First of all, please accept our sincere apologies for disappearing off the face of the earth for a few months. With everything that’s been going on in the world right now, life got in the way, and Silvia and I took an unplanned break from writing. We hope everyone is well and safe and keeping positive!
Who else is flicking through their photos from recent trips hoping to ease their longing for travel? With leisure travel still being considerably restricted globally due to constantly changing quarantine rules and surges in new cases, all we can do is revisit our previous trips when the idea of not being able to travel abroad gets a little bit too overwhelming. Have you ever wished there was a magic device that could transport you back in time to relive some of your best trips? Well, we certainly think that this is possible if you have a perfume that you associate with that particular place or trip!
In the words of the famous perfumer Francis Kurkdjian, “perfume is the art that makes memory speak”. I could not agree more as every perfume I have ever worn on my trips instantly reminds me of my travels with every single note as soon as I take a whiff. During the lockdown, we would revisit our happy memories by putting on our favourite perfumes even when staying in all day (which was most days). One of the best memories of 2019 was our second trip to Paris and Versailles and we each have a special perfume to remind us of that trip. Silvia and I are both collectors of high-end and niche perfumes and we love discovering new fascinating fragrances on our travels. This is a story of us finally getting our hands on two wonderful scents from a perfume house that dates back more than 220 years and is deeply rooted in history.
On one of our visits to Paris last year (cannot believe that the last time I went on a leisure trip was more than a year ago and we are nearly in Q4 2020 already!), Silvia and I had one perfume store that was a must for us to visit – Lubin. Lubin is a niche brand and as such, it is not instantly recognisable to every perfume lover as it is not widely available, however, if you are a fan of such timeless fashion icons as Marie-Antoinette or Grace Kelly you have probably heard of it.
The perfumery was born when Pierre-François Lubin opened his boutique in 1798 in Paris. The boutique was called Au Bouquet de Roses, which was a tribute to the famous Marie-Antoinette. As a young apprentice of a renowned perfumer to the French Royal Court Jean-Louis Fargeon, Lubin would deliver her favourite perfumes up until her final days. The young perfumer became very popular among the French elite trendsetters and the royalty. For example, Empress Josephine, the wife of Napoleon I, and Napoleon’s sister, Pauline Bonaparte, both enjoyed Lubin’s creations. Before long, Lubin became the favorite perfumer of the 19th century European royal courts. Lubin was the official supplier to King George IV and Tsar Alexander I in 1820’s. The House of Lubin eventually earned its title as the Official Perfumer of the French Royal Court. Today, Lubin remains renowned for its unmatched olfactory style and continues to create perfumes of the highest quality that are fit for royalty.
Both our trips to Paris last year included a detour to Versailles (a post on magnificent Versailles and its beautiful gardens is coming soon) so, naturally, our main aim was to get Black Jade which is rumored to be closely matching Marie-Antoinette’s favourite perfume that was inspired by her lush gardens in Petit Trianon. Even during her imprisonment, Marie-Antoinette kept a small jade vial of this lush floral blend with her, and most perfumes in Les Classiques collection have caps that look like jade as a nod to that famous vial.
We were strategically staying in the Madeleine area within a walking distance of all the best places, and Rive Gauche was not in our plans to visit at that time. We had to make an exception for Lubin though and chose to walk all the way to their only boutique located at 21 Rue des Canettes*. It was early September and we were blessed with beautiful warm weather that day so Silvia and I enjoyed a lovely long walk from our hotel (Hotel Fauchon – we will write a separate post about our favourite hotel in Paris).
The boutique is very small and it is hidden away in one of the charming little streets of Paris so it is fairly easy to miss if one is not paying attention. We were welcomed by a very polite shopping assistant on our arrival who let us explore all the amazing perfumes from various Lubin collections and provided assistance when necessary.
The first perfume we laid our eyes on was Black Jade, of course, however, we decided to try more of their wonderful creations before settling on our preferred scents. Silvia and I sampled most of the perfumes from Lubin’s Les Classiques Collection – Black Jade, Gin Fizz, Princesses de Malabar, and Upper Ten for Her. We also sampled great scents from Les Aristia, including Sinbad and Gajah Mada.
Unexpectedly for us, we both fell in love with something other than Black Jade that we came to the boutique for. I was completely mesmerised by Upper Ten for Her, a unique woody Oriental floral. Top notes are bergamot, grapes, elemi resin and artemisia, middle notes are Bulgarian rose, raspberry and Sichuan pepper, top notes are precious woods, amber, frankincense and dark chocolate. Upper Ten is a sophisticated and feminine perfume with the top notes of precious woods and frankincense becoming prevalent on drydown.
Silvia’s top choice was Princesses de Malabar which is an Oriental floral with a vintage vibe. Top notes are cotton flower and bergamot, middle notes are peach flesh, white magnolia, Arabian jasmine and ylang-ylang, and base notes are white musk, iris, sandalwood, sweet amber and tonka bean. Princesses de Malabar is a beautiful perfume that would appeal to those who appreciate classy vintage floral perfumes.
It could have easily been the other way around as we thought both perfumes were great and suited either of us equally well.
We were very much tempted to stock up on more perfumes from Lubin, but decided to test them first since we were generously given a few samples to try (including Black Jade!).
We left the boutique intending to come back for more perfumes, however, the next day we were travelling to Versailles and there was not enough time to visit the boutique again on that trip. We wanted to try the perfumes on the same day but decided to save for the next day at Versailles, which was the best decision as both perfumes now bring back wonderful memories of strolling through the beautifully manicured gardens, Petit Trianon and exploring some hidden sections of the palace on a private tour (highly recommended).
Having properly tried Black Jade and a few other perfume samples, we firmly have them on our to-buy list next time we are in Paris (hopefully, sometime in 2021). Until then, we can always be transported to that amazing trip just by putting on our beautiful Lubin scents!
We are not aware of any boutiques that sell Lubin perfumes in the UAE, however you can order them on Lubin’s website. People recommend trying them first (perhaps you can ask for samples if you order online) if you are not familiar with this brand as some scents are quite particular with long sillage. From our perspective, any of the ones we have tried would be a great addition to any perfume collection and I would buy without hesitation. If you are interested in prices, Upper Ten for Her currently retails for EUR 106 and Princesses de Malabar – for EUR 102 for a 50ml eau de parfum bottle (a perfect size for your handbag!).
Have you ever tried Lubin perfumes? Which scent is your favourite? Please share with us in the comments below.
Bisous,
Yasmina
*According to the brand’s website, the boutique is closed on Mondays and Sundays so plan your visit accordingly.
