine Universelle Buly 1803 is better known for its treasure-trove stores teeming with tortoiseshell grooming products, horsehair body brushes, badger-bristled toothbrushes and marble-cased candles. In the warren of exotic tinctures – Korean rice bran powder (for brightening the skin) and Mongongo seed oil (for soothing redness) – are the water-based perfumes, devised with the label’s trademark expertise and sought out by olfactory aficionados across the globe. From the green and mossy Scottish Lichen to Sevillian Bigarade (a sparkling post-rain scent) and English Honey (described by a fellow shopper as “barely there baby perfume”), each of Buly’s 12 classic fragrances are constructed without alcohol, the result of which is a stable subtle scent that requires zero dry-down time and lasts – without changing – all day.
In the summer though, eight new waters joined that restrained roster – all of which dropped at Matches Fashion just last week. Devised in collaboration with Paris’ prestigious Louvre museum, the collection spans eight olfactory odes to masterpieces found in those same hallowed halls. From Gainsborough’s Conversation in a Park (pictured here), with its blousy Ottoman rose and green peppermint top notes, to the sultry incense of Ingres’ vapour-filled room in The Valpinçon Bather or the sea-salty mineral notes conjured by The Winged Victory of Samothrace, each scent is designed by a different expert nose. Between Daniela Andrier of the six sublime Les Infusions de Prada, Lalique nose Sidonie Lancesseur and Amouage creator Dorothee Piot, it’s an impressive roll call of France’s key freelance perfumiers, and in these sleek ceramic bottles – with corresponding soap papers, candles and diffuser stones – these masterpieces make for pretty perfect gifts for the perfume lover who thinks they know it all.