None of our five senses are as closely linked to memory as scent. Anise and vanilla, for example, remind me of my mother (hence why Jo Malone's Vanilla & Anise Bath Oil has a tender spot in my heart), while Pond's Cold Cream, crema de coco candies, and grenadine syrup remind me of my grandma (the latter due to her love of refreshing jaragua cocktails), and Old Spice, Cohiba cigars, vintage leather, and Cuba Libres instantly conjure up images of my dad. The smell of grass after a tropical downpour, the pulpy flesh of ripe mangoes, the bitter smell of acerola fruits, and the sweet aroma of Chinese hibiscus blooms are among the other scents that instantly transport my spirit to my native Puerto Rico, that charming, sun-soaked island I miss so often while navigating through the often alienating streets of New York.
Since our olfactory nerve is located near the amygdala, which is key in helping us process emotion and create emotional memories, as well as the hippocampus, which is key in creating both short- and long-term memories, certain smells can trigger more profound and vivid memories than any photograph, song, or flavor ever could.
And so begins the tale of an uprooted French woman who, having moved to New York City, longed for a piece of her homeland, for something that would take her on a metaphorical magical carpet ride to her native land. The lady in question: Mathilde Thomas, whose beloved Caudalie skin care brand is centered on the anti-aging, hydrating, replenishing, soothing benefits of the red grapes harvested in her family's Smith Haut Lafitte vineyard in Bordeaux. Caudalie's luxurious products, then, rely on several core ingredients:grape seeds, which are rich in polyphenol antioxidants, which protect the skin from free radical damage; grapevine stalks, which contain reservatrol, an ingredient proven to firm skin and promote cellular turnover; grape water, featuring polysaccharides and oligo-elements that moisturize and soothe skin; grapevine sap, a brightening agent that can help to diminish the appearance of dark spots; and nourishing grapeseed oil, with its high content of omega 6 and vitamin E.
Since Mathilde once hoped to become a perfumer herself, launching a line of fragrances seemed like a natural progression. And, if she could recreate the scents of the vineyard in which she spent so much of her life, bottling them up so she could carry a piece of home with her, then her olfactory dreams would be complete.
To that end Mathilde aligned herself with some of the most well-respected master perfumers in the business: Anne Flipo, the mastermind behind L'Artisan Parfumeur's La Chasse aux Papillons, Giorgio Armani's Acqua di Gioia, and Paco Rabanne's Lady Million; Francis Kurkdjian who rose to international fame after creating Jean Paul Gaultier's Le Mâle in 1995, at the tender age of 25, and who went on to be the creative force behind Narciso Rodriguez's For Her, Lanvin's Rumeur, and Ferragamo's F by Ferragamo, among others; and Jacques Cavallier, whose expansive list of fragrance credits include Issey Miyake's L'Eau d'Issey, Chic by Carolina Herrera, and Roberto Cavalli's Serpentine. Each of these three expert noses helped Mathilde develop one of the fragrances in her vineyard-inspired trilogy, with each scent corresponding to a particular time of day.
First, there's Caudalie Fleur de Vigne ($36 at Caudalie-USA.com and Sephora.com), created alongside Anne Flipo, which seeks to capture the smell of the vineyard at dawn in early June, right around the time when grape flowers blossom and winemakers know that, in precisely 110 days, it'll be time to harvest their crops. This crisp, juicy, fresh fragrance features notes of grapefruit, grape flowers, mandarin, and watermelon, mixed with white rose for a feminine flavor, cedar and aqueous sap for a woody underbelly, and pink pepper for a slightly spicy kick. Though it features citrus notes, this light fragrance has a predominantly aqueous feel that's refreshing and clean.
Next, there's Caudalie Zeste de Vigne ($36 at Caudalie-USA.com and Sephora.com), created alongside Francis Kurkdjian, which attempts to recreate the way in which the smells emanating from the oak wood barrels in which wine is aged mingle and dance harmoniously with the leaves and fruit of the citrus trees in the nearby winter garden. Mathilde says the fragrance reminds her of walking through the Smith Haut Lafitte vineyard at noon, when the sun's rays are particularly intense, making the citrus aroma all the more powerful. This robust, energetic, sparkling fragrance, then, is rife with optimism and sunniness thanks to sweet lemon, sweet orange, bitter orange, bergamot, and mandarin notes married with java patchouli and moss to conjure up the woodiness of the oak barrels in her memory bank.
Last, there's my personal favorite: Caudalie Thé de Vigne ($36 at Caudalie-USA.com and Sephora.com), meant to zoom in on the sensuality of dusk at the vineyard, a transient time when the sky begins to darken and people sit still for a moment to enjoy a creamy cup of steaming hot tea. Developed alongside Jacques Cavalier, this sweet but sexy scent features notes of white musk, vine sap, ginger, orange blossom, and a hint of jasmine. Though musk is the fragrance's central theme, it's never overpowering — when mingling with the other notes, the result is a powdery but creamy elixir that conveys tenderness and romance. It's ephemeral quality only compounds these qualities since, after all, L'Heur Bleue can only last but so long before night settles in and it's time for sleep at the vineyard.
Make sure to check out these fragrances and, as a celebration of the launch of Caudalie-USA.com, enjoy 15% off your purchase (be it these scents or any other product) through August 15th when you enter the promo code NEWSITE at checkout
