The Seven Collection

Pauline Rochas

Pauline Rochas is the granddaughter of the fashion designer Marcel Rochas. After his death her grandmother Hélène (who was the muse for the perfume "Femme") continued to manage the company. As a child Pauline was surrounded by art, fashion, scents and beauty - and that never changed. After a successful career in photography she decided to dive into the world of perfumes and created The Seven Collection. Seven scents for seven

desires, based on the seven chakras. When I met Pauline I saw a beautiful French woman that spoke with a velvet voice and strong but soft eyes. She has a calming appearance but is very energetic - you notice she absolute knows what she is talking about! For today's post I invited another beautiful, strong and energetic woman to present the perfumes from Pauline to you - Sarah Khurshid, fellow beauty lover and definitely a scent connoisseur:

„When I first heard about the new launch of the Seven Collection by Pauline Rochas, I didn’t know what exactly to make out of it: Scents that are based on the seven chakras? Normally, I deduce the scent’s character by its name or base notes because for once I am naturally an extremely curious and impatient person and when it comes to scents, I know my preferences.“
Sarah Khurshid

"Scents trigger memories and evoke certain emotions, a familiar feeling you encountered, forgotten but resurfacing when smelling this unique note of vanilla or breath of lilac. But scents that speak to oneself depending on one’s state of mind or what one is seeking poses a concept I didn’t encounter up until now. A perfume highlights a mood. But drawing it out? I was quite wary about what I might encounter. That is why I was very surprised when not only one met my expectations but all seven of them formed a unity which resonated deeply with me. Each scent inhabits a complex but extremely well-balanced olfactory message, each very different and strong but never overwhelming – exceptional scents made by master parfumeurs. Luxury in a bottle."

Le Premier Parfum: Root Chakra
Grounding. Reassuring. Soothing.

"Like a protection spell, Le Premier accompanies you throughout the day. It dances around you and hugs you with a warm embrace giving you the strength and support you need in order to thrive. Only if you know where your foundation lies, you are able to walk proudly and confidently. Smoky tobacco leaves paired with rum are layered with the soft sweetness of honey and vanilla. Indonesian patchouli and Peru balsam give this scent its earthy notes making it a captivating scent."

Sarahs words are like a poem and I couldn't agree more with her! When Pauline started to talk about her collection, I immediately felt that the No1 would be my scent. I just saw the warm sensual colour, felt a desire that I need to focus on my root chakra and I was right - the first scent had me with the very first sight. I feel secure and grounded, powerful and connected. I am calm immediately because I feel a deep trust inside me. I feel the world and everything material, its very intense.

Le Deuxieme Parfum: Sacral Chakra
Sensuality, creativity, flexibility.

The notes of Ylang-ylang, sandalwood and resinous labdanum give positivity in everything you are doing - its a vital floral-woody scent that works like an aphrodisiac.

Le Troisieme Parfum: Solar Plexus
Confidence. Strength. Success.

Italian citrus brings the sun to you with all its power. The neroli flower and Egyptian jasmine enhance the strength with female charming notes, the musk whispers quietly.

Le Quatrieme Parfum: Heart Chakra
Serenity. Connectedness. Love.

"Unconditional Love. For oneself. For others. The scent I assumed wouldn’t need my gusto at all, turned out to be my first pick among the whole collection. It symbolizes a love I deeply harbour for my sister – a bond fragile and special at the same time. I didn’t realize that it reminded me of us uintil she smelled it on me and was equally enchaned by it. Normally, we don’t share the same preference when it comes to scents but the sweetness of #4 which is not powdery but fresh with its bergamot yet multi-layered connects who we both are.

Speaking of unconditional love, it represents self-love the most – embodied in the gem stone rose quartz. For me, that doesn’t equal a bath and a glass of wine (a popular theme on social media) but loving oneself & even acknowledging ones incapability and faults. You are you. And only by truly owning your mistakes will you encounter true self-love."

Le Cinquieme Parfum: Voice Chakra
Truthful. Open. Clear.

"Fresh notes of basil, mint and bergamot sharpen your senses until sage and musk affirm that clarity you gained to grasp your truth. It clears the vision to break through to the truth of the present.
In times where most “realities” we are confronted with, have undergone alterations in order to look polished, speaking the truth is a hidden virtue. But transmitting clarity and truth through communication is where true power lies."

When Pauline found out that I am an operasinger, she was very curious what I would think about No5. As a singer it sounds logical that the Voice Chakra would have my intention but it hasn't. The scent is modern, fresh and woody. Every scent develops on your skin, thats why its important to wait until you create your opinion - especially all these seven scents develop extremely. Normally I never would grab to No5 because its too fresh but some time later my skin present the woody notes and I feel much more comfortable with it.
Some may ask: why a singer doesn't identify with the voice chakra? Well, imagine a ballerina - she moves like a feather,

everything looks light, you think she would feel like bird. But every lightness needs grounding, there must be a contrast in this balance! Its important to understand that you cannot just think about what you wish to be or how you see yourself and then the realization of it can satisfy your needs. No, its about what your body really needs to perform. As an opera singer I do high performance sports but you don't see it, its all inside. Thats why the ballet is such an inspiration for me - what you see there is what opera singers do inside the body. Its not just the voice, this tiny little muscle. Its the whole body! When you just use one part, you will loose the control and fall. When a ballerina just stands on her tips but without using the other muscles, she will fall. Thats why I love the No1 - its my grounding, my base in every sense. I need to focus on my root chakra before going on stage because otherwise I am too excited and I loose the full control over my technique and I would fail. The whole time on stage I need this grounding as well, because I give so much energy to the audience and I need this security like a tree its roots. Everything is connected! So the No1 is much more than just a scent, its the deepest knowledge of the universe - and so of us all!

Le Sixieme Parfum: Third Eye Chakra
Silky touch. Intuitive. Remembrence.

"Like a fleeting memory of old times, it reminds me of a new red lipstick, pearl necklace and a familiar embrace. Travel with your mind to distant memories and believe in your intuition. It will wrap around you like silk. Soft Jasmine, iris and Osmanthus captivates you while spicy pink pepper sharpens your vision. Cedar, suede and labdanum form the base of this scent balancing the floral accords in the beginning."

No6 is very nostalgic, though I never had the mother or grandmother with any typical lipstick and perfume scent. This is a very special fragrance that I do not wear on a daily basis. It is not cosy, not glamorous, not sporty - so when do I use it? It is for these moments when I need some help to clarify my thoughts, control my energy and to feel what my intuition guides me. It sounds like a meditation scent and it somehow is. These moments can be every time during work or with family. It is not about to complete the outer appearance. You can be basically grounded, in a good mood but you feel you need this connection to complete yourself. And thats what this perfume is for me: to explore my inner world!

Le Septieme Parfum: Crown Chakra
Spirit. Universe. Bliss.

The last perfume of The Seven Collection comes with cashmere woods, oud and patchouli. Juniper berries and bergamot offer a fresh note, jasmine provides softness. During the root chakra gives you the grounding and is therefore the most important one, the crown chakra gives you the connection to the universe with all its wisdom and peace.

It was a hot summer day in Berlin when I came in touch with The Seven Collection the very first time. No matter which season is, I adore the No1. My second choice in summer was No5, surprisingly! It is not a surprise that we like to change our scents with the changing seasons because our moods change. Smelling all these perfumes in winter again

surprised me so much because I suddenly like No4 now! In summer it was way to sweet and heavy for me, now it embraces me - the heart chakra spoke to me and I realized that I really need more love right now. Also the No7 was not that interesting to me, even though the crown chakra catched me immediatly like the root chakra. Now I smell it again and I adore it!
Pauline Rochas created more than perfumes. She offers a philosophical opportunity to ask for your needs every day! Wrapped in an aesthetic bottle it gives every single soul the possibility to put its own interpretation into it. Pauline took her family roots to a new level!
You ask for my personal favourites of the collection? Our body wants every chakra to pay attention, its all about the balance. But what my soul desires are definitely No1 and No7!

„What are your desires?“