The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
The name says it all. L'Eau des Immortels, The Water of the Immortals, speaks to something ancient in perfumery: the idea of a substance that endures, that carries weight beyond its immediate scent. The concept has roots in old stories of seekers chasing something that couldn't be lost or worn away. Voyages Imaginaires approached this fragrance with that sense of timelessness in mind. Isabelle Doyen crafted it in 2023, building the formula around immortelle, a material known for its persistence on skin, its hay-honey warmth that settles into memory rather than fading. The composition emphasizes depth and longevity, creating a scent that evolves as it wears, becoming something intimate and lasting.
Immortelle (helichrysum) is the star of the show here, a material known for extraordinary longevity on skin, for its ability to remain present hour after hour rather than dissipating into the air. Its hay-honey character anchors the composition, providing a warm, slightly medicinal sweetness that never becomes cloying. Combined with labdanum's resinous depth, benzoin's sweet balsamic warmth, and tonka's edible richness, the structure layers warmth upon warmth until the fragrance stops being something you wear and starts being something you're in.
The evolution
It opens bright. Bergamot cuts through first, brief and citrus-sharp, before immortelle arrives with that distinctive hay-honey note. The bergamot fades as the resinous heart takes over, benzoin and labdanum blending into amber, chocolate appearing in the mid-phase to deepen everything. This middle stage lasts for hours. Then tonka and vanilla emerge as immortelle settles into skin-warm hay, a quiet intensity that doesn't announce itself anymore. Eight to ten hours, depending on your skin. The next morning, there's something left. A faint warmth on the inside of the wrist. Not projection anymore. Just presence.
Cultural impact
L'Eau des Immortels centers on immortelle's distinctive character, a warm, hay-honey note with unusual persistence. Labdanum's resinous depth and benzoin's sweet balsamic warmth layer beneath, with tonka's edible richness adding sweetness. A bitter chocolate note grounds the composition with darker complexity. Those who connect with immortelle tend to connect deeply with this fragrance.
The House
Voyages ImaginairesA French perfume house established in 2020 by Camille Goutal and Isabelle Doyen, two perfumers united by their passion for natural materials and olfactory storytelling. Their collection centers on the concept of the voyage, transforming destinations into sensory experiences. The house built its identity around 100% natural compositions at a time when the fragrance industry increasingly relied on synthetic materials. Each fragrance corresponds to a place the founders have encountered, inviting wearers into imagined journeys. Their debut collection drew from five initial destinations: Morocco, the Mediterranean coast, Asia, French Polynesia, and London. Notable releases include Tea and Rock'n Roll, Le Grand Jeu, La Couleur de la Nuit, L'Eau des Immortels, and Comme Un Gant. The house appeared on the Persolaise Love at First Scent podcast, introducing their work to an international audience of fragrance enthusiasts.
The Creator
Isabelle DoyenIsabelle favors a transparent structure that lets each ingredient speak. She builds foundations with classic French absolutes—jasmine, rose, and labdanum—then weaves in unexpected accents such as smoked cedar, ambergris, or a hint of metallic ion.
