Article: D'Orsay Paris: a dandy, love letters and perfume
D'Orsay Paris: a dandy, love letters and perfume
A count who set the fashion in London, a love historians still argue about, and bottles signed like love letters: the Paris perfume house D'Orsay tells its story with a wink and a great deal of feeling. We introduce the dandy who gave the house its name, the woman who runs it today and the fragrances you can find with us – from the mysterious initials to extraits with more than 30 percent perfume oil.
- Namesake: Count Alfred d'Orsay (1801–1852), Parisian dandy, painter and style icon in 1830s London.
- Today: run by Amélie Huynh, who revived the house. Its boutique is on Rue du Bac in Paris.
- The idea: every eau de parfum is a small declaration of love, "signed" with initials such as L.B. or G.A.
- The extraits: six intense fragrances with, according to the brand, 30 to 36 percent concentration, from Tonka Hysteria to Vanilla Affair.
- To get acquainted: many D'Orsay fragrances are also available from us as a 1.5 ml sample.
Who was Count Alfred d'Orsay?
Alfred Guillaume Gabriel Grimod d'Orsay was born in Paris in 1801, the son of a Napoleonic general. He became famous not on the battlefield but in the salon. As a young man he met the Earl and Countess of Blessington, travelled through Europe with them and later became the authority on style in London: painter, sculptor, host and the best-dressed man in town. Writers and politicians such as Benjamin Disraeli and the future Emperor Louis-Napoléon frequented Gore House, Lady Blessington's salon.
Whether Alfred and Marguerite Blessington were lovers is disputed among historians. The perfume house itself has a clear view: she was his muse and great love. In 1849 d'Orsay went bankrupt and fled to Paris; Lady Blessington followed him and died a few weeks later. He outlived her by only three years.
The namesakeAlfred d'Orsay
Dandy, painter and sculptor. According to the brand, around 1830 he blended a scent just for himself and his beloved, without a label, tied only with a blue ribbon.
The museMarguerite Blessington
Writer and hostess of the most famous salon in the London of her day. Her initials are hidden in the fragrance L.B.
The reviverAmélie Huynh
French-Chinese entrepreneur who previously spent eight years at the jeweller Chaumet. She runs D'Orsay today as its president.
Images: D'Orsay
How did the dandy become a perfume house?
This is where it gets interesting, because the sources do not tell the story in quite the same way. The brand dates its beginnings to that private love scent around 1830. Other sources give 1865 as the year the company was founded, after d'Orsay's death. What is certain is that the house grew big in the early 20th century. A brief overview:
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| around 1830 | According to the brand: Alfred blends a scent for himself and Marguerite Blessington, without a label, with a blue ribbon |
| 1908 | Founding of the Compagnie Française des Parfums d'Orsay; Étiquette Bleue appears the same year |
| 1916 | Jeanne-Louise Guérin takes over the management, later followed by her son Jacques Guérin |
| 1923 | Le Dandy is launched, one of the house's best-known historic fragrances |
| 1983 | The company is finished; in the following years the name changes owners several times |
| from 2015 | Amélie Huynh takes over (some sources say 2017) and reinvents the house |
| today | Its own boutique on Rue du Bac in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, with a team of around twelve people according to trade press |
In its heyday D'Orsay worked with the great names of Art Deco: bottles by Baccarat, Lalique and Daum, advertising by artists such as Jean Cocteau and Marie Laurencin. Today's house builds on this, only more quietly: the bottle is simple, the story is in the label.
What do the initials on D'Orsay bottles mean?
Every eau de parfum carries a phrase and two letters, written like a little love note: "À cœur perdu" (with a lost heart), "Sur tes lèvres" (on your lips), "Te dire oui" (to say yes to you). The initials are the signature. The brand has revealed only two: L.B. stands for Lady Blessington, G.A. for Grimod Alfred, the count's original family name. All the others remain a secret on purpose. According to the brand, some customers therefore simply choose their scent by their own initials or those of the person they love.
| Eau de Parfum | Perfumer | Development according to D'Orsay |
|---|---|---|
| À cœur perdu. L.B. | Fanny Bal | Iris aldehyde and bergamot, orange blossom and neroli, cashmeran and moss |
| Dandy or not. G.A. | Sidonie Lancesseur | Cardamom and grapefruit, black tea and orange blossom, leather and patchouli |
| Sur tes lèvres. E.Q. | Dominique Ropion | Pink pepper and ambrette, iris and jasmine, cashmeran and ambroxan |
| Une rose au paradis. R.B. | Caroline Dumur | Pink pepper and aldehydes, rose and freesia, sandalwood and cashmeran |
| Te dire oui. V.H. | Vincent Ricord | Saffron and black pepper, leather and rose, benzoin and styrax |
| Sweet Disruption. W.T. | Jean-Christophe Hérault | Curly mint and mandarin, frankincense and jasmine, moss and vetiver |
Our tip for getting started: Sur tes lèvres, according to the trade press the house's bestseller. It was composed by Dominique Ropion, one of the great noses of our time, who now even has his own brand, Aphorismes. If you prefer something spicier, reach for Te dire oui, inspired by henna rituals before a wedding.
Which extraits does D'Orsay offer?
Since 2024 the house has been building a second line: Extraits de Parfum, each built around one raw material and, according to the brand, pushed to the limit. The first three came onto the market as "love potions". With 30 to 36 percent perfume oil concentration they are among the most intense fragrances we carry. What these figures mean is explained in our article Eau de Toilette, Eau de Parfum or Extrait.
| Extrait | Conc. | Perfumer | The centrepiece |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tonka Hysteria | 35 % | Jordi Fernández | Tonka, iris butter, benzoin, vanilla, a hint of cinnamon |
| Flower Lust | 30 % | Dominique Ropion | Orange blossom and ylang-ylang on sandalwood and vetiver |
| Incense Crush | 30 % | Julien Rasquinet | Frankincense, clove, cardamom, leather, cedar |
| Rose Blaze | 36 % | Jordi Fernández | Rose absolute and peach on sandalwood and tonka |
| Holy Berry | 32 % | Tanguy Guesnet | Strawberry milk accord, iris, white oud accord, vanilla |
| Vanilla Affair | 35 % | Nathalie Lorson | Two vanillas with tobacco, tonka and cistus |
Two names will sound familiar to regular readers: Jordi Fernández and Nathalie Lorson have also composed for the London jewel fragrances we present in Thameen London: perfumes like crown jewels.
Vanilla AffairExtrait · vanilla, tobaccofrom € 12
Tonka HysteriaExtrait · tonka, irisfrom € 12
Sur tes lèvres. E.Q.Eau de Parfum · iris, ambrettefrom € 12
Incense CrushExtrait · frankincense, leatherfrom € 12
Prices according to the 4D OUTFITTERS webshop, as of 21 October 2026, starting price for the 1.5 ml sample. The prices shown are updated automatically from the shop. All fragrances can be found in our D'Orsay collection.
Which D'Orsay fragrance suits you?
- You love vanilla, but grown-up please: Vanilla Affair. Tobacco and cistus keep the sweetness in check. More vanilla inspiration in Gourmand perfume: 7 scents good enough to eat.
- You like it powdery and creamy: Tonka Hysteria, with iris butter instead of icing.
- You want something quiet for every day: Sur tes lèvres or À cœur perdu, both bright, close to the skin and elegant.
- You are looking for smoke and church in the best sense: Incense Crush.
- You are giving a gift to a couple: according to the brand, all eaux de parfum are meant to be shared. How to find the right scent for someone else is explained in Giving perfume: how to find the right scent.
Curiosities about D'Orsay
From The New Yorker to a pyramid tomb
- The dandy on the cover
Eustace Tilley, the famous figure with top hat and monocle on the first cover of The New Yorker, goes back to a depiction of Count d'Orsay.
- A pyramid-shaped tomb
D'Orsay designed a pyramid-shaped tomb for Lady Blessington in Chambourcy near Paris. He himself was later buried in it.
- A character in a novel
Benjamin Disraeli, later British Prime Minister, immortalised him as Count Mirabel in his novel Henrietta Temple.
- The blue ribbon
According to the brand, the first scent had no label, only a blue ribbon. The 1908 classic Étiquette Bleue alludes to this.
- Candles named after the time
D'Orsay names its scented candles after moments of a night of love, such as "02:45 Enfin seuls", finally alone.
- An award for the rose
According to D'Orsay, Rose Blaze won Marie Claire's Prix International du Parfum in 2026.
- Alfred d'Orsay: born 4 September 1801 in Paris, died 4 August 1852 in Chambourcy.
- Historic fragrances: Étiquette Bleue (1908), Chevalier d'Orsay (1911), Toujours Fidèle (1912), Le Dandy (1923), Intoxication (1938).
- The bottle: its own shape from the glassworks Verreries Brosse, with a magnetic Bakelite cap.
- Boutique: 44 rue du Bac, Paris, with an engraving service for bottles and candles.
- Extraits: 30 to 36 percent concentration according to the brand; the first three appeared in 2024.
Frequently asked questions about D'Orsay
Who is behind D'Orsay?
The Paris perfume house is named after Count Alfred d'Orsay, a 19th-century dandy. Today Amélie Huynh runs the house as its president.
What do the initials on D'Orsay perfumes mean?
Every eau de parfum is signed with initials like a love letter. L.B. stands for Lady Blessington, G.A. for Grimod Alfred. The brand deliberately keeps the other initials secret.
What is the most popular D'Orsay fragrance?
According to the trade press, the house's bestseller is Sur tes lèvres E.Q. by Dominique Ropion, a bright scent with iris, jasmine and ambrette.
How strong are the D'Orsay extraits?
According to the brand, the Extraits de Parfum contain 30 to 36 percent perfume oil. That makes them considerably more concentrated than a typical eau de parfum.
Is D'Orsay a niche brand?
Yes. D'Orsay is a small, independent Paris perfume house with its own boutique in Paris and, according to trade press, a team of around twelve people.
Can I test D'Orsay fragrances first?
Yes. Many D'Orsay fragrances are available at 4D OUTFITTERS as a 1.5 ml sample. With every bottle from 30 ml we include a free sample of the same fragrance, and from an order value of € 90 you also receive 4 fragrance samples. You are welcome to note a particular sample request in your basket – if in stock, we will gladly take it into account.
Smell first, then fall in love
Love letters are best read at leisure. That is why we include a free sample of exactly this fragrance with every bottle from 30 ml. From an order value of € 90 you also receive 4 fragrance samples. You are welcome to note a particular sample request in your basket, for example Tonka Hysteria and Vanilla Affair for a direct comparison of two kinds of sweetness – if in stock, we will gladly take it into account. Shipping is free from € 200.
Or visit us in our boutique in Bregenz and sniff your way through the initials. Perhaps you will find your own. How a fragrance unfolds on the skin is explained in our article on the fragrance pyramid.
Your 4D OUTFITTERS team, Bregenz
Sources: D'Orsay: L'Histoire · D'Orsay: Boutique Paris · D'Orsay: Savoir-faire · D'Orsay: Extraits de Parfum · Wikipedia: Alfred d'Orsay · Perfume Projects: D'Orsay · Premium Beauty News · Nose Paris: Interview D'Orsay · FashionNetwork
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