LES ABSTRAITS

The collection covers genuinely varied territory across four perfumes. Belle Âme is a tapestry of cocooning iris, frankincense, tonka bean and Trinidadian cocoa, with a powdered, contemplative character. La Douleur Exquise is a thorny lovesick rose composition, with Bulgarian and Turkish rose absolutes meeting cumin, saffron, myrrh, opoponax and castoreum. Des Cendres is a smoky, leathery composition built around the imagery of cinders and embers, with Moroccan mint, galbanum, charred resins and burnt fruits. The most recent release, Philosopher's Walk, is a modern fougère filtered through floral gauze, with Provençal lavender, vetiver, cardamom, violet and patchouli over a barbershop-inspired structure.

Les Abstraits was founded by Eugen Nizic, a fragrance critic and YouTuber known for his channel You Smells Good, and every composition in the collection is created in collaboration with Master Perfumer Antoine Lie. The brand's project is to look back through vintage classical perfumery while pushing it forward through a modern, almost architectural sensibility. Lie is one of the most distinctive perfumers working today, with credits across ERIS Parfums, Etat Libre d'Orange, Comme des Garçons, Houbigant and Les Indémodables. His work for Les Abstraits represents some of his most considered and emotionally precise compositions, built on memory, nostalgia and the deliberate subversion of olfactive expectations.

Wearers who want perfume to do more than smell pleasant. The collection rewards those drawn to compositions that engage with memory, emotion and conceptual depth, with materials chosen for their narrative weight as well as their olfactive character. Les Abstraits suits anyone who values vintage perfumery's emotional precision while wanting something composed for the present moment, and anyone curious about the work of Antoine Lie specifically.

Yes. Each composition is designed to evolve through distinct phases over hours of wear. Belle Âme shifts from a green, slightly macaroon-tinted opening through to a draped, boudoir-like settle on skin. La Douleur Exquise moves from rose absolutes and gustatory spices into a deep base of animalic woods, opoponax and myrrh. Des Cendres begins with bitter, blackened intensity and mellows into something more ambiguous as the smoke clears. Philosopher's Walk drifts from sparkling lavender and citrus through powdered violet into the warm settle of a freshly barbered scene.

Yes, although Sainte Cellier prefers the term omnisex. Unisex describes perfume by what it lacks (a gender designation) while keeping gender as the operative category. Omnisex describes perfume more accurately, as a product that reads on whoever wears it rather than on the marketing categories it was assigned at launch. Les Abstraits compositions are made for all genders, and Antoine Lie's work has long refused conventional masculine and feminine framings in favour of more interesting structural questions.

Yes, although their depth and editorial weight may suit some occasions more than others. Belle Âme and Philosopher's Walk are particularly easy to integrate into daily rotation. La Douleur Exquise and Des Cendres are more expressive and may suit moments when you want a perfume to make a clearer statement. The collection rewards sampling and time on skin, since each composition reveals more of itself the longer it is worn.

Niche perfume audiences respond to Les Abstraits for several reasons. Antoine Lie is a perfumer with significant standing in the field, and his work for Les Abstraits is some of his most distinctive. The collection's commitment to vintage references rendered through modern technique appeals to those who care about perfumery's history and its possible futures. Eugen Nizic's background as a critic also means the brand is built with genuine knowledge of what has come before, and what has not yet been done.

Yes. Sainte Cellier offers samples of all four Les Abstraits perfumes, allowing you to test each one on skin before committing to a full bottle. Given the slow, evolving nature of these compositions, sampling is particularly valuable for this brand. The perfumes reveal their full character over hours of wear, and a quick spray on a blotter cannot capture what they ultimately do.

Orders are prepared by hand, and dispatch usually takes between three and five working days depending on what the order contains. Samples are hand-poured in small batches, which can take additional time.

Within the UK, orders are sent with Royal Mail using tracked services. Most parcels travel on the Tracked 48 service, although special arrangements can be made on request and may incur a surcharge.

International orders, including samples, are shipped with FedEx. Delivery times vary depending on destination and customs processing.

Perfume is considered a hygiene-sensitive item, and under UK Consumer Contracts Regulations it cannot be returned once opened. This applies whether the product is wrapped in cellophane, sealed with a sticker, or simply packaged in a way that makes clear it is unused. Once a fragrance has been opened, sprayed or handled beyond inspection, it cannot be resold and is therefore not eligible for return based on personal preference.

If you would like to explore a scent before committing to a full-size bottle, I offer individually hand-poured samples so you can experience how it develops on your own skin.

Unopened perfumes may be eligible for return within the statutory period, and I am always here to help if an order arrives damaged, faulty or incorrect. Please contact me at bb@saintecellier.com for assistance.