Lavender’s blue: Summer comes to Caron
A review by Jessica M

A trip to the Caron boutique in New York is always a treat for me, and I haven’t been there in a few months, so I was looking forward to my latest visit. The occasion was the United States release of Caron’s newest fragrance: Les Plus Belles Lavandes (“the most beautiful lavenders”).

Les Plus Belles Lavandes was created by the Caron “nose,” Richard Fraysse, as a lighter, more unisex interpretation of Pour Un Homme de Caron. It was inspired by the lavender fields of the South of France, and its notes include Provençal lavender, amber, vanilla, and musk. Les Plus Belles Lavandes is unusually lush and aromatic for a cologne. The freshness of the lavender is married with the creamy sweetness of the vanilla, and the hint of musk gives the dry-down a “skin-scent” feeling.

Lavandes is a delicious-smelling fragrance, but it’s not too heavy for warmer weather. If you’re always sorry to put aside your rich gourmand perfumes in the summer, this is something you should try. It’s available in a 3.4-oz. spray bottle ($80), and it’s only being offered in limited quantities in America at this time, so don’t wait too long if you’re interested!


While I was browsing in the boutique, I had the chance to admire Caron’s recently-added range of one-ounce, faux-shagreen atomizers. Ten fragrances are available in these bottles, and each one has its own color (black for Narcisse Noir, purple for the violety Aimez-Moi, and so on). Bellodgia, my favorite, is encased in carnation-pink.


And I had a sneak peek at an upcoming product line: Later this year, for the holiday season, Caron will be releasing limited edition bottles decorated with Swarovski crystals. The lay-down atomizers, standing bottles, and travel vials will be sold in several colors, to be filled with the fragrance of your choice. I can’t even imagine how sparkly these will be in person!

For more information, contact Diane Haska at Caron in New York. The phone number for the PhytoUniverse salon, where Caron is located, is 212-308-0270 and the address is 715 Lexington Avenue (enter on 58th Street), New York, NY 10022.

Bellodgia photo and store photos by Jessica M.
Swarovski-bottle image courtesy of Caron.