Olfactive Studio
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Those aldehydes hit first, slightly peppery and sharp, immediately joined by saffron's peppery warmth and coriander's green spice—it's unexpectedly austere, almost confrontational, like stepping into cool, dry air that catches the back of your throat pleasantly.
The rose emerges as distinctly aged rather than fresh, duetting with opoponax's honeyed-yet-resinous warmth whilst dried fruits add a fermented, almost leather-bound quality; the fragrance becomes less confrontational and more melancholic, settling into a sophisticated groove that emphasises texture over sweetness.
Caramel and benzoin create a subtle amber warmth, but myrrh's dry resin and vanilla's increasingly whispered presence dominate—what remains is earthy, slightly dusty, and decidedly introspective, fading gracefully rather than projecting.
Vanilla Shot announces itself as a peculiar olfactory paradox—a fragrance that treats its titular ingredient not as a comfortable sweetener but as a fierce, almost savoury counterpoint. Bertrand Duchaufour has orchestrated something deliberately asymmetrical here, one that refuses the soft-focus sentimentality vanilla typically commands. The saffron and aldehydes create a bracing, slightly metallic opening that feels more spice market than dessert counter, whilst the Russian coriander adds a green, almost herbaceous bite that prevents any descent into gourmand cliché.
What makes Vanilla Shot genuinely compelling is how its heart notes—particularly the opoponax and Turkish rose—introduce a dried, almost dusty sensuality. The rose doesn't bloom; it reclines like aging parchment, slightly oxidised, intertwined with the resinous warmth of opoponax. These elements refuse to play nice with vanilla; instead, they argue with it, creating tension rather than harmony. The dried fruits (likely dates or apricots, given the context) contribute a leathery, slightly fermented quality that deepens this friction.
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Les Eaux Primordiales
4.2/5 (215)