Niche line Frapin has launched L'Humaniste:
A breathtakingly fresh and civilised cologne by the great cognac makers and connoisseurs, Frapin et Cie who are proud to count the great sixteenth century writer and Humanist, Francois Rabelais, among their ancestors in a family tree dating back to 1270.
Created by Robertet, L'HUMANISTE symbolises the true spirit of Humanism - celebrating the notion of tolerance, independence, freedom, quality and equality above vulgar consumerism. As befits the Frapin status as cognac suppliers of distinction, L'HUMANISTE has a definitely alcoholic tang with gin and juniper in the top notes, blended with lemon, tonka, bergamot and thyme. Crisp, bracing and jolly good fun.
Additional notes include citrus, cardamom, bay berry, black pepper, nutmeg, peony, oakmoss and tonka bean.
Frapin L'Humaniste is $130 for 100 ml Eau de Parfum, and can be found now at Luckyscent in the US, Les Senteurs in the UK or First in Fragrance in Germany. (quote via lessenteurs, additional information via luckyscent)
Update: L'Humaniste was developed by perfumer Sidonie Lancesseur.
Civilised, jolly good fun from a French line? I hope that copy is courtesy of the Brit store, rather than the French house. And I’d venture a guess that their family tree dates back further than 1270. Just a hunch, of course.
Snark aside, the notes sound interesting enough!
I have a feeling that’s Les Senteur’s copy, yes…the descriptions at Luckyscent & First in Fragrance are different.
This is GREAT!!! since they espouse all this humanitarianism over VULGAR consumerism I’ll really look forward to their passing out bottles at cost!!
What’s that? they’re SELLING them? for VULGAR PROFITS?? egad, I am philosophically outraged and disgusted.
…ouch! I’ll hide under my desk now
oh, get back out here! we want to try it too. I’m all for vulgar consumerism!
lol!
You beat me to it, Daisy. I was going to wonder how $130 bottle of perfume could not count as vulgar consumerism.
yup! as I read; my eyebrows got higher and higher ….I couldn’t believe the hypocrisy of the words!
LOL! I was too busy being annoyed by other aspects of the copy. But yes…a company best known as “cognac suppliers of distinction” probably shouldn’t throw stones at extravagant spenders.
Oh wait…they only object to VULGAR consumerism. If you spend with good taste, it’s ok.
ah, well, then I’ll have to watch my language while I’m spending on their pricey perfume. (pinkies out girls, we’re being watched!)
Oh come on, Daisy. Didn’t we agree that $130 is cheap, “bargain” perfume. This is totally a populist price point.
..and anything under $100 is cheap ….under $50 is free….
oh yeah, and under $100 –they get absolutely NO pinky action.
however I draw the line at burping….there’ll be no burping.
Whew, fortunately I’m physically unable. Bizarre but true.
Physically unable??
Boo—I hate to be nosy….oh wait, I love to be nosy…you are physically unable to what? have pinkies out or burp?
I suppose if you can’t get that pinky high enough to indicate your extreme good taste…you’ll have to fake a stiff upper lip and a hoity toity accent if you want to hang with us…..if you can’t burp…well, I’m sure not asking what happens to the gas….
LOL! Nope, unable to burp…I’ve learned to avoid things like beer. Otherwise it’s ages of misery as one teeny bubble at a time works its way up.
A perfume recalling Rabelais, but no burping (or passing wind, or having a good morning constitutional)?
Touche’, dear Daisy, touche’!
ok, snark aside….no wait, I have one more….
One of my ancestors is James Fenmore Cooper….perhaps I should create a fragrance that smells like Mohicans !! oh, and I WOULD sell it for vulgar profits.
Hey, one of my ancestors is James Fenimore Cooper too! That means we are related, Daisy!
WAY COOL!!! I think JF Cooper was like the great Uncle of my paternal grandfather (whose first name were James Cooper) where does he roost in your family tree?
oops, yes …add an “i” to Fenmore…..when actively snarking my typing suffers enormously!
Alright, I’m done…..most days I read through the copy writer’s folderol like this “blah, blah, blah, blah… notes of rose, ylang ylang in a vanilla amber base…blah blah blah…” today I’m apparently in a mood.
But seriously: I totally love Frapin 1270 (on the November list) and this newest release sounds mighty good to my lemming glands! “crisp, bracing and jolly good fun” is really all they had to say. I can get behind that kind of ad copy……but then what would I have to snark about….it’s a conundrum for sure.
It does sound good…I like a good gin fragrance!
Still actively watching for the Lubin Gin Fizz myself…
I hear it may not make it to the US until 2010
….which actually is fine, since judging by the weather last week and this, we’re pretty well done with summer. On to the fall scents!
True!
Wanting to try the Lubin, too, and now this. I like the smell of gin!
Humanism is OK by me, but that ad copy is pretty full of itself, no?
Well, I am not familiar with that particular author but my understanding of 16th-17th century Humanism was more about the resurgence of interest in classical writings /teaching and philosophy. Mostly as a reaction to centuries of learning dominated by the church etc etc etc
The prose IS rather “blah, blah, blah” but anything with “a definitely alcoholic tang with gin and juniper in the top notes” deserves to be tried. Too many fragrances go for the safe opening — this one may be a lot more exciting!
Robin, thanks for finding this ad copy. I needed a good laugh. And no, my consumerism is always in good taste and never vulgar, no matter how much I may have dropped at Lucky Scent…
In between bouts of giggles, I thought of how much the ad made me crave a Tom Collins. This sounds like it’d be perfect for summer, and perfectly unisex, which I also love. Not that gender determinations by manufacturer can stop me anyway.
It does sound perfect for summer!
I agree that this sounds great for Summer wear. Except for the peony. I wish they hadn’t stuck that in there.
but maybe the peony wouldn’t stand out for you. Like yesterday when I was loving the cinnamon in Une Rose Chypree and everyone else hardly smelled it! You might not get any peony at all in this one.
Yep. Real peonies=good, perfume peonies=bad. haha But perhaps, like Daisy said, it may not be so prevalent as to ruin the rest of the good sounding stuff. Plus, peony just seems like a weird note to add to that mix anyway.
I am not a peony fan either. Except for real peonies, which are my favorite flower.
Well, I happened upon this at Les Senteurs yesterday and I have to tell you that to me it did not particularly smell of anything. I know it was late in the day and my sixth stop, but still. And after all, neat spirits don’t really have a smell, do they?!
Oh dear, that’s not good!