Riviera Reporter
Riviera Reporter
THE FRENCH RIVIERA'S ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWS MAGAZINE
THE FRENCH RIVIERA'S ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWS MAGAZINE

The World Cup of cologne. How one Grasse perfumery scores big in the fragrance game

Arthes Perfumes

A procession of flowers lines the drive to the Arthes perfumery, a property of 36,0000 sqm in Bois-de-Grasse, where the air is rich with the sweetness of Provence: freshly bloomed rose and jasmine, blackberry brambles, vanilla vines. It’s a place where the beauty of the landscape is outshined only by the garland of aromas it produces. Even with your eyes closed, you’d know you could only be in Grasse, the world capital of perfume.

The Arthes Group (www.groupe-arthes.com), founded in 1978 with the mission of providing a bouquet of quality perfumes at low-cost prices, has swiftly blossomed into one of the leading perfumeries in France, and in 2013 saw a 9% rise in sales against a decline in the country’s perfume sector of -0.2%.

Now, after investing nearly €1 million over the past two years, the newly renovated Arthes factory in Grasse, which employs a staff of 100, is churning out more than 120,000 bottles of perfume daily; they are present in a hundred countries worldwide including top international markets in the US, Asia and across Europe. What’s more, the factory is making room for its new cosmetic workshop that will produce make-up and other beauty products to pair with their perfumes. From their seven fully automated filling lines to the glimmering row of maceration tanks, and from the new scent development laboratory and the labelling and shipping stations, the Arthes factory is completely equipped to be a leader in today’s highly competitive perfume market.

So what exactly does the Arthes Group have to offer? Well, let’s put it another way, what are you looking for? The wide range and crafty combinations of perfumes created in their scent labs are sure to please even the most particular of fragrance fanatics. For example, their line pour femmes has products for all ages and styles. Boum, a dynamic and trendy scent sold in an explosively fun grenade bottle, has seen “booming” success with a younger clientele while the ever-sophisticated Cassandra, a floral and musky fragrance with hints of rose, continues to be a bestseller for women of all walks of life. And for the summer season, Arthes is unleashing Love Generation Leopard (for the wild and confident) and Love Generation Do Brazil, “an exotic, festive perfume, for joyful and sensual young women” – two new bold and colourful perfumes just in time for summer love.

For men, Arthes offers an array of colognes, which include bestsellers Sexy Boy (for the manly), La Voile Rouge (for the charismatic), and for the modern man, Joe Sorrento. And now is a particularly exciting time for men’s fragrances chez Arthes. Golden Goal Gold and Golden Goal Silver were both launched for the 2014 World Cup, and scoring goals with men worldwide. In a unique fusion of football and fragrance, these two scents deliver fresh aromatic notes of bergamot and cumin that blend into woody ends of leather and vetiver to capture the excitement and bravado of the sport.

Perhaps you’re looking for something a little less athletic, but more, say, organic and timeless? On this side, the Arthes Group released its Jeanne en Provence line in 2011, to pay tribute to Queen Jeanne I, the beloved countess of Provence who reined during the XIV century, who granted villagers access to the royal freshwater springs behind the castle walls when the water supply in the village ran low.

The Jeanne en Provence back-to-the-basics perfumes also showcases the legendary plants and flowers of the Provençal scrubland, the same unique flora that has made Grasse the perfume capital of the world for centuries. For example, you’ll detect Provençal roses, traces of fleur de mûrier (blackberry flower) and a plethora of herbs and spices found only in this beautiful pocket of France. Of course, all Jeanne en Provence products are crafted exclusively using raw materials from Grasse and nearby regions. The result is exceptional perfumes that celebrate the region’s natural and historical beauty.

In the US and Australia, both Arthes and Jeanne en Provence products can be found at general and independent pharmacies – CVS and Walgreens, for example – while in the UK and Ireland, products are distributed through The Fragrance Shop and The Perfume Shop, both of which offer shopping online.

In France there are some 3000 outlets, but perhaps the most authentic place to find these perfumes is at Arthes’s new boutique in St Paul de Vence, home of the beloved countess Queen Jeanne. Here within the medieval ramparts and in front of a quaint stone fountain, the Jeanne en Provence “placette” royally welcomes visitors into its chic boudoir showroom full of perfumes fit for a queen. Whether your fragrance is fashionable and cutting-edge, timeless and organic, elegant or sporty, you will witness the dedication to excellence, respect of tradition, and an embrace of modern trends and technology that makes the Arthes Group a scent above the rest.

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