Our New Go-To Scent Underpins French Chic

Striking the perfect balance between nonchalance and sophistication, there’s a certain je ne sais quoi about French women that builds on their allure. Their often-imitated-never-duplicated style floods our feeds with images of well-dressed women, decorated in haute couture with a smattering of red lipstick.

But French chic extends beyond their enviable wardrobes – it’s an attitude. Whether striding through Parisian streets or tipping glasses of champagne, this joie de vivre is encapsulated in the newest fragrance by French fashion house Rochas, Mademoiselle Rochas Eau de Parfum.

The maison coined the term ‘Frenchic’ to represent the Mademoiselle Rochas woman – a bubbly young Parisian, active and cheerful, fresh and quintessentially French – think original Parisian icons like Brigitte Bardot or Audrey Tatou.

If you had to bottle this air of playfulness, curiosity, optimism and charm – then Mademoiselle Rochas would be it.

THE FACE

Captured spritzing the juice on her wrists in the bath, before rushing barefoot to meet with friends at a Parisian café, actress Noémie Schmidt was appointed as the face of Mademoiselle Rochas for her spirited and dynamic nature.

Akin to the modern woman, Noémie Schmidt represents the paradox of femininity today – on one hand craving freedom, but also revelling in the finer things in life.

THE NOSE

We have her fine-tuned olfactive senses to thank for Lancome’s La Vie est Belle, Yves Saint Laurent’s L’Homme, and Paco Robanne’s Lady Million. In fact, VP Perfumer Anne Flipo’s long list of creations from the last 25 years boasts some of the most iconic fragrances that continue to fly off shelves today.

Who better, then, to create the spirited juice housed within Mademoiselle Rochas’ couture-inspired bottle?

Anne’s passion for flowers and gardens is unmistakable in each and every perfume she’s created – something she developed while growing up in Picardy in northern France. “That’s where I learned about nature and the basics of an art of living made up of simple pleasures; I was fascinated by nature and have wonderful memories of family cooking and cake making, not forgetting my love for music, an essential part of my personal stability” she says.

THE SCENT

This delicately composed scent looks to three gourmand notes to build its seductive fragrance – caramelised, sticky toffee apple, candied rose petals and musk-laced Chantilly cream.

The scent opens with a heady blend of red and blackcurrant and blackberry to form a red fruit accord, while fruity green and caramelised red toffee apple delivers a piquant sweetness.

Next, the heart unfolds with an explosion of flowers – handfuls of rose petals picked from the Rochas garden, enchanting Egyptian jasmine, and soft violet accord to create an air of elegance, romance and magnetic femininity.

The juice dries down to base notes of creamy and chic sandalwood, soft ambergris accord and wispy white Chantilly musk in a nod to the designer’s favourite lace fabrication.

THE HOUSE

The legacy of the house is rooted in the love story shared between Marcel Rochas and his beloved wife. The designer created his fashion house in 1925 at the age of 23, who famously said: "I was madly in love with my young, beautiful wife but we had limited means. I quickly came to the conclusion that the best way to keep within my budget while also dressing my wife in beautiful clothes was to become a designer."

His designs celebrated the female form, with his Chantilly lace bodices, black and white sheath dresses and mermaid gowns being snapped up by Parisian women.

Marcel’s first foray in fragrance came in 1943, when he asked master perfumer Edmond Roudnitska to create a bespoke fragrance inspired by his third wife and new muse, Hélène. And so Femme by Rochas was born, a sensual, carnal fragrance.

Even after Marcel’s death in 1955, Hélène became the first ever chairwoman of a global perfumery maison, and played an integral role in the development of the iconic olfaction Madame Rochas in 1960.