I discovered the new two perfumes, Tempo and Fleur de Peau, launched by the legendary Parisienne brand Diptyque. Both fragrances have a remarkable scent, and they are gender-neutral.
The fragrance expert Daniel Dutton told me the beautiful stories behind these two ‘gems’ during a lovely meeting at the Diptyque branch in the iconic Selfridges store in central London, and I will share the stories with you.
Tempo vibrates on the skin with astonishing sophistication
During the ’60s, a particular scent was changing the world: patchouli. It conveyed a sense of freedom and spirituality closer to Nature and the hopes of a generation that was reinventing the future. Tempo is a tribute to this olfactory icon. But It’s far from the harsh, humid undergrowth scent of yesterday’s touchstone. Instead, this is a nuanced composition of three patchouli extracts from the Indonesian island of Sulawesi that hovers between elegant and woody, enveloping and earthy. Elevated by violet leaf, Tempo vibrates on the skin with remarkable sophistication. Despite its woody scent, fragrant patchouli oil is not extracted from wood, like cedar or sandalwood, but instead from the leaves of an aromatic plant in Indonesia called “Nilam”.
Olfactory group: Woody
Raw materials: Patchouli, Maté, Clary Sage
Olfactive accident: Violet
Fleur de Peau, a fragrance that conveys a legend
In ancient Greece, one myth stood out as the most passionate and sensual: the love between Psyche and Eros, the beauty’s quest to meet her lover and the happy outcome of their union, which led to the birth of their daughter, Hedone. Only one scent can convey this legend as a fragrance, that of musks. Equally legendary, they have the unique ability to enhance the skin with their arousing carnal accents. They are at the very heart of Fleur de Peau. Cottony and light as they are soft and moist. Highlighted with the elegantly powdery iris and fruity, ambery ambrette seeds, they reveal their full tactile dimension. Absolute ambrette seed extract comes from hibiscus flowers. Its notes are vibrant: sweet, slightly animal, and fruity like pear and plum.
Olfactory collection: floral
Raw materials: musk, iris, ambrettolide
Olfactory accident: pink peppercorns
Tempo sends me back in time and then brings me back into the present
Personally, I fell in love with Tempo. I remember when I had to go to the doctor with my mother in my childhood. I wasn’t scared like other children. On the contrary, I quite enjoyed meeting the lovely lady paediatrician who smelled amazing. That fragrance stayed in my memory, and now I rediscovered it in Tempo, but with something new in it. A perfume that sends me back in time and brings me back into the present.
Three friends founded Diptyque: an interior designer, a painter, and a theatre director and set designer
Even if it suggests a duo, Diptique – which means Diptych, just like black and white or yin and yang – was founded by a trio: Christiane Montadre-Gautrot, Yves Coueslant and Desmond Knox-Leet. It is an unconventional story marked by the stamp of originality which began in Paris in the early ’60s at 34 boulevard Saint-Germain.
Christiane Gautrot was an interior designer, Desmond Knox-Leet was a painter, and Yves Coueslant was a theatre director and set designer. Gautrot and Leet collaborated on designing fabrics and wallpaper for Liberty and Sanderson. In 1961, Coueslant joined the team, and they opened a shop to display their designs.
Yves became the administrator and consultant; Desmond and Christiane were the artistic souls. The trio transformed the site into a one-of-a-kind stylish bazaar where surprising articles unmatched in Paris could be found. All were discovered and brought home by Christiane, Desmond and Yves over their travels.
For over 50 years, legendary French perfumer Diptyque has perfected the art of making fragrances and scented candles. Diptyque is passionate about re-creating scents from their exotic travels and childhood memories and capturing the essences discovered worldwide.
Photo credits: A_Day_With, The Essence Of It (Corina Stoicescu)
