I am back to talk about Frassaï, the first woman-owned niche fragrance house from Argentina founded by creative director Natalia Outeda.
I discovered this house after trying and falling head over heels for Blondine, one of their most popular fragrances and one of my favorite white floral scents with gourmand accents (read my full review here).
Natalia is inspired every day by jewelry, flowers, painting, travel, and her native country, Argentina, to create unique blends and olfactory experiences in collaboration with world-renowned perfumers.
In the most recent El Sur Collection, Frassaï pays tribute to Argentina by celebrating the beauty of its nature, lands, and materials. Characterized by a glowing and radiant leitmotif, the collection exudes a sunny exuberance that took me on an energizing sensorial journey.
The three fragrances were created with perfumer Irina Burlakova and designed to be either worn alone or in layering. The natural materials used in each creation are listed separately from the synthetic ones, a practice I found to be refreshingly transparent. The notes below are listed for each fragrance as they appear on the house’s website.
Dedicated to the feeling of rest offered by lush wheat fields and the shade of ombu trees, this fragrance combines the visual sensation of these vibrant fields of gold with the nutty scent of individual wheat grains. Lemon conveys a crisp and crystalline sensation, mimosa a sunny vibe, orris and vanilla a rich accent, while the woods add warmth and calm. Grassy nuances (galbanum and perhaps ombu leaf) are present throughout the scent’s life, conveying a green liveliness.
Notes:
Top: Ambrette, Galbanum
Heart: Bran absolute, Ombu leaves
Back: Cedarwood, Sandalwood
Natural ingredients:
Bran, Cedarwood, Galbanum, Lemon, Orris, Mimosa, Rose Geranium, Vanilla Infusion, Sandalwood, Tonka Bean, Ambrette
If you know me and my scent taste a little, it is no mystery I am a lover of rose notes in fragrances, and I seek and enjoy them in multiple forms and interpretations. Rosa Sacra is an elegant homage to rose and palo santo, and I was captivated by its brilliance and originality. Rose petals are laced with refreshing mint, lychee, palo santo, and herbaceous chamomile. The composition lays on an airy (oakmoss) and earthy (patchouli, vetiver) base. The effect is that of a sparkling crystal rose studded with emeralds.
Notes:
Top: Aguaribay (schinus molle), Black Currant
Heart: Rose Grasse, Rose Turkey
Back: Palo santo (bulnesia sarmientoi), White algarrobo (prosopis alba)
Natural ingredients:
Pink Peppercorn, Black Currant, Rose de Mai Grasse, Rose Turkey, Rose Geranium, Spearmint, Lychee, Chamomile, Bergamot, Mandarin, Raspberry Jungle Essence, Cedarwood, Jasmine Grandiflorum, Vetiver Haiti, Orange Flower, Oakmoss, Benzoin, Ambrette, Patchouli
This is a tribute to leather, which is here uplifted by green nuances and a dash of smoke. I imagine the cool mountain air, the coarse scent of leather horse saddles, and the invigorating and slightly bitter flavor of mate tea. Although the composition has an overall dry character (hay, incense, vetiver), an aquatic accent trickles through the composition, conveying the sensation of dampness in the Argentine lowlands (perhaps conferred by the mate).
Notes:
Top: Black Pepper, Green Mate
Heart: Skin Leather, Smoked Vetiver
Back: Cedarwood, Cistus Labdanum, Hay
Natural ingredients:
Vetiver Bourbon, Italian Lemon, Mate Argentina, Black Pepper CO2, Cedarwood, Hay, Cistus Labdanum, Patchouli, Elemi, Incense, Vanilla, Thyme, Anise, Orange Flower, Jasmine Sambac, Geranium, Raspberry, Curry
All creations from the El Sur collection are available in 50 ml bottles or as 7.5 ml travel bottles, and are vegan/cruelty-free/clean.
I reviewed the three fragrances from my samples, kindly provided by Frassaï with my full bottle purchase.
Photo is my own.
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