The house: from the Perris family to the raw material
Gian Luca Perris was born in Rome, studied economics and business, and joined the family company early on: the Perris group, founded in Milan in 1981 and now based in the Principality of Monaco. After years in the industry, in 2011 he created a house of his own, which he describes as somewhere between the old workshop of secrets handed down through generations and a research center open to innovation. The house says it seeks out natural ingredients and also oversees their extraction; for the founder, the point is to use the raw material to build a unique perfume. Working with him are Jean-Claude Ellena, born in Grasse, and three Robertet perfumers, Jacques Flori, Jean-Michel Santorini and Mathieu Nardin.
Perris Monte Carlo collections in our catalog
The eaux de parfum in our catalog belong to four of the house's collections: the Black Collection, the Gold Collection, Les Parfums de Grasse and the Italy Collection. The notes listed are those stated by the house.
Black Collection
The Black Collection includes Patchouli Nosy Be, built on a patchouli that, according to the product sheet, took root on the island off Madagascar thanks to seedlings brought by the director of Robertet's ylang ylang plantation. The house credits it with hints of dark chocolate and sandalwood, and lists lemon, pink pepper tree (schinus molle), vanilla, amber and musk as its notes.
From the same island comes the ylang ylang of Ylang Ylang Nosy Be, which the house describes as intense and enveloping; as it oxidizes, ylang ylang releases animalic notes. Alongside the flower are jasmine sambac and rose, with mint at the opening and vanilla in the base.
Then there is Tubéreuse Absolue, which starts from the tuberose the Aztecs called Omixochitl, "bone flower," for its waxy white petals. The tuberose is joined by jasmine sambac and gardenia, with cardamom at the opening and vetiver in the base.
Rose takes center stage in Rose de Taif, dedicated to the Damask rose of Taif, which the house set out to treat like a diamond that needs a gold ring. The fragrance contains Taif rose essence and Damask rose absolute, with nutmeg, geranium and rose musk.
The name Vetiver Java comes from the Tamil "vettiveru," a long-rooted plant from which an amber oil is distilled. The house sought it out in Java and describes it as sharp, smoky, almost burnt, with green, floral and spicy accents. In the fragrance, vetiver is paired with grapefruit, Timut pepper, geranium and amber.
Finally, Cacao Aztèque is dedicated to the cacao bean, which the Aztecs considered a gift from Quetzalcoatl, god of knowledge. It features cacao absolute and rum absolute, with black pepper, cardamom and sandalwood.
Gold Collection
The Gold Collection includes Bois d'Oud, which works with oud, the dark resin the Aquilaria tree produces to defend itself against a fungus and which Arab cultures have prized for centuries. The oud is combined with saffron, rose, cinnamon and vanilla.
Les Parfums de Grasse
This collection has been created since 2018 by Jean-Claude Ellena and is dedicated to the craftsmanship of Grasse. Jasmin de Pays starts from one of his childhood memories, a jasmine flower "as transparent as porcelain" held between thumb and forefinger during the harvest. The composition is pared down, with jasmine absolute, clove, tagetes and musk.
Italy Collection
Italian citrus is the theme of the Italy Collection. Arancia di Sicilia uses the essential oil of blood orange, or sanguinella, obtained with the two-step extraction method of the Capua company, active in citrus since 1880, and pairs it with almond, cinnamon, coffee and iris. Cedro di Diamante is dedicated to the citron of the Calabrian coast that rabbis choose for Sukkot, accompanied by lime, verbena, ginger and Sichuan pepper.
How to choose a Perris Monte Carlo fragrance
The name already tells you the raw material: start there and look at the notes that accompany it. The woods, roots and resins are Patchouli Nosy Be, Vetiver Java and Bois d'Oud; the white florals are Tubéreuse Absolue, Jasmin de Pays and Ylang Ylang Nosy Be. The rose-centered scent is Rose de Taif. The Italian citrus scents are Arancia di Sicilia and Cedro di Diamante, both with an iris and musk base, and for spices and cacao there is Cacao Aztèque.
Frequently asked questions
Who founded Perris Monte Carlo?
Perris Monte Carlo was founded in 2011 by Gian Luca Perris, a Roman who serves as its creative director and nose. It is a Monaco house with Italian roots: the Perris group, the family company where the founder trained, was established in Milan in 1981 and is now based in the Principality of Monaco.
What are the Perris Monte Carlo collections?
The fragrances in our catalog belong to four collections. The Black Collection includes Patchouli Nosy Be, Ylang Ylang Nosy Be, Rose de Taif, Vetiver Java, Tubéreuse Absolue and Cacao Aztèque; the Gold Collection includes Bois d'Oud. Jasmin de Pays is part of Les Parfums de Grasse, while Arancia di Sicilia and Cedro di Diamante belong to the Italy Collection.
What are the notes in Perris Monte Carlo Patchouli Nosy Be?
Patchouli Nosy Be opens with lemon, has pink pepper tree (schinus molle) at the heart and a base where Nosy Be patchouli essential oil meets vanilla and sandalwood. The house credits this patchouli, grown on the island off Madagascar, with hints of dark chocolate and sandalwood.
Did Jean-Claude Ellena create perfumes for Perris Monte Carlo?
Yes, Jean-Claude Ellena has worked with Perris Monte Carlo since 2018 on Les Parfums de Grasse, the collection dedicated to his hometown. Among these fragrances is Jasmin de Pays, born from a childhood memory of the perfumer and composed of jasmine absolute, clove, tagetes and musk.
Which Perris Monte Carlo fragrances are citrus?
The citrus fragrances in our catalog are those of the Italy Collection. Arancia di Sicilia is built on blood orange (sanguinella) essential oil, extracted by the Capua company with a two-step method, and Cedro di Diamante uses citron from the Calabrian coast together with lime, verbena, ginger and Sichuan pepper.
Which Perris Monte Carlo is best for white floral lovers?
For white florals there is Tubéreuse Absolue, which blends tuberose, jasmine sambac and gardenia, and Jasmin de Pays, built on jasmine absolute. Then there is Ylang Ylang Nosy Be, with ylang ylang, rose and jasmine sambac, which according to the house's description releases animalic notes as it oxidizes.
What is the difference between Bois d'Oud and Vetiver Java?
Bois d'Oud and Vetiver Java start from different materials. Bois d'Oud, from the Gold Collection, works Aquilaria resin with saffron, rose, cinnamon and vanilla, while Vetiver Java, from the Black Collection, uses Javanese vetiver root with Calabrian bergamot, grapefruit, Timut pepper and geranium.
What makes Perris Monte Carlo Arancia di Sicilia special?
Arancia di Sicilia is built on blood orange, a material perfumery did not consider precious, extracted by the Capua company with a two-step method. To the citrus the house adds almond and cinnamon at the heart, with coffee and iris in the base.
What are the notes in Rose de Taif?
Rose de Taif opens with nutmeg and geranium, has Taif rose essence at the heart and a base of Damask rose absolute and rose musk. The house built the fragrance by placing the Damask rose of Taif, in Saudi Arabia, at the center of the composition.
Are Perris Monte Carlo fragrances eau de parfum?
Yes, all the Perris Monte Carlo fragrances in our catalog are eaux de parfum, from Patchouli Nosy Be to Cacao Aztèque. What changes from one to the next is the starting raw material and the notes that accompany it, which can be woods and resins, white florals, rose, Italian citrus, or spices and cacao.
