A perfumer who grows his own materials
The name means "raw material," and every harvest from the Grasse fields goes into a specific perfume. For the materials it does not grow, the house works with selected producers: the vanilla, for example, comes from Madagascar through a Fair for Life program.
The fragrances in the collection
Florals: rose, tuberose, orange blossom
French Flower works with tuberose, as both absolute and enfleurage, with Nigerian ginger to amplify its whiteness, and tea and green pear to bring out its green side. Neroli Oranger is an orange blossom with Lebanese neroli and bergamot, alongside ylang-ylang and floral musks.
Vanilla, saffron, musk
The house vanilla is Vanilla Powder, which sets a dark vanilla against the pale wood of palo santo, coconut powder and white musks. At the heart of Crystal Saffron is saffron, with habanolide musk, ambroxan for a comforting feel, and Somali frankincense, which adds brightness and projection. Finally, Parisian Musc is a woody musk built around ambrette and cedar.
Woods, leather, incense
Falcon Leather takes its cue from falconers' gloves and blends birch tar, labdanum and benzoin to capture both the smooth and the suede side of leather. Among the darker scents there is also Encens Suave, a black incense with coffee and vanilla. Santal Austral is a creamy sandalwood with iris, benzoin and tonka bean, and Bois d'Ébène a dark amber wood of cabreuva and patchouli.
Citrus and lavender
On the citrus side there is Cologne Cédrat, which pairs citron with black pepper, pink pepper, bergamot and mate. Metal Lavender is made with organic lavandin grown by the house and, in Guichard's words, with the atmosphere of Provence's distilleries, all metal and concrete.
Matiere Premiere eau de parfum or extrait
Vanilla Powder, Crystal Saffron, Radical Rose, Encens Suave, Falcon Leather and Santal Austral also come as extrait de parfum. These are not just stronger versions: to each one Guichard adds a "guest ingredient" and raises the dose of the main material. The Radical Rose extrait includes Croatian helichrysum, the Crystal Saffron extrait Somali myrrh, Falcon Leather oud and Encens Suave amber, while Santal Austral Extrait has a Nepalese black cardamom developed specifically for the house.
How to choose
If you are after citrus, orange blossom and lavender, look to Cologne Cédrat, Neroli Oranger and Metal Lavender. For warm, dark notes there are Encens Suave, Falcon Leather and Bois d'Ébène, while lovers of intense white florals will find French Flower. For musks and comforting notes, the choice is between Parisian Musc and Crystal Saffron.
Hair and body
The hair perfumes come in Vanilla Powder, Crystal Saffron, Parisian Musc, Falcon Leather and Radical Rose. You spray them from arm's length and they leave a trail that moves with your hair, like Vanilla Powder Hair Mist. Radical Rose Hair Mist gives an airy, lasting impression of Radical Rose, the house's perfume with the highest dose of Grasse centifolia rose absolute. With Falcon Leather Hair Mist your hair carries the powerful, soft, supple notes of Falcon Leather, and Crystal Saffron Hair Mist has the luminous trail of Crystal Saffron.
The hand and body lotions and body washes pick up the notes of the eaux de parfum and bring out their soft side. The lotions absorb easily and leave skin silky smooth: Radical Rose Hand and Body Lotion has the spicy notes of the rose, French Flower Hand and Body Lotion the white and green floral notes of Grasse tuberose. Then there are Santal Austral Hand and Body Lotion, with the creamy, woody notes of sandalwood, and Parisian Musc Hand and Body Lotion, with the green, musky notes of Parisian Musc. The body washes create a rich lather that rinses off easily: Encens Suave Hand and Body Wash smells of incense, coffee and vanilla, Vanilla Powder Hand and Body Wash of silky, woody vanilla notes.
Frequently asked questions
Who founded Matiere Premiere?
Matiere Premiere was founded by perfumer Aurélien Guichard together with Cédric Meiffret and Caius von Knorring, and launched in 2019. The project grew out of the fields Guichard planted in Grasse in 2016, where he grows the centifolia rose, tuberose and lavandin used in the house's perfumes.
Which Matiere Premiere perfume is best for floral lovers?
If you love florals, Matiere Premiere offers Radical Rose, a spicy, woody centifolia rose; French Flower, a tuberose in absolute and enfleurage with ginger and tea; and Neroli Oranger, an orange blossom with neroli and bergamot.
What does the name Matiere Premiere mean?
Matière première is French for "raw material," and it describes the house's method: each perfume is built on a very high dose of one main natural ingredient, often named in the title itself, like the rose in Radical Rose, the saffron in Crystal Saffron or the tuberose in French Flower.
What is the difference between Matiere Premiere eau de parfum and extrait?
The Matiere Premiere extrait has a higher concentration and a larger dose of the main material, plus a "guest ingredient" that the eau de parfum does not have. In Radical Rose it is helichrysum, in Crystal Saffron myrrh, in Falcon Leather oud, in Encens Suave amber and in Santal Austral black cardamom.
What does Vanilla Powder smell like?
Vanilla Powder is a dark vanilla set against the pale wood of palo santo, with coconut powder and white musks that make it luminous and contemporary. It comes as eau de parfum, extrait de parfum, hair perfume and body wash, and the extrait uses Fair for Life Madagascar vanilla absolute.
What does Radical Rose smell like?
Radical Rose is a genderless rose built on a very high dose of centifolia rose absolute. On the bright side it has saffron and Jamaican pepper, on the dark side patchouli and labdanum. For the extrait, the rose is grown organically by the house in the Grasse area.
How do you use Matiere Premiere hair mist?
Matiere Premiere hair perfume is sprayed onto the hair from arm's length and leaves a light trail that follows your movement. The house presents it as a travel-friendly format that is gentle on hair, and offers it in Vanilla Powder, Crystal Saffron, Parisian Musc, Falcon Leather and Radical Rose.
Does Matiere Premiere make body products?
Yes, Matiere Premiere has hand and body lotions and body washes that echo the notes of the eaux de parfum, including Radical Rose, Crystal Saffron, French Flower, Santal Austral, Encens Suave and Parisian Musc. According to the house, they are meant to bring out the "soft to the touch" side of the fragrances.
