Lise Watier Neiges: Eau Canada!

Two-and-a-half million bottles of Lise Watier Neiges have been sold since the spritz hit fragrance counters back in 1993, according to numbers by AC Nielsen. And that success is just one of many blockbuster stories enjoyed by the Quebec-based company.

In honour of Canada Day—and the 40^th anniversary of Lise Watier Cosmetiques—we honour this news-making fragrance. For the record, Watier was a former Quebec television host before she launched her beauty brand four decades ago. She has since been awarded The Order of Canada (1991) and an Officer of the National Order of Quebec (2000).

Neiges, a white floral, which was number-one in Canada last year, was inspired by the first snowfall of the season–how Canadian. It combines hyacinth, lily, jasmine, magnolia and orange blossoms, and the storyline has it that it was originally meant to honour the women of Quebec with its “sensitive but strong-minded” character. The addition of sultry musk counters the blooms in this spritz, making it more than just a pretty face.

To mark the company’s 40^th anniversary milestone, the brand has also reintroduced one of its popular 2011 fragrances, recasting it with a more sensual and appealing moniker. Bora Bora—which rang in at number-one in Quebec sales in 2011, and number-two in the rest of the country right behind Neiges—is reborn as Vent du Sud. The floral cocktail of passion flower, jasmine and rose with sweet fruit and a trail of amber, vanilla, wood and musk comes packaged in a classical flask with a chunky glass stopper. Elegant, likable and straightforward: not unlike the positioning of the juice itself. Another blockbuster in the making.

PHOTO: Neiges EDT $59CAD (50 ml); Lise Watier in 1993 when Neiges was launched; and the new Vent du Sud EDT $55CAD (50 ml), www.lisewatier.com