The story of Lolita Lempicka
The designer behind Lolita Lempicka built a romantic look in the 1980s, all lace and storybook references. Perfume followed in 1997. Annick Menardo composed a bewitched-apple scent, sold in a violet bottle shaped like the fruit. It has sold steadily ever since. In 2000 Menardo also created Au Masculin, which carries the liquorice and anise into men's territory. For about twenty years an outside partner ran the licence. In 2016 the brand took it back. Soon after, the original scent got a new bottle and a new name, Le Premier Parfum. Menardo returned in 2020 to rework the 1997 formula. More recently Oh Ma Biche added a new character to the house's bestiary, the doe.
An olfactory signature
At Lolita Lempicka sugar is never plain. Le Premier Parfum mixes cherry, praline and vanilla with a green ivy note, then anise and liquorice. It is gourmand, with a bitter edge that stops it from cloying. Au Masculin applies the same idea for men: liquorice, absinthe and tonka bean over woods. Sweet and Oh Ma Biche push further into softness, with fruit and flowers more forward. Mon Premier Parfum keeps the original's structure in a gentler mood. The house has stayed loyal to that tension between candy and herbal medicine.
Which Lolita Lempicka perfume to choose?
Le Premier Parfum is where to start. If anise bothers you, it will not work for you, and neither will the rest of the line. Mon Premier Parfum is a softer reading. Sweet is sugarier and younger. Oh Ma Biche is the most floral and suits spring. For men, Au Masculin works from autumn into winter, with two sprays on the chest. Au Masculin Intense adds depth and holds up better at night. These scents get noticed, so go easy in a closed office.