Eau de parfum 301 : sandalwood, amber and cardamom

EDITOR'S NOTE

Barefoot on the teak decking of a sailboat, soaking up the scorching heat. Or on the road leading to the Taj Mahal, vegetation revealing its sensual and bewitching curves.

Seduced by its assertive character? It’s so easy to give in to the captivating spicy amber aromas of this fragrance. The top notes see a battle between warm and cold spices, with cumin vying with cardamom to create a tension that exhilarates the entire scent. Behind this power lies the floral softness of jasmine, which adds volume and carries the sandalwood. The rich and intense facets of this wood become warm, sweet, and milky. With its distinguished notes of dry woods, cedar elegantly completes the composition.

What is a cold spice?
It might seem strange but, just like colors, spices can be warm or cool. Cardamom is considered to be a cold spice, unlike cinnamon, cumin, cloves, or nutmeg, for example. It has a slightly green, initially camphoric, terpenic scent, which is what earned the spice this label. Juniper berry also belongs to this family and injects real vigor. Karine Dubreuil Sereni used this spice in Bon Parfumeur's Eau de parfum 004 to recreate the idea of an icy gin. Perfumers use these fresh and explosive notes to structure the openings to their creations, drawing on warmer ones to build the heart and body of fragrances. Warm ingredients also add sensuality. Here, cumin introduces an animalistic dimension.

What is amber?
Amber reminds us of the scents of ambergris and oriental fragrances. These perfumes have sweet, smooth, vanilla-like notes with accents of cistus labdanum. Although we all picture amber as a yellow-colored substance, this isn’t the kind used in perfumery.

THE DETAILS

• A cold spicy sandalwood
• Top notes: Cypress, Cumin, Ylang Ylang, Thyme, Cardamom
• Heart notes: Jasmine, Coconut, Cedar
• Base notes: Sandalwood, Benzoin, Patchouli, Amber
• Cruelty-free
• 100% Made in France
• Available in the following sizes: Travel size 15ml (0.5 fl.oz.), 30ml (1 fl.oz.), and 100ml (3.3 fl.oz.)