Paris-based fragrance brand Maison Francis Kurkdjian will release its new eau de toilette, "Aqua Vitae," on October 1st. The fragrance, which took 18 months from conception to commercialization, was inspired by Kurkdjian's own vacation experiences. "While riding a moped on a hot, dry day, I felt a warmth that enveloped and caressed my body, and discovered the beauty in simple life. I created this fragrance with the image of the beauty of living in mind," Kurkdjian said. "Aqua Vitae" means "water of life." Top notes include Madagascar vanilla and tonka bean, which evokes the warmth of skin. Heart notes include guaiac wood, which evokes the saltiness of sweaty skin, and hedione, which evokes the wind and air, followed by lemon and mandarin. "Just as a composer selects musical notes and a novelist selects words, I select each scent to suit them," he says.

Maison Francis Kurkdjian was founded in 2009. It proposes a "fragrance wardrobe" that changes fragrances to suit the occasion. With a couture-inspired design, the brand includes the word "Maison" in its name. It arrived in Japan in September last year, and its best-seller is the citrus-flavored "Aqua Universalis."