How did you meet each other and what olfactory memory would you associate to your encounter?

C.G: We met at my mother's house but I was little (10 years old) and I don't have any particular olfactory memory of it. On the other hand, I remember very well telling myself that Isabelle looked like a pretty little elf!

I.D: I remember Camille coming to the laboratory on Wednesday afternoons, weighing mini formulas and in particular a raspberry.

Do you remember the precise moment when you decided to create Voyages Imaginaires? Can you tell us about it?

C.G. and I.D.: there is no precise moment, but it had been a long time since we had the desire to create a brand in which we could express other facets of our personalities.

What is the (real) journey that has marked you the most in your life?

C.G: I have had the chance to travel a lot, but it is probably my travels in Polynesia over the last ten years that have moved me the most. The first time I put a toe in Tahiti, I had the impression to go back to a place I had known for a long time and to smell in real life smells that I had already smelled in my dreams.

I.D: What impressed me the most was my childhood in Tahiti where I was rocked by the smells of Ylang and Tiare, and of monoi on Sundays in church.

What would be your favourite imaginary journey?

C.G: a trip to the centre of the earth or to the moon. Or the Milky Way.

I.D: the Temple of Angkor, thanks to the book of the jungle, and Tetiaroa, the bird island off the coast of Tahiti.

Did these two journeys inspire one of your fragrances? If so, which one?

C.G. and I.D.: yes! Le Grand Jeu, a sunny scent, inspired by the tiare flower (Tahitian variety of gardenia) and warm sandy beaches.

What are the differences between a classic fragrance and a 100% natural fragrance (formulas, notes,...)?

C.G. and I.D.: it is more difficult to formulate a 100% natural fragrance because the perfumer's palette is extremely limited and the cost of formulas is much higher.
Moreover, the construction of formulas should not be limited to a simple juxtaposition of notes and it is more complicated to balance them in order to be able to go through with your idea. This implies finding new ways to do so. The unfolding of the perfume on the skin is more alive and less monolithic. It's a journey in itself!

How did you manage to guarantee a hold similar to that of a classic fragrance?

C.G. and I.D.: by having a higher concentration than usual, by favouring certain essences over others and by having no formula cost limitation! Nevertheless, 100% natural formulas are still very slightly less powerful than formulas that contain synthesis, because you only need to put even 5% synthesis in a formula to make it more powerful, which we decided not to do in order to respect our idea.

What was your biggest difficulty in developing these natural formulas? 

C.G. and I.D.: having no natural equivalent to the great classics of synthesis such as Hédione, Ambroxan, White Musks, Methylionone or Evernyl which are extremely effective.

How can you succeed in innovating when you can't use any synthetic notes?

C.G. and I.D.: for us, innovation is not the primary goal, what counts above all is the idea and the sincerity of the subject.

What are your future projects?

C.G. and I.D.: we will soon be able to offer our refills and work on scented derivatives (candles, hand washing gel), another challenge in 100% nat!