Clinique
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The Sichuan pepper crackles across skin with an almost electric snap, immediately joined by violet leaf's green, slightly peppery bite. Cistus adds a subtle honeyed backdrop, but the overwhelming impression is of cool, spiced freshness—more perfumery department than flower shop.
As the pepper fades, rose emerges as the composition's true protagonist, though never exposed. Instead, patchouli wraps around it like smoke, creating a dusty, vaguely woody embrace whilst orange blossom adds a whisper of creamy sweetness. The fragrance has shifted from spiced to distinctly powdery, with an almost vintage quality settling into the skin.
Benzoin and musk take over completely, rendering the fragrance into an increasingly abstract, skin-like texture. The powderiness becomes more pronounced as top notes vanish entirely, leaving a soft, musky-sweet veil that clings closely to the body—barely a projection, but undeniably present for anyone within intimate proximity.
Aromatics In White is a fragrance that whispers rather than shouts—a powdery floral that skews decidedly creamy and intimate despite its unisex positioning. Nicolas Beaulieu has crafted something genuinely unusual here: the top notes open with a peppery snap courtesy of Sichuan pepper and violet leaf, which immediately establishes a green, slightly astringent character that prevents this from ever becoming saccharine. This spiced freshness acts as a crucial counterweight to what would otherwise be an overwhelmingly soft composition.
What makes this scent compelling is the interplay between its competing impulses. The heart is a dense, almost baroque arrangement of rose and orange blossom swaddled in patchouli—a woodsy, earthy anchor that grounds the florals rather than letting them float into skincare-fragrance territory. The patchouli prevents the rose from becoming twee; there's a subtle earthiness that suggests worn linen and vintage botanical prints rather than fresh-cut bouquets.
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3.9/5 (522)