Estēe Lauder
Estēe Lauder
186 votes
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Ylang-ylang absolute erupts with an almost honeyed fleshiness, immediately brightened by geranium's green-leafy bite and bergamot's crisp citrus. There's an almost aquatic quality here, the top notes crystalline and fresh despite the florality.
As the opening retreats, Ceylon cinnamon emerges with unexpected spice—almost peppery—cutting through a graceful Bulgarian rose and frankincense blend that smells vaguely temple-like, resinous. The powdery accord builds here, softening what could have been an overly aromatic composition into something silky and skin-like.
Amber and sandalwood form a creamy, faintly talcum'd base, with vanilla providing subtle caramel roundness. The fragrance becomes deeply personal, almost unnoticeable except when you turn your head or someone leans close—a whispered rather than declared presence.
Honourable Blanc has crafted something quietly luxurious here—a fragrance that eschews modern perfumery's obsession with projection in favour of intimate, creamy indulgence. Amber Ylang Ylang opens with a deceptively bright ylang-ylang absolute that's tempered immediately by geranium's green-tinged herbality and bergamot's citrus snap, preventing the floral from tipping into hedonistic territory. What makes this composition compelling is the frank spiciness of Ceylon cinnamon threading through the Bulgarian rose and frankincense heart; that cinnamon acts as a tether, keeping the florals grounded and adding a subtle peppery warmth rather than sweetness.
The base is where Blanc's restraint becomes apparent. Rather than the amber drowning everything in a honeyed shroud, it sits alongside sandalwood and vanilla in a sort of olfactory truce—each allowing the others to breathe. The sandalwood carries a creamy, almost talcum-like character that amplifies the powdery accord without making this feel dated or grandmotherly. Vanilla adds roundness but never saccharine depth.
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Stirling Soap
3.8/5 (151)