Anatole Lebreton Bois Lumiere & L’Eau de Merzhin

Two very different landscapes are captured in Anatole Lebreton‘s L’Eau de Merzhin and Bois Lumière. The first takes you to the nostalgic heart of the countryside where grassy pastures are speckled with purple wild violets, mimosa pollen, and sweet hay. The second focuses on the blazing light of the Mediterranean sun where sticky, smoky honey is slathered in waves over arid driftwood. I’ll look at each one in turn.

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Anatole Lebreton L’Eau Scandaleuse

Tilda Swinton. Source: Pinterest. Photographer unknown.

Tilda Swinton. Source: Pinterest. Photographer unknown.

Germaine Cellier would have loved this.” That was the thought that kept coming to mind when I tried L’Eau Scandaleuse, a floral leather that is oh so much more. It is a deceptively simple scent at first glance, but a closer look reveals a fragrance that cuts a swathe through different perfume genres and gender profiles to end up as an androgynous, genderless leather in a fashion that I think Germaine Cellier, the legendary creator of Bandit and Fracas, would very much appreciate. It also marries the best of French classicism and the Haute Parfumerie divaesque style with a radiant lightness the belies the heft and richness of its notes to feel very modern. The juxtapositions and transitions are seamless; the overall result sophisticated and bold. It’s a far better release than many things I’ve smelt this year from famous noses, but L’Eau Scandaleuse comes from a self-taught, former perfumer blogger which makes it all the more impressive to me.  Continue reading