In the dead of winter, our thoughts turn to indulgent escapes: journeys to unknown lands, rich in sensation with a hint of intrigue. The ancient spice routes of maritime traders, for example, or a caravansary across North Africa. Places as exotic as their names: Makassar and Zanzibar, Borneo and the Persian Sea.
In the absence of a first-class ticket to faraway lands, there’s always fragrance. A well-blended fragrance takes us on a journey through the perfumer’s vision, offering olfactory escape and the opening of memory’s doors.
One of the world’s oldest and most illustrious fragrance houses, Lubin was founded in 1798, serving as the official perfumer for European royalty throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.
This winter, travel with the House of Lubin on boldly romantic journeys with three new additions to the Talismania collection inspired by the Knights of the Round Table and daredevil women and the Three Kings bearing gifts of frankincense, gold, and myrrh.
(Source: Lubin Paris)
Idole de Lubin: A tribute to fearless adventurers such as Amelia Earhart and Karen Blixen (aka Isak Dinesen), Idole de Lubin celebrates the romance of rebellious artists who live to explore their passion.
Originally introduced in 1962, Idole de Lubin was reformulated and relaunched in 2005, when former Guerlain creative director, Gilles Thévenin, took over the house of Lubin. One whiff of Idole de Lubin and you’re traveling on the “African Queen” with Bogie and Kate, the scent of rum and smoked ebony permeating the air as you head for Lake Victoria.
According to Thévenin, “Lubin fragrances have their own character; they have a strong personality” – and there’s little question that Idole de Lubin, the house’s first 21st-century fragrance and the 466th from the house, is as assertive as it is seductive. The bottle, created by Serge Mansau, evokes the sail of a felucca, a wooden boat traditional to Africa, with a carved African mask as bottle stopper.
Idole de Lubin opens with cumin, saffron, and bitter orange in a cloud of rum. Think of it as Bogie’s breakfast, with Kate fanning the air. Yet in the jungle heat, the rum burns off, leaving a sugary, smoky sweetness – and by drydown, as evening falls, Kate has succumbed to the leather and sandalwood that closes in around her as Bogie hovers near.
Idole de Lubin’s perfumer was Olivia Giacobetti – and her touch with such dominant components is equivalent to witnessing Kate tame Bogie in the jungle. “Set the jungle on fire,” says Giacobetti – and that’s exactly what will happen to your heart while under the spell of Idole de Lubin.
(Source: Lubin Paris)
Galaad: If your dreams in winter are of a knight in shining armor, then Lubin’s Galaad might be the elixir to sweep you off your feet.
Named for the hero of Arthurian legend, Sir Galahad, a Knight of the Round Table and son of Sir Lancelot, Lubin’s Galaad is a fragrance with a heady pedigree and provenance.
The Hebrew word “Galaad” denotes the region fabled for its “balm of Gilead,” the resinous balsam and a botanical relative of myrrh.
For Lubin’s Galaad, perfumer Delphine Thierry has created a fragrance redolent of the Middle East: cypress and cardamom blend with rosemary and honey. A heart note of copahu balm with essence of myrrh evokes the gifts of the magi, while the base is a forest of agarwood, cedar and tobacco.
A resinous leather fragrance, Galaad is as resolutely masculine as Sir Lancelot. Imagine an elegant hero with the confidence of a romantic who might bare his heart and sing “If Ever I Would Leave You” while astride his horse. You can smell the saddle leather on his fingers as he offers you his hand.
(Source: Lubin Paris)
Akkad: Many of us were taught that the cradle of civilization occurred at the juncture between the Tigris and the Euphrates Rivers in Mesopotamia. Where better to find the source of one of the world’s most precious substances? Amber, the fossilized tree resin, has been valued since antiquity for its rich and warm musky scent.
Named for a region in southern Mesopotamia, Lubin’s Akkad is a luminous amber fragrance that opens with a burst of citrus. Mandarin and bergamot are complemented by clary sage, once known as “the sacred herb” for its uplifting properties. The fresh soothing scent of elemi, a pale yellow honey-like resin, provides a prickle of lemony pine.
What was once Mesopotamia is modern-day Iraq. With Lubin’s Akkad, perfumer Delphine Thierry has formulated a fragrance that mixes the mystical allure of amber with the sensuality of the profane.
(Source: Lubin Paris)
Korrigan: In the fens and moors of Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Brittany, mythical woodland creatures are known as korrigans – and korrigans are known for their beautiful hair and their Dionysian appetites.
Korrigan by Lubin is, therefore, a fragrance for epicures. As musky and seductive as sylvan moss in summer, Lubin’s Korrigan opens with notes of juniper and saffron, with a touch of cognac. Imagine a caramel wood liqueur. Imagine the lushly forested setting of Ridley Scott’s film “Legend.” Imagine a summer solstice festival of water sprites and fairies, all dancing around fountains while intoxicated on the woodland scents of cedar, leather, musk, and vetiver.
A Celtic woody gourmand, Lubin’s Korrigan is a midsummer night’s dream all about pleasure.
LINK: Lubin Paris
