Portuguese Lavender has a name: Ach. Brito

This typically masculine eau fraîche is a lavender-based fragrance that has become a legend in Portugal. Maybe it is because of its concentration, which is similar to that of Eaux de Colognes or maybe it is the elegant glass flacon.

By Mario de Castro . 02/05/02

Porto, 1887: At a time when running water pipes didn't even exist, Claus & Schweder, the first factory of scented products and soaps came into existence. Back then, the company sold a lavender fragrance that had an air of Parisian perfumes, the ultimate fragrance that soon won over the Portuguese high society.

Because of World War I, the German-born owners returned to their country. After being auctioned off, the factory became the property of their Portuguese partner, Achilles de Brito who was to carry on the tradition. This lavender fragrance, whose formula is passed down succeeding generations, continues to stand out thanks to its quality and the advertising slogan, which translates to "No one can make a better perfume". Today, the fragrance enjoys notable success in the hippest stores in America whose clients are also very much taken with the handmade, traditional soap bars that are wrapped in a pretty paper decorated with drawings by famous illustrators of the time. And Europe is starting to take an interest in it.

Lavanda, an eau de Cologne which at first appealed to men, very soon became an essential element of women's toiletries. A delight for the senses, tonic, fresh, and above all very elegant, Lavanda symbolizes a certain Mediterranean taste for eaux fraîches versus heady fragrances.
Today, the factory still belongs to the same family (fourth generation). Its renown increased thanks to the introduction of other products of the same line, which includes a moisturizing cream and a shaving cream. These products are formulated with the same quality raw materials that made the success of Lavanda.
Ach. Brito might no longer be the most important perfume and soap factory in Portugal, but it nonetheless remains one the few left that perpetuate a high quality ancestral know-how.

For more information:

Ach. Brito & Co. Lda, Zona industrial Varziela, R6. Lt6. 4480 Vila do Conde, Portugal, tél. : (00 351) 252 637 403, fax : (00 351) 252 637 383, email : achbrito.claus@mail.telepac.pt