Blog
Flacons essences parfum Galimard

« Si tu savais » If only you knew, why this is my name!

The recent comeback of our emblematic fragrance « Si tu savais » provides the perfect occasion to reflect on the origin of it’s naughty little name, which translated means something like: If only you knew, or, wouldn’t you like to know!

But what comes first, the perfume or its name ? Our clients often ask, under the intrigue and charm of discovering a new fragrance.  

Take a trip with us through history so we can shed some light on the provenance of some of these special names!

1747, Napoléon 1815 & Princesse Pauline

For some of our perfumes, the name was derived from the great books of history. 1747 is a reference to the founding date of our perfumery. Napoléon 1815 was created in 2015  for the bicentennial anniversary of the date the Emperor passed through Grasse, and Princesse Pauline to celebrate his lovely sister and the garden in Grasse which carries her name.

Solenzara & Quai des Brumes

When a perfume is inspired from a memory, of a place for example, a name can often come to the perfumer with great ease, as with « Solenzara ».

Our recent « Quai des Brumes » is a reference to a film of the same name – and the perfume was composed to honor this film. In this case, the name came first !

As you can see, history and memories are often a major inspiration for choosing a name. But sometimes, we look to the present and future to derive our greatest ideas!

Our perfumery is founded on family values. In December 2011, we welcomed a granddaughter named « Evie » to the Roux family. And so, a lovely new fragrance was created in her honor, as was done for her mother, « Delphine ».

Gamme Evie - Galimard, parfumeur à Grasse
Parfumeur Galimard - gamme de parfum bel canto

The combination of soft vanilla and rosewood, paired with refined sandalwood and Calabrian bergamot… A fabulous composition evoking a serenade sung by the light of the moon in a romantic Italian town… This is the image that first came to mind when our perfumer finally perfected this special composition.  

France is not only known for her perfumes, but for her textiles as well. With “Plumetis“, the perfumer found inspiration in the fabric of this name to create a light and feminine fragrance with powdered notes. Think sheer, white summer dresses moving with the breeze, bare ankles running through soft flower fields.

Gamme Plumetis - Galimard, parfumeur à Grasse
Gamme de produits Un hiver à Grasse - Galimard, parfumeur à Grasse

Many of our clients discover the City of Perfumes during the summer season, and traditionally autumn is the season when we present our new creations. The coming of winter is what inspired this masculine fragrance with powerful amber notes.

Do you already know this one ? A feminine fragrance, composed freely by our perfumer, associating notes like amber and tuberose with a gentle touch of orange blossom.  As soon as the composition was finalized, it’s gentle yet impactful, elegant and understated fragrance was the inspiration for its name, which translated means “à demi-mot” something that is said without saying.

Gamme À demi-mot - Galimard, parfumeur à Grasse
Gamme parfum masculin "Aigues Vives Intense"

In 1973 we presented « Aigues Vives », a fragrance evoking the mineral freshness of a cascading mountain river. “Aigue » is an ancient french word meaning water. In 2021 our perfumer revisited this fragrance by adding tonka bean for depth and red berries for character, while keeping it’s fresh foundation.  « Aigues Vives Intense » was born of this new version.

Vacation, sea, and sun… So much comes to mind when we think of Provence France and the Azur Coast. For our perfumer, this one came from the heart: solar inspiration, tiaré flower and ylang ylang to empower the exotic monoi flower, vanilla to warm it up.. And so the name of this 2015 fragrance was easily found !

Gamme L'été dernier - Galimard, parfumeur à Grasse
Gamme Bois de Lune - Galimard, parfumeur à Grasse

In 2019 we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the first man on the moon. This satellite of the earth has always been a source of inspiration. For this fragrance, our perfumer contemplated an image evoking branches of trees reaching towards the sky and its mysteries. And so the name « Bois de Lune » translated to Moon Forest, with its cedar and sandalwood notes giving it woody tones.  

The path to find a name for a perfume sometimes takes surprising detours… after the creation of a new « juice » marrying fruity notes of grapefruit and mango with flowers like iris, our perfumer needed to find a name to fit this bubbly fragrance. One morning on the way to work, one of our collaborators was listening to the radio when the song « Entre Nous » by Chimène Badi came on, it was a revelation !  

Gamme Entre nous - Galimard, parfumeur à Grasse
Have these stories piqued your interest in discovering some of these perfumes ?
Or have they inspired you to create your own story, and your own special perfume composition ? In our ateliers, you can follow the path of our perfumers to make your very own olfactive inspirations !

See also

Flacon de parfum femme au soleil à côté d'un livre et posé sur un sac d'été en toile de jute

Which fragrance for which occasion ?

Throughout the year, there are many and varied occasions to go out : birthdays, weddings, evenings with friends or family, professional or romantic appointments, job interviews… For each of these occasions, besides the appropriate outfit, it is essential to find the fragrance that will accompany us throughout the event. Whether you are one of the […]

Mariée en train de se parfumer le poignet avec un parfum Galimard au flacon doré

Our wedding gift ideas

Time to tighten your cummerbund and tease your bouffant, wedding season is officially here ! Wedding bells are ringing, evoking images of abundant gardens, ethereal gowns dancing in the sun, and warm summer nights perfumed by jasmine and rose.   If you’ve been lucky enough to get your name on an RSVP list this summer, don’t […]

Fête des mères, femme qui tient un bouquet de fleurs de toutes les couleurs

Mother’s Day 2024: A Galimard Perfume, a Symbol of Love and Elegance

The beautiful month of May is rich in celebrations, and one of them is particularly close to our hearts because it honors the “first woman” in our lives! For many of us, Mother’s Day brings back memories of secret preparations: carefully picked spring flower bouquets, patiently crafted macaroni necklaces, little poems meticulously copied onto beautifully […]