Jo's Scent Notes: Bienaimé Vermeil

There are so many new fragrance houses on the scent landscape that it feels almost overwhelming, at times. (And that’s from someone who surveys that landscape for a living.)

But as a vintage-lover, I have always had a fondness for heritage brands. Guerlain. Chanel. Le Galion (whose Sortilège is one of the greatest Chypre fragrances of all time, if you can ever get to smell it).

And now we have Bienaimé, which has the most glorious history behind it: a ‘phoenix’ house, as explained to me by Art Deco fan Cécilia Mergui, who has breathed new life into the brand. At a little gathering in Liberty’s Heritage Suite, Cécilia told us how he gave up her job at the too-cool-for-school French fashion house Sézane to revive Bienaimé – and, scent-lovers, be grateful that she did.

There’s a handful of scents, so far, all with a fabulous vintage vibe and exquisite retro-style bottles, which are made in a French heritage glass factory in a valley in Normandy where all the world’s most precious bottles come from. They make me long for a dressing table and a mother-of-pearl hairbrush set and mirror, and negligées and marabou slippers. (Gosh, I think I might have had a pair of those once, for my honeymoon, but no idea where they might be now. Probably the dressing up box!) The packaging is exquisite – too-nice-to-throw-away boxes in a lingerie-esque pink, edged with cherry red and with and the original signature logo. Honestly, a joy.

Just what is Bienaimé’s story? Robert Bienaimé was a highly respected chemist-turned-perfumer, who honed his craft at Houbigant, where he created – among others – the legendary perfume Quelques Fleurs, and later took over the reins of the House of Houbigant. But he longed to created his own fragrance house, where he could also flex his expertise in cosmetology and cream formulations (I’ll come on to the hand creams) – and Bienaimé was born. But like many perfume houses, it disappeared into the mists after his death, robbed of its founder’s energy.

Well, now it’s back. And I’ve been swooning over one scent in particular since I first spritzed it: Vermeil. It has that ‘mummy’s handbag’ mood of which I’m so fond, a boudoir-esque mix of rose and violet and iris and lipstick and powder, wrapped in a suede-y cloud of white musk and sandalwood. Honestly, heaven.

As feminine as fragrance gets, somehow, alchemically comforting and sexy all at once – and look at that bottle, which is honestly something you’d swoon over if you came across it in a flea market. (Cécilia does indeed spend quite a lot of time on eBay, looking for vintage Bienaimé treasures to add to the brand’s collection.)

If ‘Mummy’s handbag’ scents aren’t your bag, you might check out the others (ranged below): Fleurs d’Été (armfuls of white flowers, and a definite nod to Quelques Fleurs, although not currently on Liberty’s website); the lighter, airier La Vie en Fleurs (also super-feminine); soft floral-ambrée Jours Heureux – or Monsieur, the most classic men’s French Cologne, which I’d happily splash on myself with abandon.

I’ve had to eke Vermeil out from a little sample spray, and it’s nearly at its end. It says everything that I’ll be springing for the full size, in order to continue to waft. Trust me, you’re going to enjoy following me down the street in this one.

And I very much like that it will be refillable, too (with the cutest teeny funnel). To find it, I shall make a pilgrimage to Liberty’s fourth floor, where Bienaimé has its own gorgeous corner counter – complete with personalised wrapping options (see the stamps arrayed, below). Why, I might just treat myself to the matching hand cream; these are DIVINE.

Definitely worth tidying my actual handbag, to tuck them into. (And wouldn’t Mummy be proud?)

Bienaimé Vermeil/£160 for 75ml eau de parfum – buy here