An unusual tropical fruit composition by perfumer Pascal Gaurin, with an elegant, richly textured drydown that makes this new American fragrance worth discovering.
Maison d’Etto was founded in 2019 by Brianna Lipovsky, whose background in luxury branding and creative direction helped shape this independent American fragrance house. A lifelong equestrian and competitive dressage rider, Lipovsky built the collection around horses that have played meaningful roles in her life, interpreting those relationships through fragrance. The house has collaborated with accomplished perfumers including Carlos Benaïm, Céline Barel, Mackenzie Reilly and Rodrigo Flores-Roux.
Its ninth fragrance, Pinehurst, takes its name from a beloved horse affectionately called Pineapple. Lipovsky rode him during a period of personal change, navigating new motherhood and a return to work. Riding offered an opportunity to reconnect with herself, and that experience became the inspiration for the fragrance, appropriately titled The Radiant Return to Self. It also marks the house’s first venture into fruit-forward perfumery, a direction Lipovsky approached deliberately. As she explains in the press release, she wanted to move beyond the sweetness traditionally associated with fruity fragrances and explore fruit materials with greater depth and nuance.
The Perfumer
Pinehurst was composed by Pascal Gaurin, Vice President and Senior Perfumer at International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF). Trained at ISIPCA in Versailles, Gaurin has been with IFF since 1995 and has created fragrances for houses including Amouage, Tom Ford, Kilian and Armani Privé. This is his second collaboration with Maison d’Etto, following Noisette.
Known for his command of resins, deep woods and animalic materials, Gaurin approached Pinehurst as an exploration of what he calls the “dichotomy between light and shadow.” He describes using Hawaianate, an aroma material that contributes a sunlit pineapple effect, alongside rambutan for its juicy red-fruit character. Pink pepper adds spice, while cedarwood and leathery cypriol help introduce the darker, pine-like character of the composition. It is a particularly interesting approach to tropical fruit, and having worn the fragrance extensively, I think he has handled the balance beautifully.
The Perfume
The opening of Pinehurst features rambutan, blood orange and pink pepper. I actually had to look up rambutan, a tropical fruit closely related to lychee, with a juicy, delicately sweet character reminiscent of grape and soft rose. In perfumery, its fragrance is generally recreated through an accord rather than extracted directly from the fruit. Given that combination, I expected something quite light and refreshing, and the opening does have a lovely brightness. However, this is a much deeper fragrance than the notes initially suggest.
The heart introduces pineapple, jasmine, rose and geranium, while the base brings together oud, pine, woods, leather and Cashmeran. Ripe pineapple can easily suggest something overly sweet, but that never happens on my skin. The florals soften the fruit without making it sugary, and the darker materials gradually give the composition a beautiful richness. For me, the drydown is where the magic happens. The leather and woods become more prominent, with an almost boozy warmth that I find particularly attractive. It is a deep, substantial fragrance, yet there is a prettiness and elegance to it that makes it very wearable. I enjoy fruity leather perfumes, but I honestly cannot think of another in my collection that smells quite like this.
I wore Pinehurst throughout the evening, and it lasted all night on my skin, occasionally giving me beautiful wafts of fragrance. It doesn’t project particularly loudly on me, but its staying power is remarkable. I could still smell it on my hand after taking a shower. I would recommend applying it sparingly because too much could overwhelm the senses and make it difficult to appreciate the nuances of the composition. Although it is marketed as gender-inclusive, I find it feminine enough for my personal taste while easily imagining it on a man. For me, this is a wonderful fall and winter perfume, particularly for special evenings.
At $300 for 60 ml, Pinehurst is certainly a luxury purchase, and I recommend sampling before committing to a full bottle. I’ve also tried the house’s earlier I-Dream, composed by Rodrigo Flores-Roux, with its warm milk, saddle leather, vanilla and frankincense. While I appreciate that fragrance, I prefer Pinehurst. The contrast between its tropical fruit, florals and substantial woody foundation is far more appealing to me.
What impresses me most is Gaurin’s ability to maintain that balance throughout the fragrance’s development. The fruit provides brightness without excessive sweetness, the darker materials create depth without sacrificing elegance, and the drydown is genuinely beautiful. I really like this perfume, and it has earned a place among the fragrances I look forward to wearing during the colder months.
Elevated Classics Classification
Primary Category: Elevated Niche
Secondary Tags: Creative Director-Led
Production Notes: Fragrances created in partnership with independent perfumers and produced through external laboratories with clear artistic direction from the founder
Signature Themes: Memory, nature, equestrian identity, emotional storytelling
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