Perfumista was developed as collaboration between artist and audience, between perfumer and perfumista. Anatole Lebreton invited fragrance lovers into the creative process of developing a perfume. He sent samples of raw materials to participants to invite them to understand “the choices of essences used, their origin, their quality, and the emotions they evoke.” He gradually revealed key elements of his perfume as he answered questions about the composition. But he kept a necessary bit of mystery – the finished formula – under wraps. The result of the project is Perfumista, a stunningly beautiful fragrance that shapeshifts into different styles seamlessly - green chypre, indolic floral, fruity rose.
Perfumista is built around a woody rose accord: Bulgarian rose essence, lively and sparkling, combines harmoniously with round and soft patchouli, for a heart full of elegance. The accord is adorned with Indian jasmine that accentuates the flowery aura and with Virginia cedar for a velvety woody base. Fruity notes of pear and plum brighten the head.
Perfumista puts the fragrance’s wearer back at the center of the creation. It’s a perfume that says thank you. Anatole Lebreton created Perfumista in 2019 to share his passion with passionate people. It was nominated as a finalist for the 2020 Art And Olfaction Awards. With top notes of pear, plum and raspberry; middle notes of Bulgarian rose, jasmine and patchouli; and base notes of Virginia cedarwood, Peru balsam and musk. Perfumista is an eau de parfum, edp.
Anatole Lebreton Perfumista Reviews
Fragrantica: On paper, this looks like something I would not like: fruit, flowers and patchouli. I’ve never been a fan of fruit and patchouli. Especially when it registers sweet. But, in the hands of Anatole Lebreton, it’s a magical potion. I pick up fruity notes, plums and berries in the first few minutes. Then florals—jasmine and a beautiful rose—announce the opening act. Dry down is a sweet, patchouli musk. Great performance to boot. I would further describe this as a mainstream scent with a twist.
CaFleureBon: The first time I dabbed on Perfumista, I thought it was gorgeous green chypre, a cedarwood forest hung with oakmoss growing above moist, mulchy soil. The fragrance’s elegance and classic structure made me feel a pang of nostalgia for something I didn’t quite recognize; a suggestion of retro without referencing anything specific. Yes, there was an echo of the cloaked, winey plum of Femme, but then, a drip of sweet pear juice and a bouncy, brilliant raspberry note brought me back to present day. I sprayed Perfumista on my arm. Now a rose opened in slow motion: silk velvet, expensive lipstick, shadow, old silk – an imaginary bloom becoming real before me. At first, I thought of L’Arte de Gucci, perhaps the greatest rose chypre ever made: luscious, black rose twined about thorny greenery. But, as I smelled Perfumista again, and again, it no longer seemed like L’Arte but as a portrait of that perfume drawn in tempera; less bitingly green, warmer, softer. The playful raspberry settled right in the lap of that dark, sweet, almost edible rose. I left the forest for the orchard and then a wild garden. Later, Perfumista slinks. An indolic jasmine slips in, looking over her shoulder in sloe-eyed invitation. The composition turns deeply sensual; the rose and fruit lie across each other like odalisques. In the background, the woods and oakmoss nod knowingly to each other.
