Ex Nihilo
Ex Nihilo
319 votes
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The lychee and bergamot arrive with surprising vibrancy, a fruity-citrus brightness that feels almost effervescent, though the peach immediately tempers any sharpness with its soft, fuzzy character. Within minutes, you notice the fragrance has already begun its retreat—there's no projection here, merely an intimate conversation between skin and scent.
The florals emerge as a supporting ensemble around hour one, with jasmine and orange blossom creating a delicate sweetness that plays against the fruit's lingering tartness. The peony's subtle peppery-green quality prevents the composition from turning saccharine, maintaining the fragrance's cool, slightly austere demeanor as it settles into its most stable phase.
By the fourth hour, only traces remain—a whisper of moss and musk anchoring what's become an almost imperceptible skin scent, barely distinguishable from your own warmth. The woody base notes provide subtle structure, but by this point, you're essentially smelling memory rather than projection.
Fleur Narcotique walks a peculiar tightrope between restraint and indulgence, crafting a fragrance that whispers rather than announces itself. Quentin Bisch has constructed something deliberately ambiguous—a lychee-led fruity composition that refuses the obvious sweetness you'd expect, instead pivoting toward the green, slightly tart edge of the stone fruit. The bergamot provides structural clarity, preventing the composition from dissolving into pure floral mush, whilst the peach adds a velvety contour that softens the citrus's brightness.
What makes this scent genuinely intriguing is how the heart notes don't overwhelm; orange blossom and jasmine layer beneath the fruit rather than dominating it, creating a sophisticated interplay where neither family truly leads. The peony—often a thankless supporting player—adds a slightly peppery, green undertone that prevents the florals from becoming cloying. This is decidedly not a traditional white floral, nor is it a fruity gourmand. Instead, it occupies an unsettling middle ground that feels distinctly European and considerably refined.
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3.8/5 (122)