De Charlotte
Eau de Toilette
Goutal
Favourite
Annick Goutal
Known for lyrical, memory-driven compositions, often translating personal places and people into perfume. Early signatures include luminous citrus constructions such as Eau d’Hadrien and classical, opulent florals like Gardénia Passion and Rose Absolue, typically rendered with transparent textures rather than heavy oriental structures.
About
Annick Goutal (born 1946, France) first trained as a concert pianist and later worked as a fashion model before discovering perfumery during a modeling job in Grasse. There she met perfumer Henri Sorsana, who trained her for around seven years in Grasse, teaching her composition and raw materials. She opened her first Paris boutique in 1977 with three fragrances, including Folavril and Passion, and founded the house Annick Goutal Parfums around 1980. One of her earliest and most emblematic creations is Eau d’Hadrien (1981), a citrus scent that became a global bestseller and remains a brand pillar. She later composed notable florals such as Gardénia Passion and Rose Absolue, helping to establish her label as a reference in French niche perfumery. Goutal died in 1999 after a battle with breast cancer; the brand and its perfumery work are continued by her daughter Camille Goutal and long-time collaborator Isabelle Doyen.
Notable Creations
- Eau d’Hadrien
- Folavril
- Passion
- Gardénia Passion
- Rose Absolue
Training
Independent / trained under Henri Sorsana in Grasse
