The ingredients, the transparency...

Bastille takes up the challenge of originality and quality. We give complete creative freedom to our perfumers so that they can imagine unique fragrances, favoring the finest raw materials, formulated without any controversial ingredients, and revealing their complete list.

At Bastille, our perfumes dance and play the balance: between sustainable and desirable, between tradition and future, between synthetic and natural, between feminine and masculine, between body and ideal, between power and subtlety, between experience and memory.

Can I know what's in my perfume?

Yes, and it's a first! Perfume is still considered by law to be a “trade secret”: this is why brands do not reveal their ingredients. This opacity has favored the use by certain brands of controversial ingredients, such as BHT, an additive used as an antioxidant and suspected of being an endocrine disruptor.

Bastille believes in transparency. We publish the list of ingredients of our perfumes in each of our product sheets and we prefer to take the risk of being copied rather than letting doubt hang over your skin and what you breathe.

Everyone calls themselves “natural” today. How can you be sure that your perfumes really are?

Excellent question, in these times of #fakenews and other #greenwashing. Our perfumes comply with current regulations, which require a minimum of 95% natural ingredients for a product to be called natural. This is how we get there:

• We use organic wheat alcohol, which is more respectful of the planet.
• Our perfume concentrates are made up of a maximum of natural ingredients: at least two thirds, for a perfume concentrated at 15%. A long-term challenge, because these materials are difficult to obtain: for example, it takes 6 years to produce iris absolute - 3 years for the plant to grow, and 3 years for it to mature after harvest. .. Their structure, more complex than that of their synthetic copies, also makes them more difficult for perfumers to work with.

Why not create 100% natural perfumes?

To be honest, this is where the Bastille adventure began: our perfumers first focused on creating 100% natural perfumes. Unfortunately, the result lacked finesse and hold. We have therefore reintegrated a few carefully selected 'clean' synthetic molecules to accompany our natural raw materials, and give life to exceptional pairings.

And what remains in the 5% synthesis?

Only quality ingredients, which respect your body. They can also be synthesized from natural raw materials. For example, we use ambroxan, a synthetic molecule that is very close to ambergris - a historic perfumery ingredient made and released naturally by sperm whales, appreciated by perfumers for prolonging the trail of perfumes. At Bastille, all our perfumes are vegan so we use the synthetic version. Ambroxan is synthesized from a molecule naturally present in sage, which is then transformed by humans. Its use is 100% safe, even for sensitive skin.

Finally, as we like to follow through with our ideas, our perfumes are formulated without endocrine disruptors, without additives such as stabilizers, dyes, or anti-UV filters.

Natural, does that mean it doesn’t stay on the skin?

Nothing is more frustrating than a perfume that doesn't keep its promises! We've tested and reformulated ours dozens of times to make sure they'll last you all day.

Where do your raw materials come from?

We pay particular attention to the selection of natural raw materials used in the composition of our perfumes. They come from several continents: we wanted exceptional natural ingredients, shaped by their terroirs, and the result of sustainable cultivation by the different producers. This is why we work with IFF-LMR, a pioneering laboratory in the natural and ethical sourcing of perfumery ingredients around the world.

And the planet in all this?

We think about it every day when we put on perfume. Our entire manufacturing process is designed to minimize our impact on the planet:

• Our packaging is made from recycled cardboard and we ban plastic as much as possible, with one exception: our pump and a small insert necessary for our bottle to remain airtight.
• We have chosen our partners for their environmental efficiency: a pioneer in natural raw materials, IFF-LMR promotes sustainable agriculture and allows us to integrate fair trade ingredients into our perfumes,
• We continue to work with all our partners with a view to continuous improvement, to reduce our carbon footprint (for example we are considering a refillable or lightweight glass bottle) , and to find alternatives that do not yet exist...
• As proof of our commitment, we are a member of the 1% for the Planet movement: for each perfume purchased, Bastille donates 1% of sales to the NGO Surfrider Foundation, which has been committed to protecting the oceans for 30 years. This cause is very close to our hearts, and you support it by supporting Bastille!

Where are your products made?

Our manufacturing is French (cocorico!). Our perfumes are created in Paris, assembled in Grasse, and bottled in the Paris region . Some of our components come from European partners; in particular our bottles which are produced in Italy. They are decorated by a craftsman from Val-de-Marne. We have entrusted the manufacturing of our cardboard cases to a Parisian workshop.
We always select partners who share the same values ​​as us in terms of quality and environmental standards. This is also freedom!

Do you have any remaining questions? We are here: hello@bastilleparfums.com