New Book About Perfumer Laurent Bruyere

If you can read in French, I highly recommend the new book about perfumer Laurent Bruyère. Titled Laurent Bruyère : Formules Secrètes d’ un Parfumeur, it’s written by Soraya Bouvier Feder and features a preface by perfumer Jean-Michel Duriez. Bruyère’s story is as inspiring as it is tragic, since he passed away in 2008 at the age of 43.

laurent-book

In her book, Felder interviews Laurent’s close friends and colleagues, including Jean Paul Guerlain, Jean Michel Duriez, Daniel Harlant, Anne-Marie Saget, and Thierry Trotobas, and gives us a glimpse into his world. Bruyère worked for many years at International Flavors & Fragrances before leaving for Mane, and IFF’s perfumer Dominique Ropion was one of his mentors.

Bruyère was a self-taught perfumer with an incredible passion for older fragrances, especially Guerlain (he had a Mitsouko label tattooed on his arm). You only need to take a look at his portfolio to see the range of his talent: Cacharel Amor AmorThierry Mugler AlienCostume National Scent and Scent IntenseEscada Sexy Graffiti (easily one of the best from Escada), to name a few.  I hope this tribute to his art will be available in English too.

Available at arbrealettres.comchapitre.com. 27-29.00 € (in French)

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10 Comments

  • Anka: Thanks for the tip, my french is rather mediocre but I’ll try to read it because it sounds very interesting.
    I really like Bruyère’s tattoo … such a unique statement! August 5, 2013 at 9:02am Reply

    • Victoria: He definitely was a unique character! By the time I started working for IFF, he already left for Mane, but I heard so many stories about him and his passion for Guerlain. August 5, 2013 at 10:29am Reply

  • Ziggy: I should read this–sounds like a good way to brush up on my awful French, and an interesting read to boot.

    Appreciate the mention of Sexy Graffiti. My parents brought it back as a gift for me after a visit to Paris in the early 2000s. I’m usually not a fan of fruity scents, but my memory of that frag is of a sensuous grapefruit musk. Sounds awful, but at the time, I loved it. I haven’t smelled the 2011 version. I don’t want to ruin my memory of the original. August 5, 2013 at 10:32am Reply

    • Victoria: Doesn’t sound awful at all! Plus, it takes more skill to create a clever fruity floral than one of those heavy amber blends, which are so beloved by the niche perfume lines. Escada had another terrific citrus-fruity blend, Chiffon Sorbet. It had such a bright, delicious black currant and mango top and a soft blend of woods and vanilla in the drydown. Fun, vivid and not at all boring. August 5, 2013 at 12:30pm Reply

      • Ziggy: Ooh, I love that name. Makes me want to make a summer dessert! August 5, 2013 at 3:52pm Reply

        • Victoria: Makes me hungry just thinking about it. I imagine a vanilla chiffon cake served with lemon sorbet, but the perfume doesn’t really smell like that. 🙂 August 6, 2013 at 8:24am Reply

          • Ziggy: OK, this weekend I was out sniffing and smelled the 2011 version of Sexy Graffiti. I don’t knee-jerk hate reformulations, but this was a sad, sour shadow of the magnificent original. Makes me wish I had cherished my 2002 bottle! August 9, 2013 at 2:50pm Reply

            • Victoria: Oh no! I’m so disappointed to hear this. August 10, 2013 at 4:24pm Reply

  • Daisy: Am sending a note to a friend of mine to bring this back from Paris. Sounds like a fascinating read even if the subject was troubled.

    This post makes me think of The Perfectionist by Rudolph Chelminski about the chef Bernard Loiseau? It’s a well-done biography. August 5, 2013 at 12:16pm Reply

    • Victoria: Funny that you mention The Perfectionist, because I’m reading it right now. It’s an excellent biography, very well researched. August 5, 2013 at 12:39pm Reply

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