The Paradox of Power and Vulnerability
Lulu is an enigma—both muse and manipulator, victim and force of nature. She moves through the world with effortless allure, yet destruction follows in her wake. Her story is one of survival, seduction, and inevitability, a woman defined as much by her contradictions as by the world around her. Lulu embodies duality—innocence and seduction, vulnerability and power—while also mirroring the discord, beauty, and brutality of her surroundings. She is a creature of reinvention, slipping between roles—innocent, temptress, prisoner—never fully knowable, yet impossible to forget. It is Lulu’s character that ultimately inspired me to create not just another addition to the Buchart Colbert music and art-inspired fragrances genre, but to also create a worthy addition to the world of artistic, niche perfumes for collectors.
When I first saw Alban Berg’s Opera, Lulu at the Metropolitan Opera in 2015, I was captivated not just by the music but by the woman at its core. Lulu is a character who exists in extremes—intoxicating yet untouchable, luminous yet shadowed. When I began composing the perfume, Le Bain de Lulu, I knew I wanted to create a fragrance that captures her elusive and deeply evocative duality. This duality inspired me to carefully examine every facet of her story—not only to contribute to the world’s ever-growing collection of gender-neutral fragrances, but also to honor the top unisex scents that have shaped my own journey.
Translating Lulu into Scent
There are many unique fragrances in the world, but Le Bain de Lulu definitely stands out. I imagined Lulu alone, in the fleeting privacy of her bath—a rare moment of stillness before the world reclaims her. This is not a portrait of Lulu as others see her, but a glimpse into her own, unguarded reality.
To evoke this scene, I built Le Bain de Lulu around contrasts—delicate yet heady, powdery yet sharp, bright yet smoldering. I chose materials that speak to her many faces:
- Soapy brightness—the scent of water and bare skin, an intimate moment of renewal settles into the base notes.
- Powdery violet and soft rose—the remnants of makeup on her vanity, a whisper of femininity that is both real and performed lingers in the heart and base.
- Sweet orange and heady spice—her untamed spirit, unpredictable and bold, a burst of citrus, cardamom, and black pepper on the top.
- Woods and resinous warmth—a grounding counterpoint, the weight of fate pressing against her, the masculine base of sandalwood, moss, and cedar.
Like Lulu herself, the fragrance never settles into one clear form. It shifts and evolves, leaving behind a trail of haunting beauty. It is through this ever-transforming combination of materials that both complement and contrast where those who appreciate mood-based scents can find a little bit of Lulu in themselves no matter the feeling or occasion.
A Serialist Soundscape of Chaos and Emotion
The music Berg composed for Lulu is jagged, unpredictable, and at times unsettlingly sublime—much like Lulu’s own journey. The structure of 12-tone serialism is brought to life through a pulsing of raw, unfiltered emotion, her shifting identity mirrored in its challenging precision overlaid by deep expression.
In creating Le Bain de Lulu, I took inspiration from this interplay between structure and chaos. Just as Berg’s music defies convention while telling a deeply human story, I wanted this fragrance to feel constructed yet instinctual—carefully composed but effortlessly evocative while still remaining gracefully expressive within the Buchart Colbert fragrances paradigm of music-inspired perfumes.
A Signature of Contradictions
I often get asked how to find a signature scent. I believe a fragrance should tell a story that resonates with one’s spirit, heart, and nose. Le Bain de Lulu is my tribute to the power of reinvention—of character, memory, and scent. I have sought to reinterpret and blend structure with emotion, contrast with harmony. Lulu is never just one thing—she is light and shadow, desire and destruction. Through this perfume, I invite you to step into her world, to experience her intrigue, her contradictions, and her unforgettable impression of contrasts.
—Sean Colbert