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Image:All images by Franco Wright, except 'charred tree' by Bertrand Duchaufour

The sampling area at The Scent Bar is roomy and well-illuminated, with stools where guests can sit and sample to their hearts' content. Most of the feminine fragrances are behind the bar, but visible, grouped by shelves into types: gourmand, spicy, vanilla, etc. Many of the masculine fragrances are grouped by shelves on the opposite wall. There is also a side area which displays complete offerings from Serge Lutens, Comme des Garçons, Parfum d'Empire, Bruno Acampora Profumi, Bois 1920, etc. Large, opaque casks with currently-available By Kilian fragrance refills are visible on the bar near the entrance.

For this evening, the bar itself was crowded, but comfortable. Adam Eastwood had placed himself behind the bar and was passing around glass jars with both wet and dry plant samples for people to smell. Also available for sampling at the bar were some of Bertrand Duchaufour's best-known creations for L'Artisan Parfumeur: Dzongkha, Méchant Loup, Patchouli Patch (with Evelyn Boulanger), Piment Brûlant, Poivre Piquant, and Timbuktu. Franco Wright was mingling on the other side of the bar, introducing people and making sure everyone had enough champagne and snacks.

The focus for this Lucky Scent house fragrance will be Chaparral, the shrub plant life which thrives in California between periods of wet winters and summer wildfires, with an emphasis on the areas of Mount Hollywood and Mount Lee in Griffith Park here in Los Angeles. The four most common components of Chaparral in this area, constantly present through the seasons, are Laurel Sumac (Malosma laurina), California Sagebrush (Artemisia californica), Wild Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), and Castor Bean (Ricinus communis). Although not as common, other useful accords which may also be considered for the fragrance are Southern California Manroot (Marah macrocarpus), California Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia), White Sage (Salvia apiana), Black Sage (Salvia mellifera), and the Century Plant (Agave americana). Some of the more interesting samples available for smelling were examples of burned chaparral from the recent Southern California wildfires.

As the evening progressed, Bertrand Duchaufour wandered to the back of the room with Franco, myself, and others to sample some of the fragrances available at The Scent Bar. Before long, people were walking around with multiple smelling strips in each hand, and passing them around between each other for comparison. At one point, after sampling close to thirty fragrances, Bertrand playfully indicated his arrival at nose fatigue by declaring, "I'm done." He then moved on to the book display in the front of the shop, where he poured over a copy of Perfumes: The Guide by Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez.

From the right, François Duquesne (CEO of L'Artisan Parfumeur)
and Bertrand Duchaufour smelling samples:

From the left, Brian Kurtz (Sales Director, L’Artisan Parfumeur),
Bertrand Duchaufour, and François Duquesne smelling samples:

From the right, Brian Kurtz, François Duquesne,
Bertrand Duchaufour, and Franco Wright smelling samples

It was a very enjoyable evening, and a great chance to meet one of the foremost personalities in today's fragrance world. Franco and Adam closed the evening down around 9pm to take their visiting luminaries out to dinner, and those of us in attendance received a complementary gift bag with a generous 50ml sample of L'Artisan Parfumeur Timbuktu. The following evening, Franco, Adam, Bertrand, and François trekked through Griffith Park, where Bertrand sampled the local flora to obtain ideas for the fragrance. (See photos below.) I have been informed by Franco that Bertrand has taken a particular interest in some of the examples of burned Chaparral he experienced in the park. So people can expect these accords to figure prominently in his forthcoming creation for Lucky Scent, which should be available in the coming months.

Bertrand Duchaufour, Brian Kurtz (from L'Artisan Parfumeur),
Adam Eastwood (Lucky Scent), and François Duquesne walking into Griffith Park

Bertrand Duchaufour and François Duquesne smelling chaparral

Bertrand Duchaufour smelling burned sumac

For fragrance aficionados in the Los Angeles area, The Scent Bar provides an unparalleled opportunity to be exposed to a tremendous breadth of fragrances which, in many cases, are not available for either sampling or purchase anywhere else in the United States. It is located at 8327 Beverly Blvd in Los Angeles, in the Northeast corner of the intersection of Beverly Blvd and N Flores St, five blocks East of The Beverly Center. Stores hours are Monday through Saturday 11am through 7pm, and Sunday 12 noon through 5pm. Further information can be found at http://luckyscent.com.

About the author

Ligo Shea is a former physicist turned software contractor living in West Los Angeles. An avid fragrance enthusiast, he can be found on Basenotes.net posting under the username Astaroth.

All articles by Ligo Shea

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