When it comes to style and beauty, we easily think of France as the point of reference. There is something about them that make both fashion and beauty effortless and natural. But apart from these two, the country is likewise popular and legendary for its fragrance or perfume. While France did not invent perfume, there is nothing like French mastery and skills when it comes to production of perfume. France enjoys the reputation of producing the finest perfumes in the world.
Recognizing that fashion is more than what you see, we round up 14, plus three worth mentioning, most aromatic French perfume brands you should know and try. These perfumes range from the sweet or romantic scent, floral, and bold. Make sure you get something that matches your personality and sense of style.
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Annick Goutal
To kick-start the list is a member of the French High Perfumery, Annick Goutal. Trained to be a pianist, then a model, is the founder of her namesake brand known for its sophistication and elegance. Annick Goutal, as a brand, wanted to translate emotions into fragrance. The brand remains to be authentic and preserves the quality of their perfume by having its own in-house perfurmers and making everything from scent to the packaging in France alone. Annick Goutal perfumes for women are distinctly beautiful in ribbed bottles with round elliptical cap, while those of men are housed in urbane squared bottles.
Follow:
Facebook: @goutalparis
Instagram: @goutalparis
Website: www.goutalparis.com/en | us.goutalparis.com
Address:
14 Rue de Castiglione, 75001 Paris, France
Contact: +33 1 42 60 52 82
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Dana
The House of Dana was originally founded in Spain in 1932 by Javier Serra, but shortly moved to Paris. The brand was named after Danae, Perseus’ mother in Greek mythology, who was known for her beautiful face. In 1932, Dana released its first collection, Dana TABU by Jean Carles, which was inspired by tones of sensual desire. In Paris, Dana had successfully launched about 50 original scents 20 Carats, Emir, Donna, and Voodoo, among others. When Paris was occupied by Germans, the House of Dana relocated to New York. Today, Dana is still famous for its creations that are centered on originality, beauty, and excitement.
Follow:
Facebook: @DanaClassicFragrances
Twitter: @HouseOfDana
Instagram: @houseofdana
Website: www.danabeauty.com
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CIRE TRUDON
The oldest candlemaker in the world, Cire Trudon, has expanded its market to include fragrances. Three perfumers have worked together to create genderless perfumes that hints character rather than gender. Cire Trudon now has five scents- Bruma, Deux, Mortel, Olim, and Revolution- that still refer to religion, revolution, and royalty. Cire Trudon is indeed a luxe brand as its history would reveal it supplied candlelight to some of the most prominent personalities in the past include Napoleon, Louis XIV, and Marie-Antoinette.
Follow:
Facebook: @trudon1643
Instagram: @trudon
Pinterest: @trudon1643
Website: trudon.com/us_en
Address:
78 Rue de Seine, 75006 Paris, France
Contact: +33 1 43 26 46 50
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Thierry Mugler
Thierry Mugler is a designer who has graced the catwalk for its distinct and recognizable silhouette and aesthetics. In 1992, the designer turned perfumer, launched his first scent. He gave birth to Haute Perfumery by creating fragrances with bold scents full of character. His exceptional perfumes evoke a sense of freedom and ‘excess’. In creating them, Thierry Mugler takes pride of its use of the finest natural materials, a symbol or rarity and luxury. Among his most famous scents is his groundbreaking scent, Angel, as well as other remarkable perfumes, Alien and Womanity.
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Bring the light in your daily-life thanks to the #WeAreAllAlien Collection
Follow:
Facebook: @MuglerOfficial
Youtube: MuglerOfficial
Twitter: @Mugler
Pinterest: @thierrymugler
Instagram: @muglerofficial
Website: inter.mugler.com | muglerusa.com
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Nina Ricci
Born in Turin, Italy, Nina Ricci moved to Paris and worked as an apprentice and later a premier stylist at a couture salon. She founded her own brand in 1932 in Paris together with her son, Robert. In 1948, the Nina Ricci brand launched its first scent- L’Air Du Temps- into the market. Seventy years later, the same scent, made of 30 different ingredients, is still among the brand’s best-sellers. Nina Ricci’s fragrances bear the feminine elegance that the designer and perfumer Nina Ricci is known of. Along with her first scent, other fragrances include Eau de Fleurs, Capricci, and Farouche. Her creations are beautifully bottled in fancy Lalique crystal bottles.
Follow:
Facebook: @NinaRicciParfums
Instagram: @ninaricciparfums
Website: www.ninaricci.com/en-INT/Fragrances
Address:
39 Avenue Montaigne, 75008 Paris, France
Contact: +33 1 83 97 72 12
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Paco Rabanne
In 1966, Spanish-born Francisco “Paco” Rabaneda Cuervo, or more popularly known as Paco Rabanne, founded French fashion house Paco Rabanne. He grew up in Paris with significant training in architecture but shifted to designing first of jewelry and then clothing. The first scent was introduced in 1969, the Callandre, a cypress-heavy scent meant for active women. He then launched his first men’s scent in 1973 called Paco Rabanne pour homme. Paco once said in an interview: “I like my fragrances to be fresh first, then structured, full of vibrations and contrasts.”
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GOLDGOLDGOLD #1MillionPacoRabanne #LadyMillionPacoRabanne #PacoRabanneParfums #PacoRabanneHolidays
Follow:
Facebook: @PacoRabanneParfums
Youtube: @PacoRabanneOfficiel
Instagram: @pacorabanneparfums
Pinterest: @pacorabanne
Website: www.pacorabanne.com/uk/en/fragrances
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Guerlain
One of the oldest perfume houses in the world is Guerlain. This French house was founded in 1828 and because of its cult-like following, its fragrance is characterized by an olfactory accord referred to as “Guerlinade”. The founder, Pierre-François Pascal Guerlain, would customize scent for the Parisians. He opened his first fragrance shop in 1840 and among its most prominent clients includes French Emperor Napoleon III and Queen Victoria. Through the years, Guerlain now has over 350 perfumes, and their key to such massive success? Never compromise quality. The brand preserves its tradition of using natural ingredients “from field to flacon”.
Follow:
Facebook: @GuerlainSG
Twitter: @Guerlain
Instagram: @guerlain
Youtube: guerlain
Website: www.guerlain.com/int/en-int/fragrance
Address:
68 Av. des Champs-Élysées, 75008 Paris, France
Contact: +33 1 45 62 52 57
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Lancôme
Lancome is a French luxury house of perfume and cosmetics owned by L’Oreal since 1964. It was founded by business partners Guillaume d’Ornano and Armand Petitjean in 1935 in France. The label was inspired by the ruins of Lancosme and the roses found within its vicinity. Its first five fragrances were Bocages, Tendre Nuit, Tropiques, Kypre and Conquete This brand comes in both eau de toilettes and eau de parfums known to be long-lasting.
Follow:
Facebook: @lancome
Instagram: @lancomeofficial
Twitter: @LancomeUSA | @lancomeuk
Website: lancome-usa.com | lancome.com
Address:
29 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 75008 Paris, France
Contact: +33 1 42 65 30 74
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French Connection
French Connection was founded in 1972 by Stephen Marks. He set on a clothing retailing business that offers fashion-forward clothing at an affordable price. It has then expanded its portfolio including fragrance. French Connection has a collection of unisex fragrances in attractive clear glass. This line of perfumes offers timeless, sophisticated, and versatile scents for an all-day appeal.
Follow:
Facebook: @frenchconnection
Twitter: @FCUK
Instagram: @frenchconnection
Pinterest: @fcofficial
Website: www.frenchconnection.com
Address:
14 Boulevard Gambetta 38000 Grenoble
Contact: +33 9 53 56 03 63
- Lolita Lempicka
Lolita Lempicka is a brand and the pseudonym of designer Josiane Maryse Pividal. The name was a tribute to Valdimir Nabokov’s Lolita and artist Tamara de Lempicka. Josiane started in the industry as a fashion designer who dressed up famous French actresses. But more than being a designer, her business flourished on a higher level because of its fragrance. Her universe of perfumes features both innocent and bold sensual scents. The brand is versatile it makes a great scent for young girls and women especially with scents that include fruity, floral, and bold.
Follow:
Facebook: @LolitaLempickaOfficial
Instagram: @lolitalempickaofficial
Address:
104 Av. des Champs-Élysées, 75008 Paris, France
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Pacifica
Image courtesy: sweetvioletbeauty.com
Fragrances from Pacifica had every woman swooning over its authenticity and being close to nature. Pacifica fragrances are celebrated for its use of finest natural materials. Pacifica takes pride of its being a 100 percent vegan and cruelty-free brand. Its perfumes are specifically phthalate-free. It uses natural grain alcohol as an ingredient for its liquid-based fragrances, while the solid ones are made of coconut and soy-based wax.
Follow:
Twitter: @pacificabeauty
Facebook: @PacificaBeauty
Youtube: @PacificaChannel
Pinterest: @ilovepacifica
Instagram: @pacificabeauty
Website: www.pacificabeauty.com
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Lanvin
A prominent name in the fashion industry, Lanvin is also making headlines with its line of fragrances. Opened her first fashion house in 1889, Jeanne Lanvin’s brand is indeed the longest-standing French fashion house. From designing feminine, graceful, and refined clothing, she introduced her first fragrance as a gift for her daughter. The iconic Arpège perfume came in a sphere-shaped bottle made of black glass with narrow neck. But this perfume has become genderless and caters to both men and women. Today, Lanvin has an array of perfumes that vary according to scent so they fit to your personality and style.
Follow:
Facebook: @LANVINofficial
Twitter: @lanvinofficial
Pinterest: @LANVINOFFICIAL
Instagram: @lanvinparfums
Youtube: @LANVINtube
Website: www.lanvin.com
Address:
22 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 75008 Paris, France
Contact: +33 899 27 35 05
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Rochas
Rochas is a Parisian luxury house that offers beauty, fragrance, and fashion items. Its creator, Marcel Rochas, who founded the brand in 1925, became more popular when he launched her first scent, Femme, in 1994. The said perfume was bottled as a gift to his wife. Their collections of perfumes exude elegance and sensuality, depending on the scent you choose. Today, their fragrance remains the most prized product of the brand that they have their in-house perfumer.
Follow:
Facebook: @RochasOfficialPage
Instagram: @rochasofficial
Website: rochas.com
Address:
4 Rond-Point des Champs-Élysées Marcel-Dassault, 75008 Paris, France
Contact: +33 1 53 77 00 00
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Tiffany Perfume
The luxury brand, Tiffany & Co., has a collection of fragrances that go well with their jewelries. While the brand was founded in 1837, it only launched its fragrance line in 1980s, the first being a floral perfume which was created by perfumer Francois Demachy. In 1989, the same brand then released its first men’s fragrance by another perfumer, Jacques Polge. Tiffany perfumes are known for its luxe and elegant scents.
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Follow:
Instagram: @tiffanyandco
Facebook: @Tiffany
Youtube: @OfficialTiffanyAndCo
Twitter: @TiffanyAndCo
Address:
Tiffany & Co. Headquarters, 6 Rue de la Paix, 75002 Paris, France
Contact: +33 1 40 20 20 20
Worth Mentioning:
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Yves Saint Laurent Parisienne
Nothing does Parisienne like Yves Saint Laurent. The fragrance was released in 2009 and named as such to signify its Parisian origin. The perfume contains cranberry, damask rose, peony, sandalwood, patchouli, musk, and many more. This perfume embraces the femininity and sensuality of a woman. Representing the fragrance is supermodel Kate Moss.
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Givenchy Very Irresistible
Givenchy, in 2003, launched what has become one of the most important fragrances there is. It is available in eau de toilette and eau de parfum with the former on a more elegant and classic scent and the latter being sensual and aromatic. Very Irresistible is a blend of five roses with star anise, patchouli, and vanilla. The face of this alluring scent is the beautiful Liv Tyler.
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Chanel No 5
There is no perfume as iconic as Chanel No. 5. It was created in 1921 by perfumer Ernest Beaux, which features mix of fragrance, a deviating move from the trend that time of using a smell like a single flower. It was the first perfume launched by Coco Chanel. It has a distinct elegant and mysterious scent that is very telling of luxury and sensuality. The perfume is made of ylang-ylang and neroli with sandalwood, vanilla, and vetiver. It was a hit for many women especially celebrities that when Marilyn Monroe was asked what she wore to sleep, she answered Chanel No.5.
A set of old Chanel Perfumes