Courrèges in Blue: Courrèges's most lunar fragrance. The couture house Courrèges demonstrated with genuine fervor its involvement and expertise in perfumery with the chypre Empreinte and the so fresh Eau de Courrèges.
Was it because it wanted to be truly different from the opulent perfumes of its time, or simply because it was fabulous? Courrèges in Blue is, without a doubt, one of the great perfumes of 1980s perfumery. Yet the beautiful Courrèges in Blue had disappeared from our shelves in the 1990s; it was reborn from the blotters of Nadège Le Garlantezec in 2014, to our great delight.
Courrèges in Blue and its two births, in 1983 and in 2014
The very first time, it was Edouard Fléchier who brought Courrèges in Blue into being in a great gust of lavender and fresh, very fougère scents. Powerful aromatic scents that clearly set themselves apart from the far heavier, headier juices of the era, such as a Poison, which the great perfumer would also create two years later. Regardless, Courrèges in Blue surprises and creates astonishment by offering very feminine accords blended with accords borrowed from masculine perfumery. In 1983, Edouard Fléchier signed a Courrèges in Blue that did not part with its extraordinary success throughout the entire decade. And yet…
Despite its status as a bestseller, Courrèges in Blue had ended up appearing only within the privacy of Courrèges boutiques. Knowing that the fine aromatic fragrance had lost none of its aura, the house of Courrèges, which was being reborn from its ashes in the 2010s, asked Nadège Le Garlantezec to reformulate it.
This time, in 2014, Courrèges in Blue no longer hesitated to display its androgyny, between powerful florals and rather masculine fougère notes. The perfumer explains to Madame: The result is quite contrasted. I used masculine codes, but the patchouli, sandalwood and jasmine bring a great deal of sensuality, and the result is very feminine.
The Blue Gold of the perfume Courrèges in Blue and of Nadège Le Garlantezec
And so this magnificent icon perfume of 1980s perfumery, a forerunner of Cool Water and its like, would be born on our perfumery shelves not once but twice. Between the two versions of Courrèges in Blue, the change is real, as current regulations are strict regarding the use of oakmoss and animal raw materials, in particular.
That said, the reformulation of Courrèges in Blue also allowed Nadège Le Garlantezec to highlight the major initiatives of the company Givaudan. Indeed, this perfumery company has for several years offered ecological, economic and humanitarian partnerships in order to source more “responsible” raw materials. Thus, Courrèges in Blue especially showcases French lavender harvested in the Drôme; the Blue Gold of the fine aromatic fragrance is now 100% French as well as 100% ethical.
Around this Blue Gold at its heart, sparkling top notes of citrus and ginger sweep away the senses, while a great bouquet of delicate, sun-kissed flowers brings light. The sensual depths of patchouli, musk and sandalwood form the velvet of this Courrèges in Blue, which has decidedly not aged a day.