Three Parisian Eutopies from Eutopie

by: Serguey Borisov

Elodie Pollet of Eutopie

In this interview, Elodie Pollet,the creator of the Eutopie brand, talks about the three new perfumes that were inspired by the parks and gardens of Paris.

Serguey Borisov:
Dear Elodie, I'm so happy to meet you again! Looks like you brought to Milano some new Eutopie perfumes to present! So in search of Paradise your heroes have been visiting Arabia, the Middle East, Mediterranean shores and even Russia, where we left your heroes with Eutopie №6. Where are you looking for Eutopie now?

Elodie Pollet:
And now I'm coming into Paris.

Serguey Borisov:
So, after all these years of traveling, you've found your lost Paradise back at home?

Elodie Pollet:
Exactly! (laughing) I found the place of good back at home. I will continue my quest for paradise, but I think that Paris is the interesting stop.

Serguey Borisov:
So Paris is just a stopover in search of Paradise, or is it a real Paradise found, in terms of the Eutopie concept?

Elodie Pollet:
Yes, sure, in terms of Eutopie, Paris is a real Paradise! Because if you've ever been in the Paris area, you have found all the beautiful green parks and gardens in the city, like Versailles, Parc Monseau, Parc de Bagatelle, and so many others to get an escape right in the center of the city (there are 421 municipal parks and gardens in Paris!). So the city of Paris is very green and that's how I chose the main direction for the Parisian Eutopie. This time I worked with Thomas Fontaine, probably you know him by his works …

Serguey Borisov:
Of course, Mr. Fontaine is the in-house perfumer of Jean Patou, and he created some perfumes for Lubin, Jean Charles Brosseau, Le Galion …

Elodie Pollet:
So, I worked with this great man, and I'm happy to show you the new perfumes—Eutopie №7 and Eutopie №8—devoted to Paris and that we made with him. 


Serguey Borisov:
Eutopie №7's box is rose-colored. Is it devoted to Rose or Peony?

Elodie Pollet:
It's about some flower you can see in Paris and I was inspired by it. Sorry, I don't know its name in English. Maybe daisy is the name?

The fragrance is floral green and fruity spicy, because I really want to get an escape from the city in the fragrance, get the green atmosphere. It starts with a nice black currant note, a bit of pink pepper to add some spice, and galbanum which makes it very green. In the heart there's a bouquet of flowers: freesia, mimosa, iris, a touch of jasmine … well, all the flowers that bloom in spring, and only jasmine appears here in the wrong season. (laughs) And in the base notes you have cedarwood, amber, white musks—these are the Eutopie touch. It's our signature woody-ambery base, so it's also present here. I think that Eutopie №7 is a very interesting addition to my collection, as it's a converstion with more Western people and their tastes.

As for the color of the box, I think it's between pink and violet.

Eutopie №7 is a cute, sweet and fresh floral scent that does not come across to me as particularly green (except for the sour-sweet accord in the start, that smells like a bite off a juicy green apple). The perfume's softness resembles blooms in general, not the characteristic blooming garden of apples or sakuras, when their scent is overwhelming, not to mention the blooming rosariums or May rose fields in full bloom. It's a pleasant fragrance for romantic dates that should not develop any further, other than reading English poets of some past centuries with long comments and circumlocutory wordy explanations concerning a touching of sleeves that happens oh-so-accidentally. Over-attentive grandmotherly parents of a young lady should take it into consideration.
 

Serguey Borisov:
Well, “between pink and violet” sounds not very romantic … Why don`t you call it "Rose de Paradis" or something like that? It should evoke some thoughts and images! Like your next perfume box for Eutopie №8, whose color is gray like Parisian roofs …

Elodie Pollet:
Yes, that's a characteristic Parisian color when you look from the high buildings. It's the roofs of Paris, exactly. The inspiration for Eutopie №8 perfume is the charming and romantic green Parc Mansau of the 17th arrondisment that is surrounded by gray Parisian roofs—a green escape within the city. Parc Mansau was opened in 1769 by Louis-Philippe II, Joseph de Bourbon, Duke of Orleans. Claude Monet's impressionist paintings made it world famous and immortal in the art world.

It's loaded with galbanum, you can feel it so well. It's paired with bergamot and lemon, so it feels like a very green cologne. Then, in the heart, the citrus line is prolonged with neroli, while the green theme of galbanum develops with lentisque resin and mint. The incense note is a hint to our signature base accord of amber, cedarwood and white musks. I would say, that №7 is more feminine than №8, and still, both are multigender perfumes. For me the perfume is the green ceiling of Paris, a place to walk around and think …

Serguey Borisov:
Walk? Or run?

Elodie Pollet:
Well, sometimes I run there also, but I'm not a very good runner. I run 20-30 minutes in the morning, twice a week. But I know you run here in Milano!

Serguey Borisov:
Yes, I like to run here, the parks are blooming, and the morning smell of greens and flowers is so exhilarating, so energizing and fresh! I adore that smell—your Eutopie №8 reminds me of those fitness mornings, when you've had your run and then you have the contrast of a shower with some green-smelling shower gel and some green citrus cologne-rubbing as well. It just fills you with energy!

Eutopie №8 is an energetic and peppy green perfume, bringing together all the best classical green notes. Recently, galbanum and neroli can very often b found in modern transparent green perfumes (for example, untitled Maison Martin Margiela or Le Galion Eau Noble), not to mention the omnipresent vetiver, but lentisque or mastic gum is quite a rare visitor in contemporary perfumes. This combination sounds like a specific allusion to the green flavors of the 1970s-80s. Moreover, it brings a sharp impulsive masculinity that makes me crave a cigarette. And there`s no tobacco note mentioned in the perfume pyramid—the effect is inspired by references to such well-known green perfumes as Geoffrey Beene Grey Flannel , Christian Dior Jules, Rochas Macassar, Chanel Egoiste Platinum,Jacomo Silences, and the first Cerruti masculine (Cerruti pour homme). The green tart bitterness goes from freshness to a woody-powdery drydown, while the smoke craving is replaced by the desire to work. After all, in the 70-80s perfumes showed self-made people in charge of their lives rather than laughing, infantile beauties.
 

Serguey Borisov:
Absolutely good perfume! But №7 is so tender and frail that I imagine it as a lethargic beautiful 16-year-old girl. I have never been in a park that smells of these sweet flowers. Maybe it's just my bad luck as it never happened to me …

Elodie Pollet:
Well, Eutopie №7 was inspired by the gardens around the Palace of Versailles. So many flowers blooms there, and there was even a Kitchen Garden with black currant, tomatoes, strawberries, peaches and other vegetables and fruits that were grown for the King's kitchen.

Serguey Borisov:
Let's smell the third one!

Elodie Pollet:
OK. Eutopie №9 is actually a composition built around sage. This aromatic herb is the central ingredient and the star of this perfume. And if you look at the box, it's also colored after sage leaves. I wanted to highlight this ingredient—it's still a very Parisian story for me. This perfume was created by Sonia Constant of Givaudan, who also made Eutopie №3. She sent me a few creations and I really loved this one. (smelling blotters) She's good, huh? (smelling)

It starts with bergamot and clary sage oil, with a pinch of nutmeg. Sage is in the top notes, but Sonia managed to extend it. Then, wet and green violet leaves and transparent jasmine make it more fresh, also vetiver and signature cedarwood—every other note was added to highlight the main thing, sage.

Serguey Borisov:
(cannot take a blotter from own nose) Can you spray it on me, please? Here or there… (cannot take his wrist from own nose) … mmm, and sweet musks … if you ask me, this is the best perfume I've smelled so far… so simple, so sweet and so aromatic—I cannot pull it from my nose, I cannot inhale enough of it! What part of Paris does sage stand for? Is it a farmers' market or restaurant or perfume shop?

Elodie Pollet:
I`m happy you like it, it's a very nice work around sage. I believe that it's about a "big chef" restaurant, because they use sage quite often in kitchens for cooking as well. And if you want the image of Paris, that will be its Haute Cuisine tradition. It's very elegant.

Eutopie №9 is a bright and modern fougère fragrance, fresh with green violet leaves and then nice woody-musky basenotes, like a shiny fresh brand-newChristian Dior Fahrenheit paired with Jean-Paul Gaultier Le Male's enveloping sweetness. Of course, the best part of it is clary sage. Of course, it does not resonate forever. A pity. I wear it on my clothes—it helps.
The best compliment toEutopie №9 I made later, on the evening of the same day. Going to another evening event, I went to the Eutopie stand and after permission to refresh the fragrance, sparing neither cologne nor my clothes, lavishly sprayed myself with Eutopie №9 (a 100 ml bottle as a tester is still impossible to empty even after four days of the exhibition's usage). And evening compliments followed soon after.
 

Eutopie №7

Top notes: Marigold, Black currant, Galbanum, Pink Pepper;
Heart notes: Freesia, Water Jasmine, Mimosa, Iris;
Base notes: Cedarwood, White Musk, Peach, Amber.

Eutopie №8

Top notes: Galbanum, Bergamot, Green Lemon;
Heart notes: Neroli, Mastic, Mint, Incense;
Base notes: Cedarwood, White Musk, Amber.

Eutopie №9

Top notes: Bergamot, Sage, Nutmeg;
Heart notes: Violet leaves, Jasmine;
Base notes: Cedarwood, White Musk, Vetiver, Moss.

Photo from Esxence by Eugeniya Chudakova