World of Perfume
State of Mind, our Maison of niche fragrances born in Versailles in 2017, now ships across the United States and Canada. Each of our fourteen perfumes is named for a state of mind and begins with a rare tea or coffee.
What Is State of Mind?
State of Mind is a French house of artistic perfumery, founded in Versailles in 2017 by Catherine Laskine-Balandina. After 25 years in the beauty and luxury industry, she created the Maison to escape the standardization of perfume and luxury retail. Its universe draws on French elegance, the Art Deco style and her Slavic roots.
Every fragrance in the collection is composed by one perfumer, Karine Dubreuil-Sereni. Born and raised in Grasse, she trained at the Roure school, now Givaudan, and has composed fragrances such as Eclat d'Arpège for Lanvin and Envy Me for Gucci.
Our idea begins with synesthesia, the way one sense can call up another. When you taste the tea, you smell the perfume. When you smell the perfume, you imagine a state of mind. And when you think of that state of mind, a taste returns that recalls a color.
Why Our Niche Fragrances Begin With a Cup of Tea
At State of Mind, a fragrance starts with a cup. Each composition is built around a scented tea chosen for the state of mind it expresses, and that tea becomes part of the perfume itself. In the Maison's own words, tea blends become perfume compositions.
The teas cover a wide range: white, green, oolong, black and fermented Puerh, along with rooibos and maté. Each one is blended with some of the same ingredients you will later find in its fragrance, so the cup and the bottle speak the same language. One fragrance takes a different path and begins with pure Colombian Arabica coffee, the only exception in the collection.
That is why choosing a State of Mind perfume becomes a moment of its own, in the spirit of a tea ceremony. To see how each pairing works, read how tea becomes a State of Mind perfume.
From Versailles, Made in France
Our home is in Versailles, in a 1724 mansion that once housed the tribunal of Louis XIV, near the Royal Palace. In 2020 we opened our Olfactory Tea Room there, a salon where tea tasting and perfume are experienced together.
The same care goes into every bottle. The triangular Art Deco flacon is hand-polished in 33 separate operations, engraved with hot gold and closed with a magnetic crystal cap.
From Versailles to North America
Travel has always been part of our founder's life and of the Maison's character. Made in France, State of Mind has grown from a single address in Versailles to a presence in more than 60 countries. North America was the natural next step: a luxury perfume house from Versailles, offered directly to those who look for something they have not smelled before.
We arrive with an idea that remains unique in the world of fragrance. No other house has built an entire perfume collection on tea notes, and every State of Mind fragrance still begins with its cup. Today, our online boutique ships the full collection across the United States and Canada.
Where to Begin
If you are not sure where to start, begin with all fourteen. The Discovery Kit gathers the full collection in fourteen 1.5 ml samples, presented in rigid gold packaging. Wear them over several days, notice which one stays with you, and let that become your 100 ml bottle.
If you would rather begin with two quick questions, take our perfume quiz and meet the fragrance that fits your mood.
