Scents can take you places by evoking memories of past travels or transporting you to a scene that you’re longing to experience. Think aquatic bursts that remind you of a beachside holiday or a pine fragrance that makes you imagine you’re in a forest.
French maison Louis Vuitton’s California-inspired fragrances fit this description perfectly. You’ll be taken on a sun-soaked adventure, as they stir up images of the dramatic landscape, light and extravagant beauty of this region.
City of Stars is an evening cologne fitting for the city that never sleeps; On The Beach celebrates the feeling of spending a day in the sun; California Dream conveys the emotions of capturing a gorgeous sunset; and Afternoon Swim elicits the feeling of the sea washing over your skin on a lovely summer day.
Pacific Chill is the fifth and latest addition to this collection. It’s inspired by California’s renowned health and wellness culture and is crafted to uplift the spirit and even inspire a detox-like effect. The fragrance has a cool, purifying vibe and channels the intensity of the ocean and its effect on our well-being.
LA-based contemporary artist Alex Isreal invites you to a beautiful Californian land-and-seascape on Pacific Chill’s packaging. The original and exclusive image was realised for Louis Vuitton and feels like an invitation to a secret Palisades hike. Gazing out toward the horizon, it captures dawn’s early light, with the green grass and blue of the ocean giving a feeling of serenity.
We spoke to Louis Vuitton’s Master Perfumer Jacques Cavallier Belletrud to find out more.
What is the inspiration behind the fragrance Pacific Chill?
The idea came last year in LA while celebrating the launch of City of Stars when I met Alex Israel for breakfast at the Beverly Hills Hotel. We were drinking detox juices and chatting about creation and inspiration in general, as well as the wellness culture in Los Angeles. The atmosphere was incredible: We were on a sunbathed patio, surrounded by small trees and plants. The juice was simple and energising; a blend of fresh carrot juice, ginger and squeezed orange. It gave me the idea of creating a wellness fragrance, using this specific accord.
What do you love about
For me, [a visit to] California is a detox! It refers to natural products, simple things that are good for emotions and sensations. LA is like a second home for me, and what I particularly love there is the simplicity. I’m fascinated by the contrast between an ancestral way of life, tuned into nature and the way to reconnect with oneself, and the future-oriented humanity.
How would you describe Pacific Chill?
It’s a cocktail of wellness and energy. The first notes are green and dazzling as a breath of nature. They are then softened by a fruity and pulpy side which gains ground.
What ingredients did you use to compose the fragrance?
Carrot seed essence brings an iridescent, slightly woody effect to the fragrance that gives an incredible vibration. It is reworked in Grasse and brings softness, structure and depth to the fragrance.
The notion of contrast is part of your signature, how did you transcribe it in the fragrance?
I used ingredients that are not very often associated [with each other]. Carrot has a velvety, silky, and apricot effect that contrasts a lot with the vivid blackcurrant notes that will break the sweetness and unveil it in a more solid way.
I included aromatic herb notes to bring about a soothing, vibrant effect with coriander, peppermint, basil. Then, I added some carrot essence from Calabria to give an explosive note to the cocktail, as well as the rose of May absolute from Grasse to bring delicacy and a floral force, which closes this olfactory score.
What makes this cologne different from the previous ones?
Pacific Chill has a fruity peach facet with green, aromatic notes that are both delicate and elegant at the same time. The other colognes perfumes offer a different signature: ambery as Afternoon Swim, musky as California Dream or woody as City of Stars.
Source : HerWorld
