I had the pleasure of attending the Atelier Cologne masterclass at Ladurée in Toronto earlier this week. Thank you again to @TeamBIC , Sephora, @Anonymous (especially the oh-so-lovely founder Sylvie), and @Buootiful for tagging me (otherwise I would have missed out!).
The venue was beautiful - it was the perfect setting for a tea party. The walls were a beautiful pink, there were gorgeous chandeliers, even the ceiling was ornate. I was greeted by a lovely Sephora cast member named Callysta, and the Atelier Cologne team, who had the most beautiful French accents. Both the Atelier Cologne and Ladurée teams were incredibly attentive, greeting us, seating us, taking our coats and being out “Instagram husbands” by taking photos.
Sylvie was incredibly engaging and you could just feel how passionate she is. I didn’t realize that a student of perfume will be able to identify 1000-1500 individual scents by name by the time they’ve completed their education. I can’t believe how much I learned in such a short period of time! I would not consider myself to have the best sense of smell, but I’ve always been interested in learning more. We began by receiving unmarked essential oils and having to write what memories the scent evoked, what words came to mind, and what we thought the scents were. Wow was I off with what they were, but it was interesting to see what memories I associate with different scents. I’m starting to understand now why I’m drawn more to certain fragrances compared to others. What was also interesting is seeing how different ingredients that didn’t seem to go together actually created a gorgeous and complex scent.
The most interesting part of the experience was learning the Atelier Cologne method. Sylvie explained how she chooses a “star” for a scent, and then adds the “supporting cast” of notes, so that its complex but not overpowering - the individual notes are distinguishable. She also explained the different processes of obtaining the oils to create the scents - citrus comes from rolling the peels, and most florals and spices are boiled and then the oils are collected off the top. She was very adamant about using as much of a natural process as possible, and sourcing ingredients from nature if they are available in nature. A lot of the ingredients used in Atelier Cologne products are sourced from Europe, with the vast majority of the citrus coming from Italy. I have a new appreciation for ingredients and process. For those interested in natural ingredients and sustainability, Atelier Cologne strives to use natural and sustainable ingredients and processes whenever possible. As Sylvie put it, “if it exists in nature, I will use it in its natural form”.
Afterwards, most of us headed to the Yorkdale Sephora. After obtaining all this knowledge, I tried to test myself by trying different fragrances and trying to pick out notes. I realized just how different a synthetic ingredient can be compared to a natural one. I also learned from Sylvie about the different types of perfume categories, which are differentiated by concentration of the oils. The higher the concentration, the longer it will last because it is more potent. Learning this also explained why some perfumes are more expensive than others. For reference the least concentrated to most are: Eau Fraiche, Eau de Cologne, Eau de toilette, Eau de parfum, parfum (or parfum absolu). Also pro tip - citrus scents usually only last on their own for about 20 minutes, so they need something else to suspend and carry the scent. If you love a Eau fraiche that’s mostly citrus, it won’t have a lot of lasting power, but that’s just because of the ingredient, not because the perfume is lacklustre.
Onto some other stuff, like the food! It was the most perfect little tea party. We were all treated to macarons, madeleines with the most incredible fresh whipped cream, gourmet teas, little sandwiches, savoury pastries, and sweets like lemon tarts and coconut puffs. Everything was so beautiful I almost didn’t want to eat it! But I’m so happy I did because they were delicious. We also had the Honey Moon mocktail, which had orange juice and maple syrup.
Scent takeaways - although the event was centred mainly around the citrus scents because of the latest release, Pacific Lime, we were able to test others as well. My newly discovered favourites are Vanille Incensée, Rose Anonyme, and Citron d’Erable, which is actually a Canadian market exclusive! Also if you have the chance, definitely give Cafe Tuberosa a try. It won Perfume Extrodinaire last year, awarded by the Perfume Foundation, partially because of the process it’s made, and how it was a totally new take on the way tuberose is used in fragrance.
Thank you again Sylvie, Sephora and Atelier Cologne for this incredible experience! this really has piqued my interest and I’m curious to learn more!