Our history

The bet of Marie-Hortense, founder of Bastille

I was born into a family of Champagne winegrowers. I was taught that you get the best from nature by listening to its rhythm, and respecting those who cultivate it. Accustomed to natural cosmetics, I was frustrated by the lack of alternatives to synthetic perfumes... In 2019, I met perfumers to understand where this lack came from. I asked them if it was possible to imagine a natural and transparent alternative. The responses were kind, but definitive:

• “Creating a natural perfume is expensive, and very complex.”
• “Synthetic ingredients will remain omnipresent as long as it is not mandatory to publish the composition of a perfume.”
• “The marketing budgets needed to break through are enormous. Without a muse, consumers don’t buy.”

In short: it was going to be long, difficult, and we had no chance of succeeding without the smile of Julia Roberts. That’s when we decided to create Bastille!

Patient creation

The idea became reality with the arrival of Anne: 20 years of experience in perfumery, a taste for challenge, and a devastating sense of humor. She takes on the challenge of designing a first collection that is natural, transparent, and 100% safe. With our partners IFF-LMR, we create around fifty perfumes and select 5 finalists, each reworked dozens of times to ensure exceptional quality.

French made

Once the perfumes are created, we go looking for artisans ready to follow us on the adventure, and to share our environmental standards. Screen printer, conditioner, cardboard maker: these partners are all French SMEs. This is also the revolution!