It was back in 1643, when Claude Trudon became the owner of a small boutique on the rue Saint-Honore that would eventually become the home of Cire Trudon. Since then, the candle production house has served both King and country - Louis the 15th and Napoleon were both fans of the aromatic offerings - and now, lovers of fragrance can indulge in the French Brand’s first perfume collection
We all have a little beauty treat that we favour to pamper ourselves with. Some prefer affordable massages in Hong Kong, while others need a new do from one of these top hair salons on the regular. And if you’re a lover of unique unisex fragrances, then you will want to know about the first perfume collection from Cire Trudon, the legendary French candlemaker. One of the most exciting parts about the fragrances is perhaps the story of their creation, so we chatted to Commercial Director Elodie Herreria to learn about what went on behind the scenes.
Cire Trudon moves into fragrance
Fans of Cire Trudon had been asking the house to release a range of fragrances for years. “We’re known to have brought very elaborate fragrance to the candle world, so moving into body fragrances seemed like a logical move,” explains Herreria.
Three years in the making, the recently released range of fragrances captures the spirit of the brand – think revolution, royalty and religion – while adding a good smatter of modernity through the scent profiles, but also the design and the creative concept.
The creation of Trudon
Directly translating to wax in English, the company decided to drop the Cire prefix from the name for the release, making way for Trudon; contemporary fragrances with both history and heart.
The initial concept for the five fragrances was to work with five different noses. Cire Trudon wanted to break away from the typically scientific/behind-a-desk process that most perfumes are developed through. Instead, they took their noses to five different locations – blindfolded. A soundscape was created, along with a written text, and each perfume creator would slowly open their eyes to the essence that the company wanted to capture through scent.
Elodie was candid about the reality of this fantastical idea: “You know, often things do not always work out as planned, and even though we started with five different noses, some of the submissions were not reflective of the brand. We wanted to maintain a cohesion across the collection, so we eventually ended up working with just three people to develop the range.”
The results
This is a collection for people who enjoy storytelling, history, passion and beauty. Each scent captures a different unique essence, and very few similarities can be made to other fragrances currently on the market.
In Bruma, Olim and II, freshness permeates through, but it’s Mortel and Revolution that speak to me the most, not just because of their exceptionally romantic names. In Mortel, the heady overtones of frankincense take me back to my weekly visits to church with my family when I was young. It may not seem like a wearable day-to-day fragrance to many, but it settles on the skin brilliantly, and I often find myself getting a hit of it five or six hours after application – which puts a smile on my face.
Revolution is life. Smoky and mysterious, it wears well and tones down over time. It utilises cedar, papyrus and patchouli on the base, while the head is actually Elemi, an essential oil with a spicy finish.
I’m utterly besotted by this refreshing collection. From the blue and gold packaging to the invisible spray tube, the creation story and the scents themselves.
Shop the perfume collection from Cire Trudon at Shhh, G/F 94 Hollywood Road, Central, p. 2915 1001, 上環荷李活道94號
