Shades of Oud
Guerlain master perfumer Thierry Wasser shares how the luxury beauty house continues to produce timeless fragrances with new additions to its L’art & La Matière collection
Many perfumeries around the world collaborate with “noses”—experts who have an extremely keen sense of smell. For French luxury beauty brand Guerlain, the go‑to person is Thierry Wasser, its in‑house master perfumer since 2008.
As one of the oldest fragrance and beauty houses in the world, Guerlain, which was founded in Paris in 1828, needs no introduction. In the past decade, Wasser has been heavily involved in the creation of some of its bestselling fragrances, including cult favourite Shalimar as well as several new variations in the Aqua Allegoria and Haute Parfumerie collections.
But the quintessence of Guerlain haute parfumerie is its L’art & La Matière collection, which was first introduced in 2005. This year, the brand celebrates the first anniversary of its relaunch with three new fragrances: Oud Nude, Cherry Oud and Oud Khol, all of which showcase oud wood, the star ingredient.
“The fragrances in this collection are of a style, one that distinctly expresses a feeling about a specific raw material. This collection reflects the unique marriage of intention and a singular note. That collision of emotion and solo raw material is very inspiring to me,” shares Wasser. “This collection stands apart by featuring certain rare ingredients not often highlighted by Guerlain, such as leather, neroli and gardenia.”
The common elements that unite all 21 fragrances in the L’art & La
Matière collection are undoubtedly the exceptional quality of the raw materials and the way Guerlain pays tribute to them in the different scents—making the collection such an audacious and vibrant one.
“The new scents represent three fun characters around oud. Oud Nude is amber and rich, Cherry Oud is yummy and sparkling to a certain extent, and Oud Khol is an oud darker than black,” Wasser explains.
With more than 1,110 fragrances to its name—and the oldest dating back to 1853—Guerlain stands apart from its competitors by offering perfumes that remain timeless. Historically, there has always been a close link between perfumery and France—home to precious ingredients and some of the world’s best noses. And Guerlain has always been proudly French.
“I hope and believe that even our most recent 2022 launches will live on to be appreciated for decades because Guerlain elevates the art of perfumery by using only the finest raw materials and [with] unlimited creative freedom,” says Wasser. “And I would argue that it stands as the ultimate symbol of French perfumery throughout the world.”