Soft Perfumes: The Story of Sabe Masson

by: Elena Vosnaki

 

It is in the Parisian quarter of Haut-Marais, at 4 Rue de Franche Comté, that a new boutique of individual scents has opened a little while ago: Soft Perfumes, signed Sabé Masson, sound like a soft-bite macaron indulgence and you wouldn't fall far off thinking there is some connection between the French delicacy and the "recipe" for the fragrance. No, they're not all gourmands, but they're all caressing, murmuring things to put on and feel good about yourself. As the official slogan goes "les parfums de soin aux mille vertus," aka "the wellness fragrances with a thousand virtues."

 

 

Le Soft Perfume is a nourishing solid perfume in stick form with a natural composition and added fragrance from the best perfumeries in France. Beautifully packaged, with a convenient application. Le Soft Perfume is made of natural ingredients without alcohol or parabens, and is ideal for all skin types, even the most sensitive.

 

Isabelle Masson-Mandonnaud is no stranger to perfume. Her career began back in 1982 when she opened the perfumery created by Fominique Mandonnaud, Shop 8, which would later become Sephora, after the LVMH acquisition. In 2004 Isabelle Masson-Mandonnaud founded Crazylibellule and the Poppies, a line of solid fragrances in a stick that come out of a cardboard tube at a very accessible price point; good enough for the purse with a selection that included even "difficult" scents for the average consumer like incense, iris or patchouli. Although the pretty little solids proved quite popular, the line was lamentably discontinued due to a conflict of shareholders. (If anyone has a substitute for their subtle yet sensuous Musc & Patchouli or their rich Encens Mystique, please, I'm all ears!!)

 

 

Collaborating with the Upperside group, based at Salon-de-Provence, Isabelle has founded the society Parfumaré. "With this small French family Group I hope to find anew the values which had carried me into Sephora," she explains.  At the end of 2015 a new line of liquid perfumes are scheduled to launch, based on the formulae of the solid fragrances.

 

 

Currently the Soft Perfumes come in the declinations according to which carrying oils and waxes are used as the base carrier for the fragrance, each with unique benefits to the skin: Shea Butter collection, Tamanu Mango collection and Tiare collection. The fragrances themselves, with imaginative names like Zazou (a citrus and musk springtime scent), Striptease Flowers (a floral orange blossom coquettish take on the gourmand trend with caramel and vanilla notes), La Reine Soleil (a vacation inspired honey, heliotrope and patchouli combo) to Rock (featuring a leather and oud accord), capture the senses.
 

 

Currently the Sabe Masson and Soft Perfumes are carried by Beautyhabit in the USA.

 

Photos from Sabe Masson facebook