AWAY: PARIS, FRANCE
WITH FRANCES, ABEL FOUNDER
Wander the streets of Paris with Frances, founder of Abel, an innovative fine fragrance brand using biotechnology to formulate with 100% natural ingredients.
In this first installment of our AWAY series, Frances shares her must-visit Parisian spots, most memorable moments, and travel essentials she won't leave home without.
UPCOMING EVENT
Meet Frances at HH Wine Club on November 14th. Tickets on sale now.
WHERE ARE YOU?
Paris!
WHAT BROUGHT YOU HERE?
Signing off our new scent (coming mid-November) with Isaac Sinclair our master perfumer, and spending time with our European retail team at Paris Fashion Week.
WHAT WILL STAY WITH YOU?
I had spent a long day in the lab with Isaac in which we signed off our new eau de parfum. After months (sometimes years) of working on a scent, making that final decision — the last brushstroke as it were — can be really difficult (especially on jetlag!).
When I left the lab, I sprayed the new perfume on myself for the first time and ventured out into the streets of Paris before meeting our team for dinner. Enroute I wandered into a beautiful little interior design store in the Marais and the very chic French lady behind the counter asked me what perfume I was wearing and where she could buy it…it was such a magical moment!
The most charming confirmation I could have got that we’d got the scent just right.
MUST SEE SHOPS/EATS/VIEWS?
Le Corbusier’s apartment and studio in the 16th. It was designed in the 1930s by the artist and architect himself and is a lesser known Paris must-see.
It was the first residential building to feature a glass facade and has been a designated UNESCO World Heritage site since 2016. Stop by for a guided tour of the 7th floor dwelling and escape into Jeanneret’s world of style-defining Modernist designs.
Le Servan is a traditional French bistro serving Asian-inspired fare. Run by two French-Filipina sisters, Le Servan has a focus on organic, local and sustainable produce. I’m a big fan of their environmentally-friendly ethos and their natural wine list in equal measure.
Bar des Prés, Saint Germain is an unmissable spot in the 6th serving classic cocktails with a Japanese twist. Sit at the bar and you’ll have a view of the sushi masters expertly making handrolls alongside deft mixologists building whiskey martinis. Try the Matcha Picchu, a take on a pisco sour with matcha and lemon.
That said, a croissant and black coffee from almost any boulangerie in Paris is one of my all time favourite food and drink pairings.
WHAT ESSENTIALS DID YOU PACK?
- Activist Mānuka Honey Mask - A gorgeous product from a fellow New Zealand founder. The perfect skin hydrant on tired jetlagged skin!
- LESSE Gua Sha Sculpting Tool has become a travel must have for me - I whip it out during a layover, put my legs up the wall and let the body and face drain!
- Corpus Neroli Deodorant - I never go anywhere without this beautifully scented deodorant stick!
- Abel Laundry Day Eau de Parfum - We launched this fresh scent in Northern Hemisphere spring (so NZ autumn) and I was dying to wear it in Europe Summer for the first time.
- Monastary Universal Balm - perfect for anything dry, at any moment, during a taxing trip!
- Rahua hair products have been a staple in my routine for more than a decade and their travel sizes are perfect for on the go.
SHOP ABEL
