Mugler Les Exceptions Cuir Impertinent (@mzrobson won a bottle)

Mugler’s incredible Les Exceptions Cuir Impertinent. One of the biggest trends in fragrance in 2015 is the rise of artisanal niche scents. These are very premium fragrances for men and women crafted by the world’s top perfumers and blended with the very best and expensive ingredients. We saw the trend begin with Serge Lutens, Frederic Malle and most recently Le Labo. But existing fragrance houses aren’t missing out on the growing fascination for very special scents. Chanel has its Les Exclusifs, Guerlain offers its limited edition prestige editions, and Thierry Mugler unveiled his high end line last year called “Mugler Les Exceptions”.

 

Les Exceptions is kind of an insider secret in the fragrance and beauty industry. Beauty editors so love these fragrances they voted the brand “best scent of 2014” at the recent Canadian Fragrance Awards in Montreal. The collection was created by Thierry Mugler and master perfumers Olivier Polge and Jean-Christophe Herault. Olivier has since joined Chanel where he and his father Jacques Polge create all the fragrances for the French Fashion House.

 

“I describe Thierry Mugler’s approach to fragrance as olfactory clash,” says Herault. “He likes to use daring combinations in his creations and he likes to use ingredients that tell a story.” This approach is very evident in the bold Angel and the quirky Womanity – each incorporating unexpected notes. “Les Exceptions is really about the quality of ingredients. I like to say that nature is the best perfumer these days. We now understand how nature makes scents and we use this knowledge to create very special scents.”

 

Jean-Christophe writes his perfume formulas like a musician writes a song or symphony. The process is very similar. “I like to use intuition and strategy in my creations,” he says. This is evident in what is one of the finest fragrances of 2015: Cuir Impertinent. The perfumer pairs the darkness of tanned leather with the unexpected freshness of star anise. The unexpected, invigorating green note acts like an aromatic flash and makes the scent surprisingly addictive. It can be worn by both men and women. It is sophisticated and chic.

The giveaway: I gave away a bottle of “Cuir Impertinent” to give away to one lucky reader. I asked readers if they’ve ever worn a Thierry Mugler scent. @mzrobson told us and we drew her name from all entries. Congrats!!!

 

Mugler Les Exceptions Cuir Impertinent, 80 ml, $185

It is available at Hudson’s Bay, Queen Street & Yorkdale in Toronto, downtown Montreal and downtown Vancouver.