French and away

By Deborah Fulsang

“I was born with this garden in my head,” says perfumer Karine Dubreuil’s of her latest work for L’Occitane, a quartet of exceptional scents inspired by what is considered by many as the centre of modern perfumery, Grasse. The locale also just happens to be the town of Dubreuil’s childhood.

Each fragrance— Thé Vert & Bigarade, Magnolia & Mûre, Jasmin & Bergamote, and Vanille & Narcisse—celebrates a bloom harvested from Grasse in combination with an essence from afar, whether bergamot from Italy, vanilla from Madagascar, magnolia from the Far East or green tea extract from Japan.
They are fresh and clear spritzes, almost cologne-like in their clarity, but not without complexity and emotion. Great value per millilitre.

La Collection de Grasse, each EDT, $75 (75 ml); there’s also a choice of body lotion, shower gel and perfumed soap in each of the scents; www.loccitane.ca