A love affair

Let yourself be swept away to a dreamy boudoir in Paris… The scent of vintage make-up and powdery perfumes drifts towards you, and the beautiful bottles gleam in the warm light.

It began last March, on a rainy morning in Paris. Heidi (Founder) and Denise (Manager, Boutique The Hague) were visiting the city of love to gather inspiration at the lifestyle & decoration fair, Maison&Objet. On their final morning, after a fresh croissant and a coffee at Café Kitsuné, they decided to visit the beautiful department store Le Bon Marché. The store has been open since 1838, has a stunning interior and carries the most exclusive brands. In the beauty department, Heidi and Denise smell, swatch and test to their hearts’ content. Until their eye is caught by a stand of sweet, pink packaging and vintage-looking products…

And so the love affair between Babassu and Bienaimé began.

Since 1935

The French fragrance house Bienaimé was founded in 1935 by Robert Bienaimé, one of the most gifted noses of his generation, who launched five perfumes in his very first year. The floral La Vie En Fleurs and the soft Vermeil were created at that time and still form part of the collection today.

When Robert Bienaimé died in 1960, the house lay dormant for decades, before being reborn in 2021 under the direction of Cécilia Mergui. She came across a Bienaimé powder compact at an online flea market and fell for the brand at once. The fact that this beauty object was refillable, well ahead of its time, and spoke to her love of Art Deco aesthetics made her an instant fan. True to Robert Bienaimé’s heritage, Cecilia follows in the founder’s footsteps. With today’s collection of perfumes, bath and body products and a lip balm, she honours the splendour of the house of Bienaimé, in a fresh new guise!