Postcard From Paris
Me L’eau distils the signature style of fashion house Lanvin, by way of the City of Light. By Li Ying Lim.
“Iimagined a fragrance that exudes joy of life, brings optimism, and makes you want to smile while conveying the enticing power of Lanvin – delicate, natural, poetic, and Parisian,” says Shyamala Maisondieu, the perfume designer of Lanvin Me’s next chapter – Me L’Eau. Me was all about Lanvin’s heritage, but Me L’Eau is a fashion statement. It is a glimpse of Paris in a woman’s precious moment alone – a walk among thousands of blooming flowers, luxuriating in a bed of velvety roses. Her eyes closed, she revels in the setting sun as the watercolours of the Paris skyline glow ember and gold.
Reinvented with a frosted pink flacon, Me L’Eau is softer and more romantic, exuding a different kind of sensuality. “I wanted from the very start to have the fragrance catch that glorious carefree panache with its bright and sparkling colours,” she shares, describing the scintillating juice as “harmonious raw materials coming together to bring natural, radiant freshness for immediate pleasure.” Maisondieu studied in the UK and worked with Givaudan in Hong Kong before earning her perfumer stripes at the Givaudan Perfume School in Grasse. She continues to be inspired by childhood memories from her native home, Malaysia: colourful spices, tropical fruits, and exotic flowers such as jasmine and frangipani.
Her latest creation for Lanvin takes a leaf from this natural vibrancy. “I blended Italian mandarin with the crispness of violet leaves. And for the vivid side, pink peppercorns are perfect for their fresh and spicy note,” exalts Maisondieu. “As for the heart, I have created and designed this bouquet like a Lanvin dress, inspired by the sheer volume and trompe l’oeil abundance of flower petals. Magnolia, peonies, and Petalia (a unique ingredient with rosy floral notes) dress the fragrance with a light and soulful airiness.”
Riffing along its floral repertoire, a creamy note of vineyard peach lights up the scent’s silken trail. A dry-down of cedar and refined musk coruscates like a jewel on a Lanvin dress, the perfect accessory. Maisondieu explains: “The Lanvin woman is also all about sensuality and gracefulness, hence this soft and delicate signature.”