Heritage
A house, in its own words
Terry de Gunzburg began her career studying medicine before she left the classroom to train as a makeup artist. Her early work caught the eye of fashion houses, and in 1992 she created the concealer‑highlighter that YSL released as Touche Éclat, a product that still appears in beauty aisles today. Building on that breakthrough, she launched her own cosmetics label in 1998, offering makeup that emphasized both performance and artistic expression. The brand quickly earned a reputation among stylists for its daring colour palettes and innovative textures. In 2012 the company introduced its first fragrance, Ombre Mercure, a scent that paired metallic notes with a smoky base, signaling a shift from colour to olfactory storytelling. The following year Terry de Gunzburg released Terryfic Oud, an ode to the resinous wood that would become a recurring theme. 2015 proved especially prolific; the house unveiled Ombre Mercure Extreme, Terryfic Oud Extrême, Terryfic Oud L'Eau and a Russian Gold edition of Thé Glacé Aqua Parfum, each pushing concentration or presentation further than the last. 2017 added Délectation Splendide, a floral‑amber composition that earned praise for its balance of sweetness and depth. The most recent fragrance, Goutte De Mercure (2018), revisits the metallic motif with a fresher, aquatic twist. Throughout its evolution, the brand has remained anchored in Terry’s original belief that beauty should engage all senses, a principle that guides both its cosmetics and its perfume line.
The house approaches perfumery as a laboratory where visual art meets chemistry. Terry de Gunzburg believes that a scent should echo the drama of a runway look, so each fragrance starts with a visual concept that is then translated into notes. The brand values transparency in ingredient sourcing and strives to pair rare natural materials with modern synthetics to achieve contrast without sacrificing harmony. Storytelling sits at the core of every launch; names such as Ombre Mercure or Terryfic Oud reference alchemical ideas, inviting wearers to imagine a narrative beyond the bottle. Sustainability informs the sourcing strategy, and the company works with farms that practice responsible harvesting, especially for oud. While the line remains limited in volume, the brand seeks to offer collectors pieces that feel both experimental and timeless, encouraging users to build a personal olfactory archive.