Anatomy of a Scent
A perfume is not one smell. It is three, arranged to unfold over hours. What you smell in the shop is gone within minutes. What lingers on a scarf the next day is something else entirely. Here is how a fragrance is built, from the first spritz to the last trace.
Longevity
6 to 8 hours
Sillage
moderate, an arm's length
Composed
2024
Materials
38 in the formula
Top notes
The opening. Bright volatile citrus and herbs that announce the scent and vanish within fifteen minutes. Here, bergamot and pink pepper.
Heart notes
The body. The character that emerges as the top fades and holds for a few hours. Here, rose, jasmine and a thread of saffron.
Base notes
The memory. Heavy resins and woods that anchor everything and last into the next day. Here, oud, amber and vetiver.
"A perfume is like a piece of music. You do not hear all the notes at once. You hear them arrive and leave.
"Jean Claude Ellena · perfumer
Always test on skin, never paper. Your own warmth and chemistry change a scent more than any other ingredient.