L'Artisan Parfumeur - Séville à l'Aube

I can still remember the time when first and second dates lasted until dawn. Sometimes, if they occurred during the right season and the right place the air was perfumed with wonderful night blooms, from jasmine to orange blossom, a hint of sea air and/or pine trees. Nights like that are unforgettable and magical. I married the last guy with whom I spent such a night. Denyse Beaulieu had her experience made into a perfume by Bertrand Duchaufour.

A quick recap for those who unfamiliar with the story behind the creation of L'Artisan Parfumeur's Séville à l'Aube: Journalist and blogger Denyse Beaulieu (Grain de Musc) enchanted superstar perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour with a story about a sensual night she spent in Seville, Spain, many years ago. The results were the creation of Séville à l'Aube, a perfume that's supposed to capture the memory of that night, and The Perfume Lover, a book that tells the story of the process that led to Séville à l'Aube. Here's my husband's review of the book.

I've been hoarding my sample of L'Artisan's Séville à l'Aube since I first got it in March. My first impression was that the fragrance smelled better on the Blond, whose skin responds extremely well to both incense and white flowers. I could smell the duality of this perfume on him, air buzzing with sensuality yet something somber and almost melancholy in the dry-down. During the cool days of early spring the orange blossoms and orange rinds didn't develop enough on me and smelled nice but a bit flat. This has changed drastically as the weather warmed. The orange blossoms bloomed in full and reached that point of heady ripeness (and a little beyond), combined with honey and benzoin to remind you of all things that happen on and to the skin. Séville à l'Aube doesn't reach full indole power and is in fact lighter and friendlier than one might have expected from certain parts of the book. It is beautiful, though, as the composition of hot night air, incense, resins and that oriental core is enchanting and entirely pleasing. It's a good thing that Séville à l'Aube comes in a 100ml bottle, because the husband and I will be sharing this one (and spraying with abandon).

Notes: petitgrain, petitgrain citronnier, orange blossom absolute, beeswax absolute, incense resinoid, Luisieri lavender absolute and Siam benzoin resinoid.

Séville à l'Aube by L'Artisan Parfumeur will start arriving at the boutiques and counters between July and September. Rumor has it that some places have already got the testers but I have yet to see one in NYC. This review is based on a PR sample that was sent to me along with the book.

Photo: Seville at dawn by David & Catherine Thambiratnam.