Verbena, citron, vetiver: choosing your house eau de Cologne

At our counter on boulevard de Sébastopol, one question comes up again and again: “Which one would you recommend?” Our eight eaux de Cologne have been made by our family since 1936, today in our family laboratory in Burgundy. They all share the lightness of an eau de Cologne, but each has its own character. Here is how we guide you.

You love a bright freshness: verbena, citron or citrus

• Verbena: green and lemony, the scent of a leaf just crushed between your fingers.
• Citron: the zest of a large Mediterranean citrus fruit, more fragrant than lemon, with a hint of bitterness.
• Citrus: the closest to the very first eaux de Cologne, lively and invigorating.

This is the morning trio, to splash on after the shower to wake up.

You prefer woods: vetiver or cedar

• Vetiver: drawn from a root, woody, slightly earthy and fresh. A discreet classic.
• Cedar: dry and straight, almost the smell of a freshly sharpened pencil. The calmest of the house.

If you find that citrus notes fade too quickly, start here: woody notes stay longer on the skin.

You love flowers: rose, heliotrope or magnolia

• Rose: a fresh, light rose, far from the heavy roses of evening perfumes.
• Heliotrope: a small mauve flower with hints of almond and vanilla, soft and powdery.
• Magnolia: a large white flower, creamy and lemony at once.

Like all our eaux de Cologne, they are worn by women and men alike.

And depending on the season?

In summer, keep verbena, citron or citrus in the fridge: applied straight from the cold, they are even more refreshing. In winter, vetiver, cedar or heliotrope feel more enveloping.

100 ml or 500 ml?

Each eau de Cologne comes in two sizes: 100 ml at €16, to discover a scent or slip into a bag, and 500 ml at €22, the large bathroom bottle, to use without counting.

Best of all: come and smell them

All eight eaux de Cologne are on the shop counter, with smelling strips to compare them. To learn more about their origins, read the short history of eau de Cologne. The whole range is in our House eaux de Cologne collection.

You can smell all these fragrances in our shop at 75 boulevard de Sébastopol, Paris (2nd arrondissement), Monday to Saturday from 10:30 am to 7 pm, or order them online: free delivery from €80, free in-store pickup.