Le Galion, Coffret Set, Lily of the Valley, Gardénia, Jasmin, Sortilège, Bourrasque, Brumes, 6 x 3.7 ml. or 0.13 oz., 1937, 1948, Paris

Le Galion, French for galleon, is a large warship or trader sailing ship with three or more masts .. lateen-rigged on the after masts and square-rigged on the foremast and mainmast .. whose dominance of the seas during the 15th to 18th centuries resulted in what we recognize today in the brand's logo.

The firm was supposedly founded by Prince Murat, but it was perfumer Paul Vacher who created the Le Galion fragrances, trademarked in 1936. He worked at Guerlain, one of the oldest perfume houses in the world, among other perfume houses. Vacher is best known for his parts in the creations of vintage Miss Dior for Christian Dior in 1947 with Jean Carles, and Arpège for Lanvin in 1927 with André Fraysse, as well as his Diorling, again for Dior in the 1960s.

The name of this beautiful brand, inspired by majestic seafaring vessels with their vast square sterns, evoked thoughts of freedom and escape. Some of the beautiful fragrances associated with the brand have stayed in our memories ...

Talented perfumer Paul Vacher became the owner of Le Galion in 1935, having bought the perfume house from its founder, Prince Murat. Having created fragrances for many prestigious houses including “Lanvin”, for whom he co-created Arpège, Rumeur, and Scandal with Andre Fraysse, he thought it was time to branch out on his own. In 1936, his perfume Sortilège became an immediate success and remains one of the jewels of the house.

In the late 1930s, he followed up with Bourrasque, Brumes and the beautiful floral fragrances Iris and Tubéreuse. All of his fragrances were produced from the finest, natural, and raw ingredients. After the liberation of France in 1944, Paul Vacher continued to create fragrances such as Special for Gentlemen (1947), Frac (1949), Lily of the Valley and La Rose (both 1950), the very famous and well named Snob (1952) and Whip (1953). By now Paul Vacher was an esteemed perfumer, considered by some as one of the masters of perfumery alongside Ernest Beaux, Ernest Daltroff, Jacques Guerlain and Edmond Roudnitska.

In 1946 when Serge Heftler-Louiche and Christian Dior wanted to develop a fragrance for their fashion house, they naturally turned to Paul Vacher. He created a beautiful fragrance for them called simply, Miss Dior. In the early 1960s, Christian Dior Perfumes turned once again to Paul Vacher and this time he created Diorling (1963). The Le Galion Perfume House was now famous internationally and, by 1964, Sortilège, was being sold in 97 countries worldwide. Paul Vacher continued to create fragrances for his own perfume house, the Cologne Extra-Vieille (1967), Galion d’Or & Vétyver (both in 1968), and Eau Noble (1972).

*Lily of the Valley .. On May 1st, people in France give each other small posies of lily of the valley, or 'muguet' as it is called in French, as a good luck charm and a memento of a royal gesture that has become tradition. Christian doctrine on the other hand believes them to be the frozen tears of the Virgin Mary upon seeing Jesus on the cross.

Top notes are Lily of the Valley, Bergamot, and Green Leaves
Heart notes are Lilac, Jasmine and Ylang Ylang
Base note is Sandalwood

*Gardénia .. 'With its scandalous, head-turning perfume, the legendary gardenia silences talk of all other flowers. While the flower will not consent to be distilled, gardenia’s gorgeous perfume finds itself in an impressionistic rendering of the flower’s humid, creamy, velvety scent.’

Top notes are Citrus, Orange Blossom, and Bergamot
Heart notes are Gardenia, Jasmine, Rose, Ylang Ylang, and Tuberose
Base notes are Sandalwood, Vanilla, and Ambergris

*Jasmin .. "Le Galion’s Jasmin is pure, strong and single minded. There is to this one a base with the smallest amount of sandalwood and tonka to ground it. There is also a pleasant vibe similar to nail polish in a good way. This seems to hold the greenness at bay. It’s there, just hidden enough to make its presence known, but never entering and holding forth. Very worth seeking out for true jasmine lovers." Basenotes Review, Jack Twist

"An amazing jasmine, Le Galion Jasmin is as deep and rich as Coty Jasmin de Corse, but more bright , white and indolic and joyful in the basenotes. A pure jasmine of the 30's." Basenotes Review, Daniel Remy

*Sortilège .. Sortilège was launched in 1937. The word Sortilège means 'spell' or 'charm'. It is bright and floral, with a heavenly oriental and powdery notes, and it is very sophisticated. The fragrances by Le Galion are ladylike, graceful and elegant, typical of the 1930s, with good stability over the years, a genuine concern for those of us who seek vintage perfumes.

Top notes are Bergamot, Peach, Aldehydes, and Orange Blossom
Heart notes are Lily of the Valley, Jasmine, Ylang Ylang, Rose, Violet, Lilac, and Orris Root
Base notes are Oak Moss, Sandalwood, Vetiver, Tonka Bean, Vanilla, Oppopanax, Styrax, and Amber

*Brumes .. "Brumes is an odd and unusual scent, one of the first, if not THE first, attempts at an oceanic, a genre that would explode in the perfume world four decades later. The top is very green and very freshly herbal, almost minty (tarragon, galbanum, oregano, thyme, sage, marjoram, algae, kelp). The rose, lilac and carnation enter after a few minutes, creating a spicy undertone to the green herbal notes. One is hardly aware of the soft jasmine, heliotrope and acacia that are also supposedly there. The base is an unusual mix of lavender and amber, supported by the grassy notes of gorse, heath and broom.

I read that the attempt being made is to create a scent reminiscent of the summer fields and beaches of France. The overall effect is that of a green, herbal, yet spicy floral. It’s very nice, but a bit dry and austere. It certainly is unisex, more masculine than feminine. For those into green florals and spicy scents, it’s worth a try. Hard to find, but occasionally available on line." Basenotes Review, Jack Twist

*Bourrasque .. "It's impossible to find anything on line about this scent. A kind fellow Basenoter, replying to a forum post, supplied me with a decant of the vintage edt. This is a dark, woody scent, which could easily be considered unisex by today's standards. The deep, rich blend of immortelle, amber, cedar and sandalwood stand out. It seems to be almost entirely base notes. Perhaps the top notes have faded with time, perhaps not. There is no way to know without a contemporary review being made available. The effect is that of a rich caramel syrup boiling away on the stove top. As it dries down the cedar becomes dominant, avoiding the sharpness that contemporary takes on that note can become. All in all, a deep, darkly sweet woody scent best worn on a cold winter's day. A real find! Basenotes Review. Jack Twist

Offered here is an immaculate coffret set of six of Le Galion's beautiful fragrances. Hard to find, very little evaporation, excellent condition. Coffret box is al ittle scuffed ..