A well-blended fragrance takes us on a journey, offering olfactory escape and the opening of memory’s doors.
One whiff of Idole de Lubin Eau de Parfum and you’re traveling on the “African Queen” with Bogie and Kate, the scent of rum and smoked ebony permeating the air as you head for Lake Victoria.
One of the world’s most illustrious fragrance houses and the official perfumer for European royalty throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the House of Lubin was founded in 1798 by the peripatetic global nomad Pierre Francois Lubin.
© Lubin
Originally introduced in 1962, Idole de Lubin was reformulated and relaunched in 2005, when former Guerlain creative director, Gilles Thévenin, took over the house of Lubin.
According to Thévenin, “Lubin fragrances have their own character; they have a strong personality” – and there’s little question that Idole de Lubin, the house’s first 21st-century fragrance and the 466th from the house, is as assertive as it is seductive.
Idole de Lubin opens with cumin, saffron, and bitter orange in a cloud of rum. Think of it as Bogie’s breakfast, with Kate fanning the air. Yet in the jungle heat, the rum burns off, leaving a sugary, smoky sweetness – and by drydown, as evening falls, Kate has succumbed to the leather and sandalwood that closes in around her as Bogie hovers near.
© Lubin
The keepsake bottle, created by Serge Mansau, evokes the sail of a felucca, a wooden boat traditional to Africa, with a carved African mask as bottle stopper.
Idole de Lubin’s perfumer was Olivia Giacobetti – and her touch with such dominant components is equivalent to witnessing Kate tame Bogie in the jungle. “Set the jungle on fire,” says Giacobetti – and that’s exactly what will happen to your heart while under the spell of Idole de Lubin.
© Lubin
A tribute to fearless adventurers, Idole de Lubin celebrates the romance of rebellious artists who live to explore their passion.
