Compound Privé is our internal formula for Patou Pour Homme Privé by Jean Patou. This is perhaps the greatest men's fragrance ever made and most certainly the finest lavender fougère in existence. Launched in 1994 and crafted by Jean Kerléo (who served as chief perfumer of Jean Patou from 1967 to 1998), it represents the perfecting of his celebrated Patou Pour Homme from 1980. Where the original was a bold oriental fougère built for the boardroom – dense with civet, castoreum and animalic leather – Privé took a different path. Kerléo softened the structure into something more intimate and bohemian whilst retaining the uncompromising quality of materials that defined the house. The result was a fragrance of extraordinary refinement: still unmistakably masculine, but approachable in a way the 1980 original never attempted to be. It rates a remarkable 4.6 on Fragrantica and commands four-figure prices on the secondary market for original bottles, on the rare occasion they come up for sale. This compound features an exquisite lavender opening tempered by bitter galbanum and bright citrus of bergamot and mandarin. The heart transitions through subtle florals lifted by black pepper, before arriving at what many consider the finest base accord in masculine perfumery: bone-dry hay intertwined with green patchouli, authentic oakmoss, powdery orris root and creamy vanilla, all grounded by vetiver and Virginia cedar. The hay note in particular – crinkly, tobacco-like, utterly distinctive – is what separates Privé from everything else. The longevity is exceptional; the sillage, quietly commanding. Jean Kerléo later founded the Osmothèque, the world's fragrance archive in Versailles, and his work on Privé represents the pinnacle of classical French perfumery before IFRA restrictions made such compositions impossible to replicate legally. The house of Jean Patou was eventually absorbed by LVMH in 2018, and fragrances like Privé now exist only in the memories of those fortunate enough to have worn them and in compounds such as this. This compound is IFRA compliant and ready to dilute and bottle. Just add alcohol. Note, it contains a small amount of Lilial which makes it non-EU compliant. We can produce an EU safe version for orders over 1kg. Contact us for details. Top Notes: Lavender, Galbanum, Bergamot, Mandarin Orange Heart Notes: Floral Notes, Black Pepper Base Notes: Hay, Patchouli, Oakmoss, Vetiver, Orris Root, Vanilla, Virginia Cedar
