I picked the Monet painting above to illustrate my review of Der Duft's fragrance Grasse, because it reminds me of the charming small hotel where my husband and I stayed on the outskirts of the city of Grasse. There was a small patio where one took breakfast and dinner, or just sat with wine to enjoy the view and take in the air perfumed by flower fields, as well as perfume factories scenting the air with their production. This perfume was created by the Der Duft founder, Anselm Skogstad, to capture the essence of the time he spent in Grasse, training to be a perfumer.
Der Duft is a new fragrance brand based in Munich, and Skogstad made the very brave decision to launch this year into the gathering storm of a worldwide pandemic. Der Duft translates in english to "the scent", and the choice of such a non-descriptor name was purposeful. So many brands today have a theme or romantic story line to draw the consumer's interest. Skogstad took a different approach and reveals as little as possible about his scents. He wants the wearer to consider the scent on their own terms and to allow their personal memories to find a connection to the fragrance.
On his website he states, "I wanted to create a perfume house with a brand name that conveys a simple message and intention to anyone interested in scents. I wanted there to be no need for further explanations or complex stories. The intention is that each perfume, each scent will create their own story and association for the person wearing it."
Upon spraying Grasse I am reminded of the opulence of traditional French perfumery. There is a light rush of aldehydes that lend an air of formality and elegance to the scent. As the frisson of the aldehydes slowly dissipate I am aware of gorgeous blooming florals. In the manner of well constructed French perfumes, no one element overpowers the others. Instead there is a melody composed of rose, iris, lotus, magnolia, and jasmine. All of these are beautiful scents individually, but when melded together into one bouquet, the whole becomes more beautiful than the individual notes.
As the florals unfold, I smell a very distinct bitter note, which to me smells green. I love it, because amidst all the charm and loveliness of the sweet florals lies a slight note of discord, something unexpected, that elevates the perfume to another level and makes it even more interesting. The green note is very fetching, and during the time it is the dominate note on my skin, I can't stop sniffing my wrist.
Later the scent changes again, the florals becoming muted and a very slight powder note emerges. Everything becomes softer, more faded, and there is an undercurrent of mild earthiness from patchouli. At this point I have had Grasse on all day when the most lovely and extraordinary thing happens. Just as I am approaching the end of my day and preparing for bed, a soft lavender note becomes evident as if sniffing a slight trail of scent carried to you by the wind. This is a perfect ending for a perfect scent day.
The perfumer wants the wearer to translate each scent personally so I will do that here. Even though I have been to Grasse, this perfume stirs another memory for me. This year because of covid I found myself in my husband's home town of Adelaide for several months, rather than the three months of summer we typically visit. In thirty years of marriage I had never experienced an Australian spring. Our neighborhood is full of beautiful English-style gardens, heavy on flowering bushes and trailing vines, but dotted with native flora such as wattle trees. If I timed my daily walks for late afternoon the air was an adventure park for a scent lover such as myself. Every few steps the scent would change: cherry blossom, rose, pink jasmine, lily (to name a few). It was a gorgeous olfactory experience being able to sense so many different smells at once. This is what Grasse reminds me of, bringing all sorts of distinctive florals into a cohesive whole, uplifting and joyful.
Der Duft currently shows five scents on the website and some of these Skogstad has done in collaboration with Miguel Matos.
If you are interested in reading more about the city of Grasse itself, you can follow my visit here.
Top Photo: The Luncheon: Monet's Garden, Claude Monet.
2 comments :
Everything about this brand is "too simple" for my taste - the name, the story (I mean, the absence of the story is a statement/story on its own), the bottle design and the site. Looking at all that, I just do not expect perfume to be good: they skimped on everything they did (other than a price ;) ), so why would they go "all-in" with ingredients and perfumers?
If I ever come across them, try and like those perfumes, I'll be the first to acknowledge that I was wrong.
I have been to Grasse once, and would like to try a perfume based on the place!
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