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L'Artisan Parfumeur experts: anyone?

post #1 of 29
10/15/12 at 12:58pm
Thread Starter 
I'd like to know some die-hard L'Artisan fan/aficionado/connoisseur, to exchange opinions, thoughts, historical facts and points of view.
Anyone?
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post #2 of 29
10/15/12 at 1:29pm
I'm no die-hard but I do enjoy several L'Artisan perfumes. I am very fond of Fleur d'Oranger, Jour de Fête and Premier Figuier, and like smelling Fou d'Absinthe on my husband.

Edit:
I forgot about L'Eau du Navigateur-- he has a bottle and I think it's fantastic on him!

Edit again: Sheesh, I forgot I own Iris Pallida, too. I don't wear that one very often...a bit too broody for me most days.

I make the effort to try any new ones that come out. I suppose I favor L'Artisan over most other houses at present.

Do you have favorites, OP?
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post #3 of 29
10/15/12 at 1:37pm
I have 51 large bottles of this line in my collection and my favorites are: L'Eau Du Caporal and the Mon Numero series.
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post #4 of 29
10/15/12 at 2:14pm
Thread Starter 
My favs are Premier Figuier, l'Eau du Navigateur, Al Oudh, Safran Troublant, Vanilia, l'Eau D'Ambre.... and I NEVER will be able to buy 51 bottles !!!

- - - Updated - - -

One of the many, many questions about L'Artisan perfumes I would like to ask is : there is a way to understand year of production ? In this case the "checkcosmetic" batch number is not useful, and I had to guess looking at caps and writings on the box.
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post #5 of 29
10/15/12 at 2:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Andrè Moreau View Post

One of the many, many questions about L'Artisan perfumes I would like to ask is : there is a way to understand year of production ?

Not that I know of.
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post #6 of 29
10/15/12 at 2:55pm
Not really but the caps give you a clue as to the age in general terms. The octagonal bottles with gold colored caps that are small, flared and domed are older, the hexagonal bottles with flat-topped, hexagonal gold colored caps newer, and the clear glass (plastic?) caps newest.

Edit:

I had to hunt for an image, but there are older bottles yet with these balloon-shaped caps that have spiral swirls on the top :
http://www.etsy.com/listing/11051547...isan-parfumeur

I saw an old bottle of Jour de Fête once on eBay that had this cap.
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post #7 of 29
10/15/12 at 3:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Andrè Moreau View Post

One of the many, many questions about L'Artisan perfumes I would like to ask is : there is a way to understand year of production ?

From my experience, the batch code consists of two letters + 2 numbers + 1 letter, the second number is indicating the production year. This only applies to those perfumes produced after the millennium, don't know anything about the batch code before that.
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post #8 of 29
10/15/12 at 4:21pm
Funny: Jean Laporte has a thing for big, garish gold caps. I recently got a bottle from MP&G, and the cap is similar to that vintage Laporte bottle...but even worse--it has a huge red plastic 'gemstone' in the top. Hideous and tacky.

I love L'Artisan though.

I have and love
Aedes de Venustas
Safran Troublant
Mon Numero 10
Tea For Two
Timbuktu
Al Oudh
Dzing!

Have, but don't love
Premier Figuier Extreme (non-Extreme is better)
Mure et Musc Cologne
Navegar

Want to get
Eau du Navigateur

Overall, I love this house...but does anyone else here find that Vetiver de Coeur Sacre smells like pickle juice when applied to skin?!
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post #9 of 29
10/15/12 at 7:46pm
It's all a matter of taste of course, but of those in their line I own, I certainly like Safran Troublant.

I suspect there are other perfumes out there that resemble it in some way, but none that I know of. It's my go-to comfort perfume.
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post #10 of 29
10/15/12 at 8:10pm
I have a whoppin' 24 full bottles from L'Artisan... not nearly as many as Hednic.

My favorites are, in no order:

Dzing!
Dzongkha
Tea For Two
Safran Troublant
Iris Pallida
L'Eau de Jatamansi
Al Oudh

Have, but don't love:

Timbuktu
Voleur de Roses
Patchouli Patch
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post #11 of 29
10/15/12 at 8:24pm
Well I hope you can dig in and find images and some real history - photos, interviews etc. - because this brand in many ways defines the whole 'niche perfumery' movement from the latter part of 20th Century.

I own several 'classics' and still track the new releases - but it's the earlier Jean LaPorte era that intrigues me. Good luck.
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post #12 of 29
10/15/12 at 11:54pm
Jean-Laporte opened the Jardin du parfumeur (with one of the important collection of camelia in Europe), he stopped making fragrances after MPG and had interest into botanic.
http://www.osmoz.com/Magazine/Report...ame-of-Perfume

My favorite from JFL is L'orchidée blanche, an honeyed iris with flowers.
The old bottles were cylinders (i have oeillet sauvage in this format the year it was released in the "je t'ai cueilli une fleur" pack)
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post #13 of 29
10/16/12 at 12:15am
Most of my L'Artisan are the old style cap and bought in the early 00s.

I have the original Patchouli, long discontinued.

Drole de Rose
Tea for Two
Passage d'Enfer
Iris Pallida(this one is divine), I have the original release.
Patchouli

All the above are old style cap.

Voleur des Roses
Poivre Piquant
Nuit de Tuberose(one me this one is very dry spicy and woody)

They do wonderful candles as well.

I never liked Dzing, it was like wearing a cardboard box, dry paper.
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post #14 of 29
10/16/12 at 12:17pm
Thread Starter 
Ok, here are some tips and hints about L'Artisan production
Please have patience because it's a bit complicated

The ancient octagonal (=8 sides) bottle with a some what "round" or "crown" cap:
it means: produced before summer 2006.

The modern (heptagonal=7 sides) bottle with hexagonal (=6 sides) cap:
it means: produced after summer 2006.

The box with the writing "L' Artisan Parfumeur" in the bottom :
same of ancient bottle (=before summer 2006)
(in the upper part of the box = after summer 2006)

if the box reports the phrase: "Distributed in USA by Sandi Burrows":
produced between 1994 and 2003

if the box reports the phrase: "Distributed in USA by Cradle Holdings":
produced from 2003 to circa 2006

"Distributed in USA by L'Artisan Parfumeur"
produced circa 2006 -ongoing

(IMHO, very IMHO....)
Andre
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post #15 of 29
11/17/12 at 8:59pm
Holy shnikeys!
Quote:
Originally Posted by hednic View Post

I have 51 large bottles of this line in my collection...

I have 2 partially used bottles from Ebay (and I thought that was a splurge): Premier Figuier and Saffron Troublant, and a tiny sample vial of Mechant Loup. They are all so unique and evocative. The sheer range of L'Artisan is impressive. I'd like to try their takes on vanilla, absinthe, and mimosa.

As an aside, I think if I'm very good in this life, when I die I will go to Aedes de Venustas.
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post #16 of 29
11/17/12 at 9:51pm
Great starting point for dates, Andre - I wonder if there is any real 'curator' of the line at L'Artisan who might be able to fill in the blanks. Have you been in direct contact with anyone there? You would think that this is one house that is getting close to being able to release a mini-bio - one of the first truly niche companies?
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post #17 of 29
11/18/12 at 12:21am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Furriner View Post


Have, but don't love:

Timbuktu
Voleur de Roses
Patchouli Patch

I'll take them off you
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post #18 of 29
12/26/12 at 11:58am
Quote:
Originally Posted by hednic View Post

I have 51 large bottles of this line in my collection and my favorites are: L'Eau Du Caporal and the Mon Numero series.

Holy Mary,man you are sitting on a fortune!!I wonder when I will be getting rid of my collection as I feel like I am losing my personlity.lol
as a matter of interest,do you know if Tea for Two has really been discontinued?
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post #19 of 29
12/27/12 at 12:23am
L'Artisan UK have a sale online and no doubt in their boutique at the moment. If anyone is interested.
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post #20 of 29
12/27/12 at 4:14pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by donna255 View Post

L'Artisan UK have a sale online and no doubt in their boutique at the moment. If anyone is interested.

yeah,know that but the ones I really after are not or not even listed.did grab the most amazing deal there tho.even that just sold out.the mini coffrets they were offering....
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post #21 of 29
12/27/12 at 5:33pm
I will never understand why they had to discontinue L'Eau du Navigateur and Tea For Two, my single two favourites from the line. Anyhow, I also love Safran Troublant, Dzing!, Dzongkha, Al Oudh, Fou d'Absinthe, Voleur de Roses, Timbuktu, Méchant Loup, Coeur de Vétiver Sacré and Nuit de Tubéreuse madly. You could call me a fan of the house
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post #22 of 29
12/28/12 at 1:24am
Tea For Two is available from QVC UK, but at full price. They do ship to Spain.
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post #23 of 29
12/29/12 at 8:15pm
The earliest bottles have Jean Laporte written on the coat of arms which is now blank I believe. I have a bottle of the Eau des Merveilleux which I need to have another look at.
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post #24 of 29
1/1/13 at 12:09pm
I have and love:

Ambre Extreme
Fleur d'Oranger
Iris Pallida
Safran Troublant
La Haie Fleurie

and I bought Coeur de Vetiver Sacre on sale recently. I hope I like it!

- - - Updated - - -

I got it today. I do like it. It is a soft, sweet take on vetiver, very wearable for me.
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post #25 of 29
1/11/13 at 3:18pm
I have and love (in this order):

Iris Pallida (original)
L'eau du Navigateur
Tea for Two
Mechant Loup
Fou d'Absinthe (my first L'Artisan)
Voleur de Rose

Have owned and loved (now gone):

Fleur d'Oranger 2007
Dzongkha
The Pour un Ete

Like but don't love:

Al Oudh
Navigar
Poivre Piquant
Safran Troublant

Would like to get:

Aedes de Venustas
Timbuktu
Seville de L'aube
and some classics...
L'eau Caporal
Vetiver (the original)

I have only ever owned the most recent packaging except for my Mechant Loup which has the more rounded/faceted bottle and cap. Their range is great and I find myself coming back again and again despite all the other bottles in my collection.
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post #26 of 29
1/25/13 at 2:40pm
The earliest bottles have Jean Laporte written on the coat of arms which is now blank I believe. I have a bottle of the Eau des Merveilleuses which has this coat of arms while the bottle is a simple rectangular glass bottle tinted slightly greenish gray. The cap is very similar to if not exactly like the one on the Jean LaPorte bottle cited by 30 Roses above. I'm believing that LaPorte initially put out product just under his own name, then switched to L'Artisan Parfumeur, eventually taking his name off when he went to the octagonal bottles.

I was delighted, incidentally, to find that LaPorte fragrance had not been snapped up by anyone, but hopefully the perfume is still in decent condition. I will soon find out...
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post #27 of 29
1/25/13 at 3:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by donna255 View Post

Tea For Two is available from QVC UK, but at full price. They do ship to Spain.

Oh! Thanks Donna, didn't see your answer... I already have a backup of Tea For Two, until they come to their senses and release it again
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post #28 of 29
1/25/13 at 7:53pm
Are these fragrances better used for summer wear since their projection is poor? I'm about to try my first one tomorrow (Fleur de Liane) and was wondering if it would be able to perform in this harsh winter weather at all. I could really get into purchasing from this house often just based on sniffing the sprayer though.
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post #29 of 29
1/26/13 at 12:58am
Just recently got 5 samples from L'Artisan and enjoyed Timbuktu and Voleur de Roses. An interesting house. I look forward to smelling more of their line.
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