Paris Perfumers: Laurent Mazzone & LM Parfums

Fate, planning, and a little bit of serendipity gave me the chance to meet with three, very different, Paris perfumers during my trip. Actually, to be completely precise, one is primarily based in Grenoble, and one is an actual nose/creator, while the other two are more technically considered as perfume creators with their own houses. Semantics aside, I had a marvelous time with each one, and thought I’d share a little bit of the experience, each of which was very different but utterly memorable. Today, the focus will be Laurent Mazzone and some of the LM Parfums that I tried, including some gorgeous upcoming, new releases slated for November 2013 and early 2014.

LAURENT MAZZONE & LM PARFUMS:

Hotel Costes. Source: hotel-costes.semuz.com

Hotel Costes. Source: hotel-costes.semuz.com

The Hotel Costes on the Rue St. Honoré in Paris is perhaps the pinnacle of stylish, ne plus ultra, sophisticated cool. Velvet, opulence and excess are the bywords for the decor inside, but one of the main attractions is the indoor courtyard. And what a scene it is! Imagine a large, covered, indoor courtyard surrounded on high by Roman statues and greenery. At its pristine, white tables covered with crystal glasses, an array of pencil-thin, black-clad, social x-rays — draped in ennui as much as in Hermès — pose stylishly on thin, black chairs. Their fragile bones seem likely to be crushed by the great effort of lifting their cigarettes. And they’ve clearly followed the mantra and example of Anna Wintour, Vogue’s “Nuclear Winter” editor-in-chief, when it comes to haughtiness. Their male counterparts are all tanned, in dark suits with crisp white shirts that are opened a few buttons, and fixated on their cellphones as they sip a glass of chilled white wine with one well-shod limb elegantly crossed over the other. All around are a phalanx of haughty waiters, many of whom seem to be aspiring models, who look down their noses at your from their great height and seem almost offended that you’ve bothered them with a request. (Or perhaps they’ve simply got issues with people who ask for ice, or for directions to the loo? At the very least, they’ve got issues with a variety of things, and need a serious attitude adjustment.)

Hotel Costes courtyard. Source: lefigaro.fr. photo : DR.

Hotel Costes courtyard. Source: lefigaro.fr. photo : DR.

Outside the Hotel Costes. Photo: my own.

Outside the Hotel Costes. Photo: my own.

As I walked up to the hotel from the aristocratic, luxurious Place Vendome just around the corner, a large chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce was idling, and a bodyguard talking into his microphone. The chauffeur stood in the middle of the road with the famous Chopard jewellers behind him. Hovering like a gaggle of geese, outside and in, were extremely tall, elegantly clad women whose clothing, looks, and attitude marked them as somehow being involved in Paris Fashion Week which was ending the next day (October 2nd).

It was into this overly hip, excessively cool, “in” scene that I arrived — sleep-deprived, with my voice half-gone from the early part of my trip, and feeling rather bedraggled, if truth be told. I was scheduled to meet Laurent Mazzone and Fabienne, the international business agent for LM Parfums, whose incredibly warm, sweet, and friendly emails had resulted in this meeting. We had begun communicating just a few days before my departure and after my enthusiastic, extremely positive review for LM Parfums‘ gorgeous Sensual Orchid.

As luck would have it, Laurent Mazzone was going to be in Paris for the fashion shows. He had greatly enjoyed the thoroughness of my review (happily, my verboseness seems to a positive thing for some people!), and invited me for drinks. When I warned Fabienne that my French was rusty and that I hadn’t spoken it consistently in almost 20 years, she offered to come along as well. (It was just as well because, despite her opinion that I wasn’t at all rusty, I most definitely am! Plus, in the fog of my exhaustion, I often blanked out on words or phrases. Merci, Fabienne, for saving my linguistic hide.)

Laurent Mazzone.

Laurent Mazzone.

I found Laurent and Fabienne easily, sitting at a couple of tables in the corner along with Laurent’s partner, and was greeted with kisses and even a hug. Laurent Mazzone is a very dapper, youngish man in his early ’30s (I think), with a cherubic face, a naughty gleam in his mischievous, warm, brown eyes, and a big grin. He has an enormously exuberant personality, which I loved, and endless passion. Yet, he is also extremely serious when it comes to the subject of perfumery, and has a true commitment to the idea of making luxurious, sensuous perfumes in the grand tradition, but with a modern feel. There was enormous sensitivity in those brown eyes when listening to my comments about some of his line, sometimes followed by a huge, infectious smile from ear to ear when he saw that I understood and appreciated their nature.

Source: uae.souq.com

Patchouli Boheme. Source: uae.souq.com

He had brought a chic, black, and black-ribboned, LM Parfums bag of what I thought would be perfume samples. They turned out to be actual, full, 100 ml bottles of 3 of his fragrances: Ambre Muscadin, Patchouli Boheme, and the new, limited-edition, Chemise Blanche. Yet, despite my patchouli and amber obsession, I never tested any of those perfumes that day and, instead, ended up trying his forthcoming, new perfume, Hard Leather.

Hard Leather will be released in November, and I can’t wait because I absolutely loved it! In fact, I think I may have yelped or cried out rather loudly upon sniffing it because, suddenly, some tables of black-clad, haughty Parisians were turning around with raised eyebrows. I didn’t care, and I think I may have hugged Mr. Mazzone at one point over Hard Leather because it was (and is) absolutely fantastic. Mr. Mazzone describes it as an “animalic leather” that, to my opinion at least, isn’t particularly animalic or aggressive after the opening 10 minutes, but, instead, much more beautifully well-rounded and warm. It might be “animalic” by French standards, but I don’t think it is generally or as a whole, and especially not by Middle Eastern or Amouage standards.

Hard Leather has its musky side to be sure, but it’s primarily woody, sweet, rich, spicy, ambered, and incredibly sensual. From the first sniff, I could instantly tell that there was oud from Laos in it, with its own very unique, aged character, but what I liked about this version of it is that it didn’t smell fecal like so many fragrances that use that particular Laotian wood. Even better, there is none of that revolting Gorgonzola or cheese undertone that very aged Laotian oud can sometimes have. Soon after the agarwood announces itself, there is a burst of pungent civet which quickly calms down (in less than ten minutes), and melts into the rich, well-blended, richly burnished whole.

In essence, Hard Leather smells like your boyfriend’s leather jacket, lightly mixed with his musky scent, along with deep, almost honeyed, slightly smoky oud, and a vague tinge of floral sweetness, atop a base of ambered warmth. At times, it seemed to share some kinship with Serge Lutens Cuir Mauresque, which is one of my absolute favorite Lutens fragrances, but there are clear differences in smell. Even apart from the oud, Hard Leather has a little more edge at first, and is significantly more woody. It also seems to have a different (and much smaller) floral vein running through it. I can’t remember the rest of the notes that Laurent later told me about, but, if memory serves me correctly, there is iris absolute in Hard Leather as well. [UPDATE 10/17/13 – I have the official press release for Hard Leather with its sleek graphics and the full list of notes in the perfume.]

I also can’t recall the name of the perfumer with whom Laurent worked, but I laughed at his description of the process whereby he kept telling the nose to put in “more. More, more, more!” Not only is such a comment completely in keeping with Mr. Mazzone’s character, intensity and passion, but the perfume really has deep richness. I was so crazy about Hard Leather that Mr. Mazzone sent his friend up to their rooms to get his own small decant to give me as a gift, which resulted in a further exuberant outburst that undoubtedly horrified the Hotel Costes’ snobs, but too bad. This is such a fantastic perfume! I will do a review closer to the perfume’s launch date, but I’m telling guys, in particular, and women who like masculine, woody or leather scents: you need to check this one out.

Source: Silkcosmetics.nl

Some, but not all, of the LM Parfums line. Source: Silkcosmetics.nl

What I love about LM Parfums is that they are luxurious, sensuous, full-bodied, and rich. Hard Leather, unlike most of the perfumes from the line, is an extrait de parfum (only three of the current LM Parfums have that concentration), and clocks in at 20% perfume oil. All the perfumes, however, have an opulence that really harkens back to the golden age of perfumery. They’re not fuddy-duddy, old or dated in smell, but Laurent is clearly driven by his love for the classic perfume greats. These fragrances all feel like actual, serious perfumes — they proclaim their richness and luxurious nature without hesitation, announce their presence, and feel no shame over the fact that they are both perfume and French in nature.

Yet, the thing I found with Sensual Orchid and Hard Leather is that their richness contrasts with a surprising airiness in feel. These are not opaque, thick perfumes by any means! Based on what I’ve tested thus far from the line, even the sillage drops after about 2-3 hours to hover somewhat discretely just an inch or so above the skin. The perfumes are potent when smelled up close and linger, but they aren’t battleships of heaviness with nuclear projection that trails you for hours. (In all honestly, I wish they were like that, but I realise that my personal tastes are not the modern style, and that ’80s-style powerhouses are rarely made today.) Still, LM Parfums are all very French in feel or spirit. Mr. Mazzone mentioned a number of the perfume legends, like Guerlain’s Mitsouko, for example, and how he wants his perfumes to reflect the same sort of sophisticated complexity with layers of nuance.

His philosophy certainly shows in Hard Leather, but also in another upcoming fragrance called Army of Lovers. It is a chypre and, honestly, this is a true chypre! None of that neo-chypre or wanna-be, pretend, quasi-chypre business. (Le Labo’s Ylang 49, I’m looking straight at you with your revolting purple patchouli!) No, this is an actual, genuine chypre with an amount of oakmoss absolute that you have to smell to believe. It’s beautiful, very elegant, and reeks of class. It was created by Mr. Mazzone with a Robertet nose (I think) whose name I have now forgotten, and the perfume name references a Swedish group that Mr. Mazzone loves. I have to wonder if there will be any trademark issues in using the same name, but the perfume won’t be released until 2014, so I’m sure he has time to work out any problems that may arise.

I wish I could recall the notes in Army of Lovers, but all I remember now is how impressed I was with its elegance. At one point, I had Hard Leather on one shoulder or bicep, and Army of Lovers on the other — and I may have uttered a rather strangled, guttural moan. I certainly did something very loudly that seemed to have (further) shocked the constipated denizens of the Hotel Costes, and I saw a very disapproving gleam in our server’s eyes when he stopped by next. At this point, I most definitely did not care. Laurent Mazzone was spraying me with glee, and then himself, and we were standing up to sniff each other publicly without the slightest bit of thought to those around. I might have entered a slight fugue state at one point as the potent chypre of Army of Lovers, and the spicy, oriental, animalic leather-oud warmth of Hard Leather billowed out around me. I may have this incorrectly, but if I recall, I think Laurent Mazzone stated that Ambre Muscadin and Patchouli Boheme are two of the main corner stones or representational fragrances from his line. I suspect that either Hard Leather, Army of Lovers, or both will be soon joining them.

In telling you all this, I’m being completely honest. Just as I am when I say that there were some things I smelled that day that were not my cup of tea at all. Very well-made, and beautifully blended, yes, but most definitely not my personal style. Mr. Mazzone sprayed me with something and — blame my usual bluntness or, perhaps, massive sleep-deprivation — I instinctively recoiled, my whole body jerked back, and I grimaced. It was some floral fragrance with purple, fruity patchouli and a synthetic element. So much purple, sweetness, and fruitiness! I had blocked out the name entirely due to my sheer horror, but, in looking over the list of names in the LM line now, I suspect it was O de Soupirs.** If I recall correctly, Mr. Mazzone described its feeling or inspiration as something a woman would wear before going to a rendezvous with her lover. Before I could stop myself, I blurted out something along the lines of “Absolutely not! This is for a 14-year old girl!” (Oh God, now that I’m remembering more of the day, I think I even tried to rub it off my arm with a napkin!)  ** [UPDATE: it turns out the fragrance I didn’t like was a new, upcoming, not-yet-released perfume called Lost Paradise. It will be launched in 2014. — Further Update 1/29/14: the name has been changed to Ultimate Seduction. ]

I usually try to be more tactful and polite, so I’m quite chagrined at my rudeness, but I really couldn’t help the outburst or my instinctive, gut-level reaction. There was a pause in the conversation, and Mr. Mazzone blinked, but he was extremely gracious about it, though there was a hurt look in his sensitive eyes. I tried to explain that I was always very honest in my opinions, and that my candour should let him know that I was quite sincere in my raves for the other two perfumes. He actually seemed to like that a lot, but he’s also incredibly polite, so perhaps I’m just hoping that he put it all into context.

Even before this incident, Mr. Mazzone had quickly caught onto my personal tastes, which strongly mirror his own, so it wasn’t a surprise when he immediately noted that I would very much dislike another perfume that he had included in the very generous “samples.” It was the new, recently released but limited-edition Chemise Blanche which — unlike its siblings — is not done in a black, velvet box imprinted with the LM Parfums logo. It’s also not in one of the black bottles that Mr. Mazzone has intentionally made almost just barely opaque, but not quite. He was concerned that perfume owners would not be able to see how much was left in their bottle if it was a solid black, so he specifically had the glass done in a way which would show how much liquid was left if the bottle was held up to the light. I loved the thoughtfulness and attention to detail involved in that, especially as the issue of remaining quantity is a problem that I always have with my old, jet-black bottle of Fracas.

Chemise BlancheInstead, Chemise Blanche is in a clear, glass bottle and in a white velvet box. The reason Mr. Mazzone was sure I would dislike it is because it is very much the opposite of my favorites from his line: it’s a perfume centered around aldehydes and citruses. To me, it very much evokes something crystalline in visuals, almost Alpine, if you will: white, pure, clear, airy, and very light in feel, despite being an extrait in concentration. According to Fragrantica, the notes include:

aldehydes, bergamot, mandarin, iris, lily of the valley, rose, benzoin, tonka, amber and musk.

To my surprise, given my loathing for aldehydes, the note was much tamer than I had expected but, alas, even Mr. Mazzone admitted that Chemise Blanche smelled of soap and dishwashing liquid on my skin. (By now, sniffing yet my another portion of my shoulder, we were really receiving some strange looks!) Chemise Blanche is not my style at all, and my skin is always a huge problem when it comes to aldehydes, but I freely admit that the perfume is very well-done. Actually, with a few wearings, I occasionally persuaded myself that Chemise Blanche might almost be something I would opt for if I were looking for a crisp, light, gauzy perfume with a citric edge. Almost. I’m wearing Hard Leather as I write this, and I doubt I would ever go for crystal white when I could have shades of richly burnished brown, red, black and amber instead!

Nonetheless, Chemise Blanche turned out to be quite a hit with my friend with whom I was staying and who has very difficult perfume tastes. It’s not only that she is someone whose tastes are the polar opposite of mine; it’s also that she finds almost everything to be “too sweet” or “too strong.” She recoils in horror at even the slightest bit of Orientalism or spice, isn’t a huge fan of most pure florals, and adores airy, light, clean and citrusy fragrances. Even in that last category, however, she thinks the vast majority are “too sweet.” (It was quite interesting going perfume-shopping with her one day! No matter what citrus fragrance I found for her, almost all were rejected and, in a few cases, deemed to be “too masculine” as well.) Chemise Blanche, however, smelled lovely on her skin, and she seemed almost convinced that it wasn’t the dreaded, verboten “sweet.” (It is not. Not even remotely!) So, I left her a large decant for her to test out while she decides if it is full-bottle worthy. 

Laurent Mazzone. Source: unique.ru.com

Laurent Mazzone. Source: unique.ru.com

All in all, I had an absolutely wonderful time meeting Laurent Mazzone, his partner, and Fabienne. They were incredibly warm, friendly, effusive, generous, and filled with life. It was truly fun, whether we were laughing over Mr. Mazzone’s astringent views on some of the Paris Fashion Week collections, sniffing each other publicly, or having passionately robust discussions about the state of perfumery in the past versus today.

You know, all perfumers talk or claim that they put a little bit of themselves or their personalities within each fragrance, but it’s not always true. Commercial perfumery certainly doesn’t have that, and neither do some purportedly “niche” lines. Yet, in sniffing the various LM Parfums, I can actually and genuinely see a little bit of Mr. Mazzone in most of them. There is a quietly refined, passionate lustiness or sensuality in the ones that I’ve tried — whether it’s the overtly sexy Sensual Orchid, the smooth, sweetened, goldenness of Ambre Muscadin, the hugely smoky Patchouli Boheme with its almost mesquite-like opening, or the more masculine Hard Leather — that really seems to epitomize different parts of the gregarious, outgoing, exuberantly passionate man I met. Chemise Blanche seems to be an anomaly, at least to me personally, in terms of that character assessment theory, but the line certainly carries something for everyone and its clean crispness should definitely appeal to some modern tastes.

I may end up doing a proper review for Chemise Blanche down the line, but I definitely plan to cover Patchouli Boheme and Ambre Muscadin. Hard Leather as well, when it is released next month. In the meantime, if you have the chance to try any LM Parfums, do give them a sniff. The line is now in the U.S., and is no longer exclusive to Europe. Plus, Osswald in New York has a very affordable deal on samples which should make testing quite easy. For readers in Europe, the line is not hard to find, and LM Parfums sells 5 ml decants at a very reasonable price (€14 or €19). As for me, I suddenly fell upon the genius idea of layering Sensual Orchid with Hard Leather on occasion, and now, I really have to get my hands on a proper decant of both. The people at the Hotel Costes are lucky they’re not around to witness my reaction….

[UPDATE: I have now reviewed Ambre Muscadin and Hard Leather, with shopping information and pricing information provided in the appropriate reviews.]

Disclosure: Some of the perfumes covered in this post were, as noted, provided by LM Parfums. There was no financial compensation for any of this. I don’t do paid reviews or posts, and my views are my own. 

DETAILS:
Cost & Availability: LM Parfums always come in a 100 ml/3.4 oz bottle. The European price is generally either €120 (€125 at some online vendors), or €195 (or £195). The American retail price is either $175 or $225. In the U.S.: Laurent Mazzone’s fragrances used to be European exclusives, but the range just came to America two months ago. It’s sold exclusively at OsswaldNYC. For some strange reason, the website seems to show only two fragrances now, and not all the ones it had earlier when I reviewed Sensual Orchid. In terms of samples, none of the U.S. perfume sample sites currently carry the LM Parfums line, but Osswald has a special deal for all its perfumes for U.S. customers who telephone the store: 10 samples for $10, with free shipping in the U.S., and it’s for any perfumes that they stock! That means the full, existing, current LM Parfums line (or whatever parts they may now carry of it), and some other goodies only found at OsswaldNY, for less than a $1 a vial! The deal is only available for telephone orders, however, so you have to call (212) 625-3111. Outside the U.S.: In Europe, you can buy the perfumes directly from LM Parfums for €125 or €195. (At this other LM Parfums site, some of the bottles are priced at €120.) Samples are also available for €14 or €19, depending on the perfume in question and its concentration, and they come in a good 5 ml size. In the UK, the LM Parfums line is carried exclusively at Harvey Nichols. In France, you can find the perfumes, and 5 ml samples of each (usually about €14) at Laurent Mazzone’s own Premiere Avenue. In Paris, LM Parfums are sold at Jovoy. Germany’s First in Fragrance carries the full line and sells samples as well. You can also find LM Parfums at Essenza Nobile, Italy’s Vittoria Profumi, or Alla Violetta. In the Netherlands, you can find LM Parfums at Silks Cosmetics or Parfumaria. In the Middle East, I found most of the LM Parfums line at the UAE’s Souq perfume retailer. For all other countries, you can find a vendor near you from Switzerland to Belgium, Lithuania, Russia, Romania, Croatia, Azerbaijan, and more, by using the LM Parfums Partner listing. Laurent Mazzone or LM Parfums fragrances are widely available throughout Europe, and many of those sites sell samples as well. 

45 thoughts on “Paris Perfumers: Laurent Mazzone & LM Parfums

  1. LOL’s with Perfumistas in Public. Thank you for sharing all the details of the venue, personnel and this meeting. The bottles are understated elegance. I like his ‘more more more’ attitude to making Hard Leather.

    • Ha, “Perfumistas in Public.” So, so true. Never get inbetween a perfumista and his/her sniffing, or there will be hell to pay! 😉

      The bottles are very chic, but I also like the boxes which are velvet and kind of open up like a book on hinges, if that makes sense. Only the movement is up and down, not side to side as with books. Very different and cool.

  2. As usual you have me closing my eyes and teleporting to the midst of a review Kafka. And I will be calling Osswald soon. What a wonderful and generous sample offer. Thanks for letting me know about it 🙂

    • You’re very welcome, my dear. But I’m genuinely a little upset and irritated that Osswald suddenly only has 2 fragrances from LM Parfums on their website. There is only Ambre Muscadin and another one, Gabardine Noir, perhaps? What the hell happened? Before I went on holiday, I am pretty sure I remember at least SIX of the LM Parfums, including the Sensual Orchid. I even linked to it, a link that no longer works. Let’s just hope that they have the full line *IN* store. And especially Sensual Orchid as I think you’d love that one. I really do.

      BTW, Osswald also carries the full Profumum Roma line which I adore, so at least one of your 10 samples should be from them. 😉

      • Eeek, good question Kafka. I was so looking forward to Sensual Orchid too! I would love to try some more of the Profumum Roma as well. A phone call will get to the bottom of it 🙂 Good to see you back and I bet the Hairy German thinks so too.

  3. More than any other aspect of your fantastic meeting with Laurent, I delighted in you exclaiming with gusto and true joy and effervescent disregard for the stuffy, ‘constipated’, and rudely ‘cool’ restaurant folk and patrons. Wish I could have been at the table. I would have made you look like a mute church mouse.

    • Ha, I think you may have been transfixed by the perfumes to even give them “what for.” But, yes, snotty, constipated waiters or sales people are a bit of a pet peeve of mine. The Hotel Costes is apparently famous for it, according to two friends who go quite often, but still, my tolerance levels are low for that sort of thing.

      Besides, one should never get between me and my perfume, especially when I really like something! 😉 😀

  4. Dear Kafka,
    Ambre Muscadin -which I purchased unsniffed- proved to be a wonderful surprise.
    At times one becomes wary of new brands because, you know, more often than not there’s more hype than substance. Ambre Muscadin is my new comfort scent, a brainy confort scent with nuclear lasting power.
    You have made me really curious about Sensual Orchid, but perhaps I should save my pennies for Army of Lovers.
    Decisions, decisions!

    xoxo

    Caro

    • Ha! I thought of YOU so, so, so much during my meeting with Laurent Mazzone. I actually talked to him about you and your bottle of Ambre Muscadin! He was very pleased. I don’t think it smells quite as good on me as it does on you, but I tried it on two guys, and it smells glorious. Yes, it *does* smell like flan, and yes, it *is* “sexy flan.” LOL!!! (See, I told you that I thought of you!)

      I think you’d really like Sensual Orchid. If my tiny decant had enough left after my trip, I’d sent the rest to you. I’m afraid there is almost nothing left, alas. Do you know if the LM Parfums perhaps ships to your area? Or his Premiere Avenue store in France? The decants are really reasonable for the quality, concentration and size.

      • Thank you for your generous offer but a good friend is leaving for Paris next month. Of course, choosing just one fragrance of all the gorgeous stuff available in Paris is so difficult: Sensual Orchid? Rouge Assassin? Jardins d’Armide? A Kiki backup bottle? Beloved?
        You make Sensual Orchid sound like a very safe bet for me. I am amazed at AM concentration and strength,I can only imagine about the parfums.
        In any event, it goes into my Christmas-Shopping list.
        Sexy flan or cedarwood flan is how I affectionately call AM. I have started wearing it to stressful situations because I find it so calming.

        Anyways, off to re-re-reread your Sensual Orchid review!

        • Ambre Muscadin will forever be associated with “sexy flan” in my mind, thanks to you! Seriously, I smile every time I look at the bottle because of your term. But whatever it’s concentration on your skin, I think you’d find the Extrait versions like Sensual Orchid even more so. Even Chemise Blanche lingers for what seems to be a huge amount of time for such a light, white, gauzy scent.

          I don’t envy you the difficulty of narrowing down choices to only one bottle. Good luck with that!

  5. LOVE LM perfumes!! I have Ambre Muscadin, and adore it, I recently sampled Sensual Orchid, and you are correct in that the LM fragrances are not thick, opaque scents. I look forward to the new releases to come!!

    • Debbie, what did you think of Sensual Orchid? It doesn’t seem to fit along with your general tastes, at least from the little that I know of them, that is.

  6. I am really lemming Ambre Muscadin, Sensual Orchid and now Hard Leather. Will have to call Osswald tomorrow (they are surely going to be bombarded with calls!) to see about getting samples of this line which sounds very promising.

    • Tara, if you don’t mind, would you let me know if they have Sensual Orchid in stock and IN store? I’m a bit frustrated with how Osswald’s website suddenly only has 2 LM Parfums listed on the site. Sensual Orchid seems to have disappeared, as has much of the rest of the line besides Ambre Muscadin and Noir Gabardine. If they had run out, wouldn’t they at least have a notice saying that they’re temporarily out of stock? It’s very odd. Edited: I’ve asked them on Twitter, since it’s a frustrating situation and I really would like people to explore the line more. Hopefully, I’ll get an answer or, even better, they’ll have bottles in store that they can use for any samples that are ordered.

  7. It seems like you had a great time in this historic hotel Kafka, and I´m very happy that you were able to meet perfumers that you admire, I guess this could be the equivalent of meeting a rockstar in your case 😛 . As always I like the photos you give us in your reviews but particularly these last photos that you personally took on your trip 🙂 . If I can, I will look for this line of perfumes and if not, at least I will see Serge Lutens, hopefully.

    • Thank you, dear Vicky. It was a lot of fun. I definitely can’t wait to hear your reactions when you get the chance to go perfume sniffing in Paris. Definitely Serge Lutens, first, but then, if you go to Jovoy (a store I will blog about in a few days), you will have the chance to test and smell a HUGE variety of fragrances, all in one place. One brand they carry is this one, LM Parfums. For you, I’d recommend Sensual Orchid!

  8. This makes me feel like I was there! What a cool experience. As I was reading, it was like you were reading my mind because you kept answering questions right as they came into my head while I was reading. Specifically, I was curious about your reactions when you didn’t like something! Hopefully they understand that it wasn’t personal, and that your praise was equally sincere. Sounds like a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience. Hearing about your trip just makes me really, really, really want to experience Paris.

    • It really isn’t ideal to have such a visible, intense, and forceful reaction to things RIGHT IN FRONT of the perfumer, but you know how incapable I am of hiding how I feel. About anything! At one point on this trip, I met a chap who said his main perfume was CK One and I thought I’d generally concealed my reaction, but apparently not, according to what every one else says. In fact, my face was apparently SO expressive, the guy decided that night to change his perfume to something else. (I got him to fall for Serge Lutens….. lol.)

      So, even when I try to hide my opinion out of politeness, it tends to come out against my will. Still, I had SUCH an intense dislike of that one perfume that it was pretty much a lost cause from the start. I think Mr. Mazzone later came to appreciate just how direct and honest I am but, at the time….. ouch. I felt rather terrible.

  9. I can’t wait to test this line…and I wish I could have been there to hear your shrieks and exclamations. It sounds like you made quite the impression on this fragrance house; deservedly so my dear 🙂

    • LOL. I made some sort of impression, that’s for sure…. 😉 But, joking aside, thank you, darling. I really appreciate your kind words. And I really hope you call Osswald to get samples of the line or, at least, when they are re-stocked (which should be soon). 10 samples for $10, with free US shipping is a fantastic deal. xoxox

  10. I feel envious but happy for you about the Paris trip and meeting all these great people and perfumers. Laurent Mazzone seems to be a lovely guy, funny but in my mind he looked totally different. I thought he’d be a sporty guy. So cool you got the perfumes from him.
    LM parfums are too much for me and I think a leather you described won’t be of my fancy. But the chypre? Maybe? I like me a good chypre

    • Thank you, my dear. And you’re right that most of the LM Parfums would not be to your personal style and taste. With one exception: I think you might like Chemise Blanche. Really, I think it would suit you quite well. 🙂 Perhaps you can see if Missala in Warsaw has that one, and you can try it on your next visit.

      • I was curious to try Chemise Blanche when I read about it at Fragrantica. Missala doesn’t carry LM Parfums. They’re available from a different niche store but I have no idea if they’ll be getting it. Ya know. Limited ed.

  11. Welcome back! Thanks to your amazing writing, I can totally imagine this scene and I just have to laugh! The snooty clientele at the Hotel Costes just don’t know what they are missing with a chance to enjoy something as wonderful as truly great perfumes and meeting the creator of them. This makes me want to get out my precious sample of Ambre Muscadine (which I have to make last until my next trip to Osswald!) just to enjoy it again. And I absolutely can’t wait to smell Hard Leather, Chemise Blanche and Army of Lovers. I think it is a true compliment if you don’t mind a big aldehyde scent (even if you wouldn’t buy a FB). Mr. Mazzone sounds like so much fun, I am so glad you got to meet him and share with the rest of us!
    Eagerly waiting to hear more about your Paris adventures!

    • Mr. Mazzone is definitely a lot of fun. I think about how he stood up to let me sniff his neck (and how I also sniffed the neck of his partner seated beside me), and I just have to laugh. The poor Hotel Costes, I don’t think they’re used to Perfumistas on a Mission…. *grin*

      Total side note, if you really love Ambre Muscadan, there is no need to wait until you go back to New York and Osswald. It’s sold at the UAE’s Souq site! Price: AED 1,500. There’s even a tester bottle that is slightly cheaper at AED 1,400. http://uae.souq.com/ae-en/ambre-muscadan/s/ The site doesn’t carry the full line, and, alas, not Sensual Orchid, but it has a few LM Parfums. I don’t know if Souq has an actual physical location in Dubai, but, at the very least, they are a local online source for the Ambre Muscadan. Hope that helps. 🙂

      • Thanks for the heads up about souq.com carrying these. I do buy some perfumes from there since it is a great place to find discontinued scents. Unfortunately, 1500 AED is $410 so, I think I will just wait for a trip to Osswald. 🙂

  12. Sweetie, I would have paid to be a fly on the wall to see that whole meet and sniff. France will never be the same. LOL. He seems like a great guy and I’m sure he appreciated your enthusiasm. I did manage to give Sensual Orchid a quick try before my allergies got bad and it is actually quite nice. I’m hoping to give it a good wearing this week to know for sure. Hard Leather looks like one worth trying too. I’m going to be giggling all day thinking about this post and how funny it must have been to watch the reactions of the staff there.

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  14. You know, my dear, this is yet another line I never heard of but your review and your account of the meeting with Monsieur Mazzone just catapulted this to the top of the to try list. I don’t know when I’ll be at Osswalds next but it is just a subway ride away!

    • I think my Sensual Orchid review came out while you were away. So, you missed my original mad gushing over LM Parfums. Totally hot, sexy perfume. (Which is why my review features endless lingerie shots and skantily clad women. lol.) That is perfume that I think you would love, and which very much suits your personal tastes. Seriously, YOU MUST TRY SENSUAL ORCHID!!!! I think Osswald may still have a bottle in store, even if they’re sold out online for actual sales. At the very least, they’ll be getting more sometime soon. But please, please try Sensual Orchid. I don’t think Hard Leather would be your style, but Ambre Muscadin would. Sexy Flan, as Caro calls it. lol. And I hear their Vol d’Hirondelle is very nice too, judging by Lucas’ liking for it. I have a sample from him that I really should dig up.

      As for the review, doesn’t Laurent Mazzone seem like a fun, cool, very sweet chap? It was so funny that he was standing up in the middle of this constipated environment and sniffing the top of my arm, as I sniffed his neck. Makes me laugh whenever I think about it. 😀

      • I just checked and I was back but it was a blur since I had to recover and make up for being away that long and then when I found some time a week or so before you left for your vacation, my internet crapped out (it did not even need Iso E Super to get crappy). Up and down for 3 weeks! 3 weeks! I also now have a PhD in how to check your modem for bad vs OK vs. strong connection (yeah I know, I am still in the dinosaur ages with DSL). I couldn’t take off from work due to the work load and stupid Verizon’s “window” for someone to come and fix it was, get this 8AM to 8PM! What kind of (Iso E Super)crappy customer service is that? I can understand 4 hours, sometimes even 8 (but you see the smoke now coming out of my ears) BUT 12 HOURS – they couldn’t tell me in LESS THAN 12 HOURS that they will be here to do something about my service! Oh yes, and when they finally came (I had someone home), they ended up calling me at work at 8AM and did not show up until 6PM! What kind of blankety blank blank blank is that? Rant over…this is a perfume blog after all 🙂 [well, until your cheese porn posts].

        I’ll certainly check out this line at Osswalds and will report back!

        • Good heavens, and I thought I had bad luck with techie things! How incredibly frustrating. URGHH!! Honestly, I think your rant is well-deserved after all that. I certainly would not have been calm or sanguine in the very least!

  15. What a story! 🙂 Enjoyed reading about your meeting but I’m afraid unless you take a couple of lessons in keeping a poker face even in the direct line of Iso E Super spray perfumers willstart refusing to meet you 😉

    I haven’t tried this line yet but I will when I get a chance. I look forward to Army of Lovers release since I liked the group but I have to say that “elegant” is not even close to be an adjective I’d choose to describe the group.

    • Heh, I’ve never had a poker face or been able to conceal my feelings about things. 😀 And I highly doubt I could ever do so when it came to ISO E Super. Given how well-known my feelings are on that particular issue, I highly doubt perfumers who love the note would ever want to have anything to do with me to begin with. LOL.

      As for the Swedish group, Army of Lovers, I haven’t looked up their music and don’t know it. I think it’s Euro Pop, or is it techno-pop? I see some time on YouTube in my near future. 🙂

      • I don’t know how toclassify their style but you’ll figure out what they are about after a couple of songs. Just don’t listen to 2012-13 remixes, look for the originalones.

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