The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
The name translates from French as "to be here and elsewhere," a phrase about the strange vertigo of existing in two places at once. Sabé Masson composed this fragrance as part of the Le Soft Perfume collection, her line of soft, skin-leaning scents. It was built not as a performance piece but as something quieter, something to wear close rather than loud. The collection has drawn attention for a softer formulation philosophy, positioning fragrance closer to skincare than to traditional perfumery's more aggressive alcohol bases, and Être Ici Et Ailleurs fits squarely within that approach. Masson's work with this fragrance leans into the quiet end of the spectrum, a scent built for proximity rather than projection, for the wearer rather than the room.
What sets Être Ici Et Ailleurs apart is how it stacks pink pepper against heliotrope and narcissus, a contrast between the warm prick of spice and the sweetness of florals that read almost confectionary. Heliotrope in particular is a polarizing note, carrying an almond-marshmallow quality that reads nostalgic to some and suffocating to others. The pink pepper cuts through that sweetness with a clean, dry bite that keeps the whole composition from tipping into dessert territory.
The evolution
The pink pepper announces itself in the first 15 minutes, dry and bright, almost like biting into a peppercorn without the heat. It pulls back quickly as heliotrope slides in, bringing that powdered almond sweetness that defines the next few hours. Iris arrives underneath, adding a cool, rooty earthiness that keeps the floral from going too pretty. By hour three or four, the white florals have settled and vanilla starts to surface, creamy and unhurried, like the last note to arrive at a gathering. The sandalwood base carries it forward, warm and woody without going heavy, a foundation that smells more like skin than like timber. As the hours pass, what lingers is a faint sweetness, almost like fabric softener or a vanilla pod left in a closed drawer.
Cultural impact
Being here and elsewhere captures something specific about the Le Soft Perfume concept: a fragrance that doesn't try to project or announce. Wearers gravitate toward it as a personal, intimate scent, the kind you catch on a scarf or a pillow rather than across a room. The heliotrope-forward composition gives it a nostalgic pull, that almond-marshmallow softness that recalls older perfumery traditions rather than the cleaner, more transparent florals that dominate contemporary releases. There's a quietness to it that feels deliberate, a fragrance designed for the wearer rather than for anyone walking past.
