Le Galion

Aesthete by Le Galion
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Aesthete by Le Galion

Heya ULGers, You’ve probably read me banging on about Le Galion’s Aesthete before around the scentbloggosphere. From a brand that I love so many fragrances from it stands head and shoulders above the rest for most wears in my life. Whenever I seek it out it tends to stay on the desk or grab tray, getting regular spritzes for a few weeks. It’s a throwback beauty to a time when the gents fragrance were interesting and thoughtfully produced. The nose, Vanina Muracciole, has done some other work for Jovoy Paris and my favourite from Masque Milano: Kintsugi. Nicolas Chabot, the brands owner and creative director, has a perfect sense of balance when overseeing perfume creations. A knack for ensuring that even though the ingredients might be unusual or confrontational the end product is always a perfectly poised, wearable, piece of olfactory art. Sometimes that balance is construed by those seeking envelope pushing weirdo scents as boring but I think as those perfumistas hit a certain point they will understand the quiet beauty of Le Galion. It’s like the Le Galion oeuvre is made to make perfumers sigh in delight and resignation that they’ll probably never get to make something so exquisite.

Aesthete by Le Galion 2015

Aesthete by Le Galion

Top: Davana, mandarin, saffron, incense
Heart: Leather, oud, guaiac wood, castoreum, jasmine
Base: Sandalwood, vanilla, musk

This year Aesthete is celebrating 10 years! I’m celebrating 10 years of it being a staple in my collection and noticing that my bottle is down to about 1/3 have recently put a new bottle at the top of the To Buy List.

One of the excellent things about living in 2025 is that even though Aesthete is a traditional masculine, there is room for EVERYONE to wear this leather bound lovely.

Opening is a smoky incense-heavy woody saffron with a smooth, sandalwood creamy white floral. The oudh is dark and medicinal when it shows up as we head for the heart. Aesthete is rich and earthy but also refined and elevated. I can’t think of another oudh heavy fragrance that is so wearable and still holds such darkness and grit. The dry down sweetens just enough to be a noticeable warming and this earth/wood/oudh/vanilla base pumps out softly for hours and hours. A spritz on chest, nape and one wrist is enough to take me through a day and have whispered remnants next morning.

Aesthete by Le Galion

This is one of my true perfume loves that resurfaces a couple of times a year for many wears.

Does Aesthete sound like you might enjoy it too?
Portia xx

Le Galion Discovery Sets: Portia
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Le Galion Discovery Sets: Portia

Hey All. Firstly, I need to tell you that Jin and I are good mates with the guys from Le Galion. Nicolas and his partner Enno are always on our MUST SEE list while in Paris and we had a blast with them down here in Sydney for Mardi Gras a few years ago too. We know how hard they work to make Le Galion as good as it can possibly be and build upon the foundations set by……. WAIT! Why don’t we have a little look at their history?

In 1930, Prince Murat, a descendant of Joachim Murat, brother in law of Napoleon 1st, and King of Naples, founded Le Galion Perfume House.
In 1935, Prince Murat sold his company to perfumer Paul Vacher, who was already famous within the industry at that time. (Aged just 25, he worked with Marcel Guerlain and then joined Lanvin. In 1927, he created Arpège with Andre Fraysse. Following this success, he decided to launch his own perfume house.)
In 1946, when Serge Heftler-Louiche and Christian Dior wanted to develop a fragrance for their fashion house, Paul Vacher created Miss Dior and in 1963 Diorling.
In 1980 Le Galion was sold to a US company and it collapsed.
2014 and Nicolas Chabot buys the name and original formulas. He then gets a dream team of perfumers to recreate the original fragrances as nearly as possible with modern ingredients. He also starts creating new fragrances for the brand with the same perfectly curated, poised, thoughtful and beautifully blended feeling of Le Galion of old.
2020, Le Galion celebrates 90 years with the release of nine fragrances.

OK, you’re all caught up.

Le Galion Discovery Sets

This is really exciting news. The boys have created three Discovery Sets that you can now buy from the Le Galion site and have shipped to the world. The cost is €35 + P&H for a box of 8 individually packed 2ml samples.
You also get a €25 discount voucher for your next purchase of a full size 100 ml bottle. I KNOW! Right.
It looks really shmick too.

OK, so here’s a look at the three Discovery Sets. You could buy all three for around €100 + P&H and only have three doubles to share with friends.

Latest Releases

Lily of the Valley, Bourrasque, Brumes, Champs de Mai, Tilleul, Tulipe, Jasmin and Chypre

Masculines

Spécial for Gentleman, Esquive, Sang Bleu, Aesthete, Tilleul, Cologne Nocturne, Whip and Cuir

The Icons

Sortilège, Brumes, Bourrasque, La Rose, Tubéreuse, Iris, Cologne and 222

If you are after super weird assed fragrance that makes children run and adults question their existence. If you only love super beast mode bro juice or are into the deep artisan indie scene then Le Galion is probably not going to suit. These fragrances are made for people who love the best, who are wanting to smell luxuriously poised. You won’t get an “Oh My God what is that?” but you will get a raised, perfectly couture eyebrow and a knowing smile. I feel like Le Galion is for people who don’t need to showboat but want to smell wonderful to themselves and those who are close enough to notice. Niche for the truly discerning wearer of scent.

You all know how I love to have several fragrances from a brand I love. In the collection currently I have bottles of Aesthete, Cologne Nocturne, Cuir, Sang Bleu, Sovereign, Tilleul, and Whip. Most of them I bought but the guys gave me a couple too. I’m on my second, paid retail for bottle of Aesthete because I was so excited about it that I sent samples to everyone. I wanted them all to fall as madly in love with it as I have. Still on my list to purchase are 222, Brumes and Sortilege.

Have you had the pleasure of spending some sniff time with Le Galion perfumes?
Portia xx