This new episode of On Tour with Nose takes us behind the scenes of Maison Trudon. Through an intimate conversation, Hugo Ferroux and Émilie Bouge reveal the genesis of Carmen: their new eau de parfum where historical heritage meets vibrant modernity.
From Ernesto to Carmen: A Shared Note
It all began with Ernesto, Trudon’s iconic candle. Following the enthusiasm surrounding this olfactory signature, many clients expressed the desire to see Ernesto reimagined as a fragrance — calling for a premium and sophisticated interpretation designed for the skin.
The image that guided its creation remains unchanged: a cigar slowly burning in an ashtray, a leather armchair, an atmosphere of quiet power. Hugo Ferroux describes Ernesto as a portrait of strength — tobacco as an attribute of character, almost masculine in its authority.”
Carmen draws from the very same tobacco accord as Ernesto, yet radically transforms its narrative. Inspired by the figure of Carmen and her rolled tobacco leaves, the material abandons authority here in favor of seduction. As Hugo Ferroux explains, where Ernesto asserts strength, Carmen turns tobacco into an emblem of love — infinitely sensual. The same raw material, but a different soul: the very essence of haute parfumerie.
A Skin Fragrance, Designed for Two
Carmen is a skin fragrance in the most literal sense: it evokes the warmth of someone close, the trace left behind on bedsheets, the olfactory memory of a loved one.
“This idea of a couple sharing the same fragrance. The presence of someone lingering in the sheets, waiting for the other to return.”
A simple image. A rare unisex fragrance that tells the story of a relationship rather than a gender. It can be worn by one, the other, or both together. That is both its narrative strength and its sensory beauty.
The Olfactory Pyramid: Raw Materials from Around the World
Tobacco is the guiding thread of Carmen — inherited from Ernesto and reinterpreted in a softer, more sensual register.
Émilie Bouge composed Carmen around carefully sourced natural ingredients: Indonesian patchouli, Spanish rosemary, Virginian cedarwood, and Asian benzoin. Materials gathered from the four corners of the world, united within a single bottle.
Émilie’s creative approach is rooted in one conviction: blending raw materials from different parts of the world is the only way to guarantee a truly authentic creation. For her, it is precisely this diversity of origins that elevates and enriches every fragrance.
Why Carmen Deserves Attention
Carmen is not simply the translation of a candle into perfume. It is a creation in its own right, fully embracing the transition from flame to skin. Hugo Ferroux and Émilie Bouge took the necessary time to ensure the result was irreproachable.
The outcome is a fragrance with real character — warm, sensual, and inhabited — extending the Trudon universe without ever repeating it.
Discover Carmen and the world of Trudon in our selection below.
