The story of Paloma Picasso
Paloma Picasso is the daughter of Pablo Picasso and Françoise Gilot. She made her name designing jewellery, notably for Tiffany. In 1984 she created a beauty line under her own name. The project began at Warner Cosmetics, part of Warner Communications, and soon passed to L'Oréal. The first scent was simply called Mon Parfum. It came out as an eau de toilette first, then as an eau de parfum. Its round bottle with a hollow centre recalls a piece of jewellery. In 1992 came Minotaure, the house's only men's fragrance. The name points to a figure Pablo Picasso drew many times. Michel Almairac composed it as an oriental fougère. The Fragrance Foundation France marked its thirtieth birthday in 2022.
An olfactory signature
Paloma Picasso has kept a short and coherent line. Mon Parfum is a dense chypre where flowers and spice sit on oakmoss and patchouli. It resembles its author: black hair, sharp lines and deep red lipstick. Minotaure is an oriental fougère. Lavender and aromatic notes meet a warm base of vanilla and woods. Both carry a kind of authority. Neither tried to follow trends, which probably explains why they have lasted.
Which Paloma Picasso perfume to choose?
Mon Parfum is for lovers of classic chypres. It is powerful, so one spray is enough, ideally in autumn or winter. If modern chypres feel too tame to you, it is a useful benchmark. Minotaure suits men who like warm fougères, at the office or at night. It is affordable and easy to find. Both have been reformulated, like most scents from that period. Test on skin before you buy.