1. Discovering a Confidential Perfume House
I’m always curious to follow what’s happening in perfumery. This time, I wanted to discover a young, independent brand, one that’s often filed under “niche” perfumery, though I prefer to call it “confidential.” It was thanks to my business partner, who told me about its founder Caroline Pellissier, that I felt drawn to dive into the world of Racyne. So I ordered the kit of their 5 fragrances to form my own opinion.
2. The Story and the DNA: My 4 Hats Off to Racyne
Before analyzing the juices, I’d like to tip my hat to the Racyne brand four times over:
- The first is for its founder. At just 32, after spending 7 years working for major Parisian Houses, Caroline had the courage and determination to launch a new independent brand in 2023. I know just how much talent it takes to exist in this fiercely competitive world. She envisioned Racyne as a tribute to her own roots, drawing on personal memories from the Périgord and the Cotentin.
- The second is my admiration for how quickly she won over a prestigious distribution network: Oh My Cream, which offers high-end beauty products with an expert, responsible approach. The brand is also present in superb points of sale internationally (London, New York, Dallas…).
- The third concerns her artistic coherence. Her message is simple, effective and sincere. Her website and Instagram account reflect her elegance: the photos are modern and sensorial. The bottles, a blend of square and round shapes, reveal the creator’s undeniable taste. I particularly appreciate her distinctive habit of celebrating great architects or poets on her social media, showing a real sensitivity to art.
- The fourth, and the one that touches me most, is her olfactory stance. She worked on her fragrances according to her own taste with independent perfumers (who remain anonymous) and did not give in to the current trend of “knockout” perfumes with overpowering sillage. This is a poetic, intimate perfumery, composed of more than 95% naturally derived ingredients.
3. The Critical Review: My Top 2
I found that all 5 fragrances were indeed crafted as true “second skins.” The whole range is fairly intimate, but I selected 2 fragrances that gave me genuine emotion and that come across as a little more “extroverted” to my nose.
Verdeur
As its name suggests (verdeur is French for “greenness”), it is green, notably thanks to angelica, violet leaf and neroli. In perfumery, green notes give a “cut grass, crushed leaves, sap” effect. There are very few natural green notes, and Verdeur’s are among them. I appreciated its multi-faceted, evolving character: it moves through white flowers before settling on an iris, vanilla and balsamic base thanks to labdanum.
In the top notes, it reminded me of Vent Vert by Balmain (and that’s a compliment!) and in the base notes, of Fahrenheit by Dior. I’m sure it’s a coincidence, but the kinship is lovely. It’s a true fragrance to share. I also find its base notes lean more “masculine,” thanks to the woody notes of vetiver, cedar and patchouli. As for sillage, Verdeur holds its own with a nice tenacity of around 5 to 6 hours on the skin.
Verdeur’s olfactory pyramid:
- Top: violet leaf, angelica, neroli
- Heart: orange blossom absolute, iris
- Base: patchouli, vetiver, cedar, labdanum
Quelque Part
This is the most “on-trend” fragrance, with its addictive “caramel” facet brought by vanilla, fir balsam, and certainly a touch of Veltol (the famous caramel note that’s been so fashionable since Angel). Personally, this isn’t a trend I particularly enjoy, but it was a smart choice to launch a gourmand fragrance while staying elegant. Rest assured, it’s a very well-controlled indulgence! I find it has a lovely “pyrazine coffee” effect, along with powdery, talc-like notes brought by the musks. On the skin, it offers good staying power of around 6 hours, prolonging this comforting, nostalgic pleasure.
Quelque Part’s olfactory pyramid:
- Top: aldehydes, musks
- Heart: ambrette seeds, jasmine, fir balsam
- Base: cashmeran, vetiver, musks, vanilla
4. Testing the Other Creations
A quick word on the three other fragrances that, personally, touched me a little less.
Santal Ceremony
It’s modern, very woody as it should be, and very unisex. It has a good initial impact, but fades a little over time. Above all, it contains amber woody notes that aren’t at all to my taste (I can spot them even in small doses!). This is very personal, and I know the younger generation appreciates them a great deal. In short: a beautiful, modern woody fragrance to share. While it’s not a fragrance with extreme longevity (don’t expect 12 hours of staying power), it was still perceptible on my skin as traces after about 6 hours.
Santal Ceremony’s olfactory pyramid:
- Top: black pepper, nutmeg, cumin, caraway
- Heart: sandalwood, ambrette
- Base: frankincense, musks
Garden Song
A light, fresh, rosy and green fragrance. I found it a little too classic, with a certain lack of power. However, I believe that was the founder’s intention: to offer a discreet, easy-to-wear fragrance. In my opinion, it could have had a bolder stance. From the top notes, the patchouli immediately made me think of a chypre construction. It’s a fairly fleeting creation: on my skin, only light traces remained after 3 hours.
Garden Song’s olfactory pyramid:
- Top: pink pepper, basil
- Heart: blackcurrant, geranium, orange blossom
- Base: patchouli, musks
La Terre la Nuit
To me, this is the most masculine of the range: very woody and spicy. I didn’t really detect the tuberose note that was announced. A green note in the top notes bothered me a little (perhaps violet leaf?), and because of that, I really missed the emotion of this fragrance. Despite this missed connection for me, its structure, rich in tenacious woody notes, gives it a better potential longevity. On a skin where the chemistry works, you can easily expect a staying power of 6 to 7 hours.
La Terre la Nuit’s olfactory pyramid:
- Top: tuberose, rose
- Heart: sandalwood, cedar
- Base: patchouli, oakmoss, musk
5. Verdict: Who Is This Brand For?
Racyne is a lovely brand, well thought out and well executed. If you love fragrances with powerful, very present sillage, look elsewhere. Racyne’s perfumes are resolutely discreet, intimate, with a great deal of naturalness. These are “intentional” fragrances, created to reconnect with oneself before seducing others.
In fact, I can’t wait to discover their newest creation: Sun Impression. I absolutely love sun-kissed notes, and I’m certain it will suit my personal taste much better, and that I’ll be able to wear it with tremendous pleasure!
