Expert Insights Into Carine Roitfeld Scents: Which Luxe Perfume Is Perfect for You?

WORDS BY: PARFUM MUSE    |    ESTIMATED READING TIME: 5MINS 

 

When Carine Roitfeld, the famous former editor of Vogue Paris, resigned after a decade at the helm, the fashion world waited with bated breath to see what the trend-setter and tastemaker, with a flair for the provocative, would do next.

The quintessentially chic French woman who first made her name as a model and had a uniquely star-studded background as daughter to Russian filmmaker Jacques Roitfeld was never going to go for the discreet and entered into collaborations with the likes of Tom Ford, Chanel, and Gucci. 

After founding CR Men’s Book and CR Fashion Book, she surprised the world of fine, luxe scent with her endeavour into fragrance: the launch of her perfume range, a unique take titled 7 Lovers. Every scent is named after a real or fictitious beau and one of her favourite cities in the world.

If you've yet to sample a Carine Roitfeld perfume or are unsure which of these evocative and refined scents best matches your style and personality, Parfum Muse shares some insights into their scent profiles and ingredients to help you make the right choice.

Introducing Carine Roitfeld’s 7 Lovers Collection

All of the fragrances in the 7 Lovers range are unisex and span an olfactory journey, although with a common thread of spice, florals and warmth running through them, with no expense spared in sourcing the highest quality natural and synthetic molecules available.

Immortelle, the top note in the Sebastian Eau de Parfum, is hand-picked in southern Europe and is typically used as a subtle accent due to its powerful essence of herbs and hay. Carine Roitfeld, of course, bucked the norm and chose to use this rarest of ingredients as a headline accent.

Other unique aspects of the Roitfeld  7 Lovers perfumes include the links between cities and personalities. Each is designed to mimic a character, a moment in time, and the scents and atmosphere of a place important to its creator.

George Eau de Parfum, mimicking the scents of a London bookstore, features an eclectic fragrance ingredient called ScentTrek, a type of cannabis smoke formulated in a laboratory. Vladimir Eau de Parfum includes Moroccan Orris, an earthy natural flower that must be dried for three years before the scent can be harvested.

Below, we've summarised some of our favourites, all of which are available to order from our online catalogue at any time, with free shipping and complimentary gift packaging.

Notes, Accents and Scent Families Behind Carine Roitfeld Perfumes

Each of the Carine Roitfeld scents is created with excellent-quality ingredients and input from world-class perfumers, but as always, the right fragrances for you will depend on the types of perfumes you most enjoy wearing. 

We’ve outlined what to expect but would recommend the 7 Lovers Travel Set if you’re torn or would love to try each of the fragrances within this luxurious collection.

George Eau de Parfum: Green, Fresh and Sharp

The George Eau de Parfum is inspired by London and is a contemporary chypre perfume that mimics the olfactory experience in a bookshop. Its unusual and subtle cannabis accord top note stands out against floral iris, jasmine, and rose, and woody, earthy accents at the base, with a dash of bright violet leaf as a top note.

The scent is lighter than some of the others and easily wearable, with classic green hues that have been reimagined to remain fresh and delicate, and a hint of citrus and warm galbanum alongside natural oakmoss absolute.

Vladimir Eau de Parfum: A Woody, Amber Scent

Vladimir Eau de Parfum is said to be a tribute to St Petersburg and is also the name of Carine Roitfeld's son, mixing a bright top layer of grapefruit and bergamot with a deeper, richer incense. The accords of vanilla, amber and cedarwood underpin the perfume, with French sage to cut through.

This perfume mimics a classic heritage scent, with heart notes of geranium, a Moroccan Orris woody accord, and a sparkly series of top notes that feel masculine and give a subtle scent similar to aromatic fig.

Lawrence Eau de Parfum: Sweetness, Pepper and Leather

Perhaps the best-known in the collection, Lawrence Eau de Parfum is intended to represent Lawrence of Arabia and the famous city of Dubai. It has a generous dash of sensual oud, balanced out with peppery and sweet notes that are spicy and leathery.

Egyptian jasmine, coriander, saffron, and cumin sit on a textured balsam base to soften the impact, with sultry oud underneath which combines with Tolu balsam and musk to bring them together.

Sebastian Eau de Parfum: Smooth Sandalwood and Vanilla

The Sebastian Eau de Parfum scent evokes the samba nightlife and music scene of Rio and Carine Roitfeld's photographer friend Sebastian Faena. Its sensual amber scent profile suits both men and women well, with a creamy, decadent feel.

Lighter aqua floral stands out against soft sandalwood, with an energetic and bright splash of Immortelle. This distinctive and complex accent has fruity tones of cherry but with a citrus zing and the warmth of caramel, hay, and maple.

Orson Eau de Parfum: Floral, Warm and Sweet

Orson Eau de Parfum is meant to capture the essence of Orson Welles and New York City, a long-lasting perfume with base notes of benzoin and tonka bean that stay noticeable for several hours and with plenty of floral ylang-ylang and tuberose absolute.

The amber accents of hawthorn, sandalwood and opoponax make this scent powerful yet still sweet, with balsamic and woody accords to the centre, undercut by fresh spice and vanilla.

Aurélien Eau de Parfum: A Spicy Floral Fragrance

Finally, the starring scent of the selection is Aurélien Eau de Parfum, a spicy fragrance inspired by Paris that mixes gentle florals of jasmine and orange blossom with rich, powerful resin. It was created to replicate the Parisian love of elegant black attire and simplistic chic. 

The perfume feels more feminine than many of the others, with myrrh at the base and the syrupy notes of davana oil above, which is a slightly herby, fruity accent, but with the trademark spices and florals that characterise the 7 Lovers collection.