The House of Caron
“Bright,” “sparkling,” “crystalline,” and “gemlike” are just some of the words that come flooding to my mind when I think of the Caron boutique. Located on the stately Avenue Montaigne in the 8th arrondissement, this is a true jewel-box of a store. Walking into this parfumerie reminds me of entering the glittering Hall of Mirrors at Versailles, albeit on a much smaller scale! The company was founded in 1904 by perfumer Ernest Daltroff and has been creating luxury fragrances for the last century.
This picture shows Caron’s trademark crystal fountains. They are filled with the company’s beautiful haute perfumes. As you can see, they are lovely to behold.
My favorite perfume from the crystal flacons is Tubéreuse. This is Caron’s newest “fountain” creation, created by in-house perfumer Richard Fraysse in 2003. As its name suggests, it is a soliflore based on the beautiful tuberose flower. It has top notes of Indian tuberose; middle notes of jasmine, peach and apricot; and a warm vanilla base. It dries down to a very beautiful, elegant finish. There are 13 fountain fragrances, which may be purchased in Caron boutiques in Paris. Cost of Tubéreuse: 100 euro/50 ml eau de parfum.
For more information, visit the Caron website. There is also a Caron boutique in New York City, located on Madison Avenue between 61st and 62nd streets, telephone 212.319.4888.
