Houbigant signature fragrance re-launched
One of the world’s oldest perfume houses, Houbigant, has made a return to the fragrance world with the re-launch of its signature scent, Quelgues Fleurs L’Original. The scent was originally created in 1912 and was the chosen scent for many a French royal, including Marie Antoinette, Queen of France and the wife of Louis XVI – indeed the House of Houbigant (created in 1775) was said to eventually became the official perfumer to all of the royal courts.
One of the world’s oldest perfume houses, Houbigant, has made a return to the fragrance world with the re-launch of its signature scent, Quelgues Fleurs L’Original. The scent was originally created in 1912 and was the chosen scent for many a French royal, including Marie Antoinette, Queen of France and the wife of Louis XVI – indeed the House of Houbigant (created in 1775) was said to eventually became the official perfumer to all of the royal courts.
The Quelques Fleur scent has a pivotal role in the history of fragrance and scent as it is said to be one of the landmark floral compositions that influenced all floral scents of the future and put France on the map as the epicentre of fine perfumery and luxury goods. However, The House of Houbigant, and indeed the Quelques Fleurs scent, has had a chequered history. Following its success within the royal courts the fragrance died out in later years until eventually being picked up by an Italian family in the 1980s. In an attempt to capitalise on the growing mass-market culture the family watered down the scent to make a cheaper formula and sold it in main - stream retailers, losing the luxury element of the fragrance. The strategy failed to reap the rewards expected and the fragrance again died out of the spotlight. That was until the earlier part of this decade when Gian Luca Perris and his family, owners of holding company Lost, felt it was time to take the fragrance back to its original composition and place in the market as a luxury perfume.
By getting Roja Dove, a world renowned perfumer, on board the family took the Quelgues Fleurs composition as far back to its 1912 formula as possible, only omitting certain ingredients (such as musk) due to modern day legislation. The outcome is the re-launch of the Quelgues Fleur L’Original scent, with the L’Orignial added to the name to emphasise that the composition represents the orginal formula and to disassociate it from the cheaper version that was launched a few years previously.
The fragrance has a floral composition that includes jasmine, rose petals, tuberose, carnation, ylang-ylang and precious sandalwood, with orris and musk. Prices start at £31 for the body lotion and shower gel and move up to £180 for the Parfum 15ml version.