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Sniffapalooza’s Houbigant Special-Edition Master Class

Tucked away in the corner of Bergdorf’s Beauty & Fragrance Department lies the chic and elegant Goodman’s Cafe. This past weekend, close to 50 fragrance enthusiasts from around the world gathered there for a very special breakfast and Sniffapalooza Master Class with the esteemed perfume house of Houbigant. Founded in 1775, Houbigant was the perfumer to Napoleon, Marie Antoinette and Queen Victoria. Now owned by the Perris family, siblings Gian Luca and Elisabetta presented the history of company and took us on a scented journey through each of their iconic fragrances. Fougere Royale (1882) was the first fragrance created from an idea – to recreate the scent of forest ferns. Notes of Bergamot, Lavender, Rose, Geranium, Oak Moss, and Coumarin (isolated from the Tonka Bean – a revolutionary accomplishment!) combined to establish Fougere Royale as the first fragrance in modern perfumery.

Quelque Fleurs followed in 1912, becoming the first multi-floral bouquet fragrance, with Quelque Fleurs Royale launched for its 90th anniversary.  This year, Quelque Fleurs Parfum Extract was created to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the classic fragrance. Available exclusively at Bergdorf’s and a bit softer than the original, I’ve put the Parfum Extract on my perfume wish list.  For me, it’s all about the drydown, and the Extract is the drydown right from the start.

The highlight of our Master Class was the presentation of Houbigant’s beautiful new Oranger en Fleurs. Gian Luca guided us through a fragrance deconstruction, sharing scent strips of the finished perfume, as well as several of its individual notes – Orange Blossom, Egyptian Jasmine, Tubereuse, Ylang Ylang, and Eau de Brouts (distilled orange blossom leaves, twigs and flowers!)

As our Master Class concluded, one lucky winner was chosen to receive a beautiful gift box filled with Houbigant fragrances. Congratulations, Hiro!

And everyone went home with a golden gift pouch filled with fragrance samples. Watch our blog to see how you can win one of your own!