The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Jérôme Epinette designed Bonbon Tree for And Other Stories in 2015, building from an unusual foundation: carrot seed, blackcurrant, and lemon at the opening. The name suggests something edible, something gathered, yet the composition leans botanical rather than sweet. It was conceived as a fragrance for people who notice details, who find interest in unexpected combinations. The brand's ethos of personal storytelling found an unlikely vehicle here, not a simple narrative, but something with texture and hidden corners.
What makes Bonbon Tree work is the tension between its notes. Carrot seed is unusual in perfumery, it's earthy, slightly mineral, almost rootlike. Against bright blackcurrant and lemon, it becomes something different than the sum of its parts. Violet bridges the opening and heart, adding a powdery softness that prepares the skin for leather. The base, sandalwood, vanilla, vetiver, is warm without being heavy. It's a fragrance that earns attention through contrast rather than volume.
The evolution
Bonbon Tree opens bright. Blackcurrant and lemon arrive together, sharp and tart, with carrot seed lending an earthy undertone that prevents the fruit from becoming sweet. Within twenty minutes, violet emerges, powdery and slightly floral, as leather begins to warm against the skin. The transition isn't dramatic. It's quiet. The heart lasts roughly two hours, shifting gradually toward the base. By hour three, vetiver and Mysore sandalwood take over, softened by vanilla. What lingers is warm, woody, close to the skin. The drydown stays intimate, you have to lean in to find it. On fabric, it persists longer, releasing faint warmth hours later.
Cultural impact
Bonbon Tree represents a notable moment in indie perfumery's embrace of unconventional materials. Carrot seed as a primary top note is genuinely rare in mainstream fragrance, making this 2015 release a quiet statement that unusual ingredients can belong in accessible, wearable compositions. The And Other Stories brand, rooted in fashion-forward Scandinavian minimalism, used Bonbon Tree to position itself not as a fashion house playing in fragrance but as a lifestyle brand with genuine olfactory ambition. The reception highlighted how carrot seed provided an earthy, mineral quality that grounded the fruitiness without sweetness, a balance many wearers found distinctive.
