Chacarel

The House of Beauty, Elegance and Grace

Cacharel was founded in 1962 by Jean Bousquet in La Marais, Paris. Bousquet was born in 1932 to a father who was a sewing machine salesman. At the age of 15 he became an apprentice to a tailor. In 1958 he opened his own shop which tailored men's shirts, but by 1962, he had decided to specialize in women's fashion. Cacharel is the namesake of a bird mostly found in the south of France.

The first perfume, Anais Anais, was released in in 1978. It was named after the Persian goddess of love. Its top notes include lily of the valley, jasmine, rose iris, orange blossoms, gardenia and ylang ylang. It has heart notes of vitvier, cedar, patchouli, and oak moss. Its base notes, musk and leather.

Voile de Parfum made its debut in 1990. This perfume pioneered a new technology which used liposomes. The liposomes help to soften the skin while the perfume fragrances the body, earning it the title 'moisturizing perfume.' The use of alcohol is avoided when using this technology, and the perfume can be absorbed more rapidly by the skin. Tiare flower is its topnote. By 1990 Voile de Parfum ranked number four, while Anais Anais lead the way at number one.

1999 Noa for women, was released. The fragrance is a calm, floral musk blend. It was designed by Olivier Cresp. It includes white musk, coffee, white peony, coriander, and incense notes. The male companion to Noa is Nemo, which was released in 2000, a follow up to Cacharel's signature male scent, Cacharel Pour Homme which was released in 1981.

One of the latest releases is Liberte, lauched in 2007. Liberte was inspired by the bohemian woman whose freedom is the key to life. Gisele Bundchen was the face of Liberte, a chypre orange juice. It was designed by world renowned perfumers Olivier Polge and Domitille Bertier. It includes top notes of bitter orange and zests of mandarin, bergamont and citrus, heart notes of white flowers and base notes of vanilla, Indonesian patchouli and vetiver.

Cacharel has many more luxurious perfumes in its line, including Eden, Gloria, Loulou and Loulou Blue, Amor Amor, Amour Pour Homme, and Promesse. The line is distributed through about 1000 stores and 79 Cacharel boutiques. The brand has also extended into shampoos, body oils and hair products and aftershaves. The brand truly embodies the spirit of the bird it is named after, beatiful, elegant and graceful.

Website: http://www.cacharel.com/