Series 8, Episode 16: Sumptuous, Textural, Stroke-able Scents

On The Scent

Suzy Nightingale and Nicola Bonn explore the tactile and textural dimensions of modern perfumery, discussing how scents can mimic physical sensations

Key takeaways

• Marc-Antoine Bois celebrated his brand's 10-year anniversary in Paris during the Pope's visit, navigating massive road closures and crowds of up to 700,000 attendees.
• The Harrods-exclusive fragrance B87.135 relies on saffron, pink peppercorn, and iris butter to create a soft, suede-like texture without using traditional oudh.

Main topics

• Textural and tactile perfumery
• Oudh variations and modern interpretations

Notable quotes

It ain't that sweet. That's a kind of background note, really, that comes through on your skin.

Conclusion

The episode underscores a shift in modern perfumery toward simplified, highly intentional

Transcript preview

Speaker 1 (0:02) Most unglamorous picture of me ever, bending over with my nose in this cup. Speaker 2 (0:08) She used to measure my nose with a ruler. Maybe she had a thing about noses. Speaker 1 (0:18) Hello, I'm Nicola Bond. And I'm Susie Nightingale. And in this episode, we have all manner of new launches to tempt your senses, and which I've been wearing to death since I got them. Speaker 2 (0:31) And when you say you've been wearing them to death, what do you mean by this? Speaker 1 (0:34) Wearing them, re-spraying them, even though I can smell them still really strongly just because I want another hit. Just loving them, like spraying them before I go to bed. Speaker 1 (0:48) This is Speaker 2 (0:49) great. I cannot wait to hear about this. Very quickly, though, you've just been on a trip to Gay Paris. Speaker 1 (0:55) I have, yes. That was for Marc-Antoine Bois' 10-year anniversary, which is just unbelievable to think they've been going that long already. Yeah, it can't be 10 years, Susie. Yes, yes, yes. I know. Incredible. And just... Amazing. It was really lovely to celebrate with them. It was slightly problematic getting to the amazing venue that they held it in, in the middle of Paris, because I don't know if you've heard of this guy, some chap called the Pope was visiting Paris at the same time. And so they began shutting off all of the main roads of Paris and the metros and to pedestrians as well as traffic. Which was a Speaker 2 (1:39) little bit difficult. How can one individual man bring that amount of chaos to a Speaker 1 (1:44) massive city? Yeah, we were told they were expecting crowds of 600,000. In fact, I think 700,000 people turned up. I don't know if you've ever, I mean, it's always exciting being in traffic in Paris. Anyway, if you're in the back of a taxi. However, when they just, you know, you get to the end of a road and then suddenly it's shut and everyone has to reverse. And then there's suddenly crowds of thousands of people also in between the cars. It was complete. an utter chaos this is something that happens in Paris a lot so I've been Speaker 2 (2:20) to Paris when Speaker 1 (2:21) there's been strikes Speaker 2 (2:22) and we've had to walk everywhere and then I remember you went another time you just the last time I was Speaker 1 (2:28) in Paris which was a few years ago it was uh the Olympics they were just building the stadium and um and then I think the time before that so that was complete nightmare because all of the I don't know if you remember but in um Some of the stadiums, like the basketball courts and the netball courts and things like that, were literally right in the centre of Paris, outside venues, which they were still building. And then the time before that, or the time after, I can't remember, Prince Charles, as he still was then, was visiting with, I think, the American president and various other people. And again, just roads were being shut down. And I remember this taxi driver going the wrong way up a side street at great speed. We thought we were going to die. It's always exciting travelling in Paris. Yes, I can't believe it. I'm sorry that the Pope was Speaker 2 (3:26) there. Speaker 1 (3:26) It was amazing to be. I mean, we'll put some of the pictures up on our Instagram and it is just, you know, drop dead. gorgeous venue just awe-inspiring and uh Marc Antoine was there and he got us to sign his trainer he's obsessed with trainers and he wants to keep this in like a special glass case or something he got he tried to get as many people there uh to sign his trainer as possible that is so cute as Speaker 2 (3:57) a memento yeah so good it's one of those things like one day when he's an old man someone will say what what do I do with this Speaker 1 (4:05) I know, I know. What's Speaker 2 (4:08) happening Speaker 1 (4:08) with Speaker 2 (4:08) this? What is it? Do we need to keep the Speaker 1 (4:12) side trainer? I know, but I kind of love, you know, he has such a sort of emotional whimsicality about him. He does. Speaker 2 (4:19) He's Speaker 1 (4:19) sort of delightful. childishness, not in a negative way. Often we can use that as a negative, oh, it's really childish. But he has this sense of glee and wonder, I think, that comes across in his fragrances, in the boutique decorations, this aesthetic, which I think is so lovely. And this sort of reminder to play and just not take everything so seriously and to have fun with your life and the fragrances you choose I think Speaker 2 (4:51) there's um there's a sprinkle of magic in his fragrances that I don't think exists in many that I smell it's something almost otherworldly and you're so right it's like it's just lovely to be able to lean into just having feeling young and seeing the world through Peter Pan eyes you know it's lovely I love him I love him for that Speaker 1 (5:12) I know I do too and um I was wearing for the occasion the Harrods exclusive fragrance, the B87.135. Speaker 2 (5:21) Oh Speaker 1 (5:21) my gosh, yeah. Oh my God, Speaker 2 (5:24) I love that fragrance so much. So Speaker 1 (5:25) it is based on the Harrods address and the perfumer again is Quantan Biche as it is for all of the Marc Antoine fragrances. But you know, there's such a softness to this and it's so unexpected. I think we kind of expect that most... Harrods exclusives are going to be Oody. And this does not have Ood in it. It is built around saffron, which we know Quantum Beach loves. It's pink peppercorn. It's ambrect seeds for that sort of softness. And then there's iris butter in here as well, which gives it this real skin-hugging, sumptuous quality that just shines through. There's myrrh in here, patchouli and vetiver, cedar, georgie wood. I mean, it's... It's beautiful and there's rose oil as well. But the main thing for me that comes through on my skin is this iris butter. And with the saffron it gives this, and the woods, it gives this sort of suede-like textural quality to it. I got complimented so much and people kept coming and sniffing my neck, like complete strangers at the party. And there were about 500 of us there. Yeah, it got a lot. Not all 500 came and smelled me. They weren't queuing up. It would have been a bit much, Susie. It would have been a little bit overwhelming. But yeah, it was well appreciated. And it just reminded me how much I love this fragrance. And it may have, you know, I love the Ganymede. You love the Ganymede original. I love the Ganymede X-Ray. I think they are our two favourites in the collection. Most worn in the way. And Tilia, oh my God, yes, Tilia. Oh, so beautiful. So different to all of the other fragrances. And I think this has taken, I think the B87 has taken over. Stop. So if you haven't tried it yet, yeah, please, please try it. Has it? Speaker 2 (7:16) And Speaker 1 (7:17) the sillage of it is just incredible. And the lasting power of all of the fragrances is amazing. Even the eau de parfum, not the X-rays, are incredibly supercharged. Oh, and also apparently Quentin Barois, Mark's brother, he said that they are just doing the refurbishments to their London boutique at the moment. So if you've already visited, the next time you visit, it will be different and something else to explore. Speaker 2 (7:46) Oh, you heard it here first. Speaker 2 (7:50) Very exciting. So you've been to Paris. My birthday's coming up. So I had a birthday dinner last night, which was very nice. Speaker 1 (7:59) Where Speaker 2 (7:59) did Speaker 1 (7:59) you go? I Speaker 2 (8:00) went to my mummy's. Did she cook for you? She cooked a lovely roast. It was really sweet. And we were all... like trying on her fragrances and I tried on her Chanel No. 5 Eau which was lovely but yeah the kids were being really cheeky they all went into her room and were trying on all her perfumes and then little Alfred opened her underwear drawer and started like getting her bras out and giggling he's Speaker 1 (8:28) only five and it all got a bit Speaker 2 (8:29) raucous Speaker 1 (8:31) Who's Alfred? He's my nephew. Have I never mentioned little Alfred? No, I don't think so. Oh, little Alfred. Speaker 2 (8:37) Little Alfred is one of the funniest little things. He's such a monkey. He's adorable. He is such a monkey though. Honestly, he was at school the other day and he told his teacher that his mum had said there was no way he'd be able to go outside or do PE or go to after school club because he's got bad legs. And then they had to like speak to my sister. Speaker 1 (9:00) She had legs. Speaker 2 (9:01) Yeah. She was like, no, that is absolutely not Speaker 1 (9:05) the case. Nice try, Alfred. There's absolutely no way. I'm afraid he has to be carried around on a velvet cushion. He'd love that. Oh, Alfred, King Alfred, you should start calling him. Yeah, I Speaker 2 (9:20) mean, yeah, absolutely. Now then, let's talk about these fragrances. So there are all these new launches. I must say, I didn't know about many of them. And particularly, I'm really excited to hear about the D.S. and Daga one. Oh, my Speaker 1 (9:33) goodness. Well, let's start with the Francis Courjean because I was hearing that today and talking of sumptuous textural fragrances. This is the new Oud Velvet Mood X-Ray. And I don't know if you've tried any of the Oud collection from Frances Kershaw. I've tried Speaker 2 (9:52) Velvet Mood. I'm a bit confused now. Was the original Velvet Mood X-Ray? Okay, was the original one, it was the Oud Velvet Mood? Speaker 1 (10:01) Yes. So this is Oud Velvet Mood X-Ray. Yes. So I have definitely tried the original and I really, really liked it. Speaker 2 (10:07) Yeah. And to me, Speaker 1 (10:08) so sometimes when we think of x-rays, we think, oh, it's just going to be stronger. And sometimes they're in fact not. They are almost, it's almost flattened. So perhaps it doesn't project as much, but it lasts longer. And sometimes that's really difficult to get your head around. It's Speaker