Paris has no shortage of perfumes to offer. The history of great noses and niche perfume houses goes way back, but not all of the offerings are obvious by picking up the latest thick, glossy fashion magazine. To my knowledge, Rose Desgranges is the only perfume house that literally only makes one perfume variety. Learning about its storied past is what made me know I had to make time for a visit last time I was in Paris. We found the gorgeous little shop between a visit to the official Paris 2024 Olympics store and a timed ticket for Vedettes du Pont Neuf.
It isn’t easy to find the Rose Desgranges boutique, which is at 70 Faubourg Saint-Honoré, tucked away into a little courtyard alcove, which makes you feel like you are entering a grotto. It is so quiet there and the shop is absolutely precious. I instantly knew upon walking in that the woman standing inside was the daughter of the woman who inspired the perfume, which began as a love token.
The story begins in 1940 Paris where Rose finds employment in a hair salon, showing a multitude of talents and whose beauty captivates her employer. Instead of presenting her with jewelry to declare his love, he creates a bespoke perfume for her. It captivated her and she Rose, Bergamot, Mandarin
Heart notes: Ambrette, Jasmine, Iris, Ylang-Ylang
Base notes: Vanilla Absolute, Musk, Patchouli, Oak moss
decided to showcase it yearly outside the hair accessory shop she opened at the current boutique’s location with a perfume fountain. Rose would spray the fragrance on ladies’ handkerchiefs so they could enjoy the secret recipe fragrance.
Fast-forward to 2013 when Rose’s daughter and granddaughter decided to hire renowned perfumer, Benoist Lapouza, and released for production to retail sales. The tiny shop features multiple original photos of Rose as well as new campaign photos with her granddaughter. We were greeted by the beautiful Patricia Meyer, Rose’s daughter. She bears a striking resemblance to her mother and speaks so lyrically about the perfume and her family. She could tell we were excited, but in a rush. I told her we had to run to catch a boat. Patricia cut a length of pink ribbon embossed with “Rose Desgranges,” spritzed it with her family’s perfume, and tied one on each of our wrists. I had my daughter take a photo of Patricia and me, and we ran off, promising to enjoy the ribbon bracelets and visit her website.
My daughter wears a bracelet stack daily. It is comprised of Kendra Scott, a few bracelets she has made, and a gold and pearl bracelet my parents gave her. I wear a tennis bracelet daily, but usually nothing else. This pink fragranced ribbon was an instant favorite for both of us and we found ourselves exiting our hotel bathroom ready for the day each with the bracelet re-tied on our wrists for a week after we met Patricia. The fragranced remained, miraculously, for two weeks. Hers accidentally went through the wash, but she kept it anyway. Mine maintains a faint reminder of the precious little shop and our fun visit. I haven’t decided whether or not I’ll order The fragrance is beautiful, classic, and a bit powdery.
