In the interest of transparency, we present a short exhibition of formulas that did not reach the shelf. Wet Dog, Distant (rejected for being too close). Vacuum Cleaner at Midnight (rejected, by the testers, with a kind of screaming). Bath Water, Reconsidered (the less said, the better). And Postman (a rich, citrus accord, aborted after nine cats left the building).
We include these failures not out of shame but out of respect for the process. Every great perfume stands on a pile of wrecks, and Aurelien keeps each in a cabinet, labelled in his careful hand. Recently we were able to restore one: Distant Dog, a mild, far away, almost respectful accord of wet fur, now available at $75. It is, we feel, a triumph of distance. Nobody asked for it. We made it anyway.
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