FAQ

Première Peau translates to First Skin in French. It refers to the idea that fragrance is the closest layer to your identity. Invisible, intimate, and inseparable from who you are. Not a decoration. Not an accessory. A signature that lives on your skin.

We don't label our perfumes by gender. Every fragrance in the collection is designed to be worn by anyone. Skin chemistry, not gender, determines how a scent expresses itself. The same formula can read completely differently on two people, and that's the point.

With 20%+ concentration (Extrait de Parfum), our fragrances typically project for 4–8 hours and leave a skin scent for 10–14 hours. Longevity varies by formula. Some compositions are designed to stay close, others to radiate. Skin type, hydration, and temperature all play a role. Apply on well-moisturised skin for maximum hold.

Paper is neutral. Your skin is not. Your body chemistry (pH, microbiome, hydration, diet) reacts with the fragrance molecules and creates something unique. That's why we always recommend testing on skin before deciding. The strip gives you the architecture. Your skin gives it life.

Over 20% concentrate. Extrait de Parfum. We don't dilute our ideas. The alcohol content is 78% vol., allowing for optimal diffusion while preserving the integrity of the raw materials. No water, no fillers: just what's needed to hold the structure.

Yes. Every batch is aged for up to 6 months on some creations. We don't fast-track anything. No aggressive filtration. We let the structure build slowly, until the formula gains depth and coherence. We also use a proprietary ultrasonic VIBRAGE process that refines molecular integration, developed specifically for our house.

We use both: deliberately and without ideology. Natural materials bring texture, irregularity, and depth. Synthetics bring precision, architecture, and contrast. We work with absolutes, concretes, resinoids, CO₂ extracts, captive molecules, and reconstitutions. Every ingredient earns its place. The distinction that matters is quality, not origin.

Yes. We comply with IFRA standards applicable at the time of production, but we don't make "clean" perfume. Our role is not to strip scent of its power to satisfy a marketing trend. That said, every ingredient is disclosed on the product page and packaging, so you can make informed choices.

Seven fragrances, 2ml each. It's the proper way to meet the collection, on your skin, over several days, in your own environment. The set ships with a credit that applies toward any full-size bottle. So if you buy a bottle, the discovery set was effectively a gift.

Borosilicate is laboratory-grade glass. The same material used in beakers and scientific instruments. It's more resistant to thermal shock, chemically inert (won't react with the formula), and optically clearer than standard glass. Each bottle is individually hand-blown. It's heavier, more expensive, and completely unnecessary from a pure function standpoint. But we didn't start this house to cut corners.

The cap uses N52 neodymium magnets, the strongest commercially available. It snaps shut with a satisfying click and stays perfectly aligned. No threading, no twisting, no cap rattling in your bag. It's a small detail, but it changes the ritual entirely.

Color is intentional. Each formula is tinted to match its olfactory identity, not left to chance. We use both natural extracts (like saffron or iris) and cosmetic-grade colorants to achieve the exact shade we envision. The color you see in the bottle is part of the creative direction.

The bottle's proportions are driven by the hand. Making a 90ml bottle larger would mean a diameter too wide to hold comfortably. The 45ml is built for daily carry or travel. The 90ml is your home bottle. Both use the same hand-blown glass, same magnetic cap, same formula.

Short answer: by the time a small house pays for high-grade oil, a fragrance developed over months (not weeks), hand-blown glass, French manufacturing, and fair wages, the margin is thinner than you'd expect.

Longer answer: Our concentrate load (20%+) alone costs 3–5× what mainstream houses use. Each bottle is individually mouth-blown. Every formula is macerated for up to 6 months. There are no celebrity endorsements, no billion-dollar ad campaigns. What you pay for is what's inside the bottle and the craft behind it. A comparable concentration from a large house would cost significantly more.

You can, but we'd suggest getting to know each fragrance on its own first. Every formula was designed as a complete composition. Layering can enhance certain facets, but it can also muddy them. If you want to experiment: Insuline Safrine pairs well with Doppel Däncers for a gourmand-iris tension. Simili Mirage works beautifully under Gravitas Capitale.

Away from direct sunlight, away from heat, away from humidity. A drawer, a closet, a shelf that doesn't catch the sun. All fine. Borosilicate glass protects better than standard glass, but the formula will still degrade if exposed to UV over time. Don't keep it in the bathroom. Don't leave it on a windowsill. Treat it like wine.

Not yet. We operate from our studios in Paris and Deauville. We're currently available online and through select retail partners. For private appointments or press inquiries, contact us directly.

Worldwide, from France. 2–4 business days within France, 3–7 across the EU, 5–12 international. All shipments include tracking. Orders over a certain threshold qualify for free shipping. Check the cart for current offers.

30 days from delivery to return any sealed, unopened product for a full refund. If you've opened the bottle and the fragrance isn't for you, contact us. We handle these on a case-by-case basis. We'd rather you wear something you love than keep something you don't.

Our hand-blown borosilicate glass is fully recyclable through standard glass channels. The wood cap can be composted or recycled with wood waste. We're working on a refill program. It's not ready yet, but it's coming.

No. Première Peau does not test on animals, and neither do our suppliers. All our fragrances are cruelty-free. We comply with EU Regulation 1223/2009, which has banned animal testing for cosmetics since 2013.

Four independent perfumers, each working with their own house: Claire Liégent (Takasago), Grégoire Balleydier (dsm-firmenich), Ugo Charron (Mane), and Florian Gallo (dsm-firmenich). They were given full creative freedom. No brief, no focus group, no market-driven constraints. The result: seven fragrances that could not have been made any other way.