Frosted patchouli : a palpable tension between hot and cold. The fragrance begins on a frosted note with marine accents, warmed by a spicy combination of ginger, pink pepper and juniper berry. The patchouli is intense, warm and powerful, a patchouli leaf captured in ice.
All about this fragrance
Vibe check
This is a scent for close, brisk air and movement along the water’s edge, where the saltiness feels immediate and the patchouli stays taut rather than heavy. It projects a composed, slightly austere presence: fresh at first, then darker and more textured as the skin warms.
How to wear
Best in mild to cool weather, where its marine freshness and spicy lift stay crisp and the patchouli can unfold without becoming dense. Apply lightly to let the mineral and sea-spray facets breathe; on skin it turns warmer and earthier, while in the air it keeps a sharp, crystalline edge.
Who it’s for
For those who like fresh fragrances with depth: marine, woody compositions, spicy openings, and patchouli that feels polished rather than sweet or smoky. It will appeal to wearers who enjoy contrast, texture and a modern unisex profile with a slightly mineral, coastal mood.
Release year
2023
The nose
Paul Guerlain is a member of the Guerlain perfuming family and represents a younger generation that balances heritage with a more contemporary, transparent style. His work on 803 shows that instinct for contrast: a cool marine opening, spicy lift and a patchouli base rendered with clarity rather than heaviness. The fragrance fits his broader signature of shaping texture and atmosphere through tension, here turning patchouli into something icy, radiant and almost sculptural. In 803, he works in a chiaroscuro register, letting the woody-earthy depth remain intact while giving it a crystalline, sea-washed edge.
Collaborators
Ludovic Bonneton, Bon Parfumeur’s founder, shaped the brief closely with Paul Guerlain, asking him to imagine a “frozen patchouli leaf” and drawing on shared memories of walks in Brittany. His role was not just commissioning the scent but steering its emotional image and marine-patchouli contrast.
Bon Parfumeur’s story
Bon Parfumeur builds contemporary French perfumery around creative freedom, clean composition and the idea of mixing scents like a personal playlist. The house favors numbered fragrances, made in France, with a colourful, unisex identity that treats perfumery as both craft and self-expression.
803’s concept
803 was created in 2023 as part of Bon Parfumeur’s aquatic series, with the brief to reimagine patchouli through a cold, marine lens. The concept came from Ludovic Bonneton’s memories of Brittany, translated by Paul Guerlain into a scent that feels like a patchouli leaf caught in ice, with sea spray and spice sharpening the contrast.
Extra info
803 is also known as Sea Spray, Ginger & Patchouli, and sits in Bon Parfumeur’s blue aquatic line. The brand describes it as a frosted patchouli, a rare take that turns a classic earthy note into something icy and maritime.
Frosted patchouli : a palpable tension between hot and cold. The fragrance begins on a frosted note with marine accents, warmed by a spicy combination of ginger, pink pepper and juniper berry. The patchouli is intense, warm and powerful, a patchouli leaf captured in ice.
All about this fragrance
Vibe check
This is a scent for close, brisk air and movement along the water’s edge, where the saltiness feels immediate and the patchouli stays taut rather than heavy. It projects a composed, slightly austere presence: fresh at first, then darker and more textured as the skin warms.
How to wear
Best in mild to cool weather, where its marine freshness and spicy lift stay crisp and the patchouli can unfold without becoming dense. Apply lightly to let the mineral and sea-spray facets breathe; on skin it turns warmer and earthier, while in the air it keeps a sharp, crystalline edge.
Who it’s for
For those who like fresh fragrances with depth: marine, woody compositions, spicy openings, and patchouli that feels polished rather than sweet or smoky. It will appeal to wearers who enjoy contrast, texture and a modern unisex profile with a slightly mineral, coastal mood.
Release year
2023
The nose
Paul Guerlain is a member of the Guerlain perfuming family and represents a younger generation that balances heritage with a more contemporary, transparent style. His work on 803 shows that instinct for contrast: a cool marine opening, spicy lift and a patchouli base rendered with clarity rather than heaviness. The fragrance fits his broader signature of shaping texture and atmosphere through tension, here turning patchouli into something icy, radiant and almost sculptural. In 803, he works in a chiaroscuro register, letting the woody-earthy depth remain intact while giving it a crystalline, sea-washed edge.
Collaborators
Ludovic Bonneton, Bon Parfumeur’s founder, shaped the brief closely with Paul Guerlain, asking him to imagine a “frozen patchouli leaf” and drawing on shared memories of walks in Brittany. His role was not just commissioning the scent but steering its emotional image and marine-patchouli contrast.
Bon Parfumeur’s story
Bon Parfumeur builds contemporary French perfumery around creative freedom, clean composition and the idea of mixing scents like a personal playlist. The house favors numbered fragrances, made in France, with a colourful, unisex identity that treats perfumery as both craft and self-expression.
803’s concept
803 was created in 2023 as part of Bon Parfumeur’s aquatic series, with the brief to reimagine patchouli through a cold, marine lens. The concept came from Ludovic Bonneton’s memories of Brittany, translated by Paul Guerlain into a scent that feels like a patchouli leaf caught in ice, with sea spray and spice sharpening the contrast.
Extra info
803 is also known as Sea Spray, Ginger & Patchouli, and sits in Bon Parfumeur’s blue aquatic line. The brand describes it as a frosted patchouli, a rare take that turns a classic earthy note into something icy and maritime.