Ex Nihilo
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The bergamot arrives with a subtle citrine shimmer, but it's immediately shadowed by lilac's powdery, slightly grape-like florality. There's a civilised brightness here, yet something decidedly creamy lurking beneath—you sense the mimosa waiting in the wings, already warming the composition's edges.
The mimosa and iris take centre stage now, the fragrance blooming into its full powdery, creamy identity. The sweetness intensifies without becoming saccharine; instead, it develops a soft, almost skinlike quality, as though you're wearing expensive talcum powder infused with honeyed florals. The iris provides a subtle astringency that keeps everything grounded in elegance rather than pure indulgence.
The base notes emerge with quiet authority—bourbon vanilla rounds out the sweetness whilst patchouli and vetiver introduce earthy, woody notes that feel almost smoky in contrast. The powdery floral character lingers but transforms, becoming drier and more herbaceous, less ornament and more skin scent as the hours advance.
Sweet Morphine is a fragrance that seduces through restraint rather than proclamation. Nathalie Gracia-Cetto has constructed something deliberately intoxicating—a study in how floral sweetness, when married to creamy textures and powdery softness, becomes almost narcotic in its appeal.
The lilac and bergamot open with a genteel brightness, but this is no fresh citrus story. The bergamot here feels almost candied, a supporting player to the lilac's heady, slightly indolic character. Within minutes, the mimosa absolute emerges like a whispered secret, turning the composition decidedly creamy and sweet. This is where the fragrance's true personality emerges: it's neither fresh nor bright, but rather a powdery, almost feminine embrace—though calling it feminine diminishes its complexity. The iris acts as a subtle grounding agent, lending a whisper of talcum-like sophistication that prevents the sweetness from becoming cloying.
Add fragrances to your collection and unlock your personalised scent DNA, note map, and shareable identity card.
3.5/5 (175)