Meet The New, Chic Perfume Brand You’ve Never Heard Of (But French Girls Love)

Since becoming a beauty journalist, one thing has become abundantly clear: if it’s French-woman approved, it absolutely sells. It makes sense. I could wax lyrical about the French and their ability to appear artfully (and expertly) polished and disheveled all at once. It’s intentionally nonchalant - a flush of rouge here, a scrunch of salt spray there...the tap, tap, tap of quilted Chanel pumps tottering down Montmartre. Ah! It's all so impossibly chic.

And when it comes to fragrance, you can bet French girls do it best there too. The masses go wild for their scents - they are renowned for being stop-you-in-your-tracks level good. Take Zadig & Voltaire’s wing-emblazoned bottle, which oozes musky cool, or Sisley’s cult hair fragrance, which had me running to its Paris boutique to grab a bottle there and then. I almost missed the last Eurostar in the process. But you can bet I smelled gorgeous.

So, imagine my delight during a recent PR meeting with Kenneth Green (who represent a wealth of beautiful fragrance brands) when I came across something totally brand new. Amidst the glitter and gleam of Christmas launches (more on that in the coming weeks), one golden bottle stood out. Its box, adorned with delicate line drawings of the Eiffel Tower, chic Parisian buildings and side streets lined with wicker chairs - the kind you pull up to for a glass of red and a baguette with a heap of salty, French butter- immediately caught my eye.

‘Ooh, what is this one?’ I asked, instantly drawn to it.

‘Oh, this is very exciting,’ the PR said. ‘It’s by a new Parisian haute perfume house called Solférino. They’ve recently launched in Selfridges.’

This is a big deal. Firstly, because Selfridges hasn’t taken on a new fragrance brand in years- their buying team is famously discerning where space in their precious marbled beauty hall is concerned. Secondly, Solférino is brand new, with just ten scents in its launch collection. For someone such as Selfridges to back them so confidently? It’s rare - and this says a lot about the brand.

The scent on the table that day was Un Samedi à Paris. It’s a fragrance that captures the indulgence and luxury of a Saturday afternoon spent lolling around the capital. Think wandering the cobbled streets, people-watching over a glass (or two) of wine, strolling past the Eiffel Tower… It's exciting yet comforting, and seems to embody that mix of familiarity and thrill I always seem to feel when I’m in Paris.

Created by perfumer Tanguy Guesnet, I’d describe this as a heady, enveloping scent. While it’s not for the wallflower, it’s far from brash either. Top notes of pepper and cardamom muddle into a heart of vetiver, cedarwood and sandalwood. It’s a blend that sings, but doesn’t shout. The base brings in tonka, vanilla bean and amber, creating a cosseting, calming finish that invites you to ‘pause at a café with views of the Eiffel Tower.’

While Un Samedi à Paris is the hero, the brand’s wider offering is a refined nod to the classics. If you love the warm, musky notes found in classic Chanel fragrances, there’s something for you here. If Tom Ford’s Neroli speaks to you, then the orange blossom and clary sage notes of Reverie Sur Seine N1 Eau Reverie de Parfum, £140 may pique your interest.

‘Solférino has spotted a gap,’ the PR tells me. ‘Think beautiful, wearable scents crafted by a niche perfume house. They're familiar, but unique, and people who have been using them have described them as their best kept beauty secret.’

It’s a very good secret. For now...

Shop: Solférino Un Samedi A Paris N5 Eau de Parfum

Rachael Martin is Grazia’s Beauty Director. Originally from Northern Ireland, she studied English Literature at Queen’s University Belfast, before moving to London to pursue a career in magazine journalism