Stéphane Humbert Lucas
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The first quarter-hour is a blast of hot cinnamon bark and nutmeg that borders on aggressive, tempered only slightly by bergamot's citric brightness and mandarin's sweeter, rounder edges. The spices smell authentic, almost raw—this is the sting of fresh-ground nutmeg rather than a polite approximation.
As osmanthus unfurls its apricot-leather character, vanilla and heliotrope merge into a creamy, powdered sweetness that softens the spice assault without neutering it. The composition becomes rounder, warmer, more inviting—the moment when the fragrance shifts from challenging to captivating, with amber beginning its slow, resinous rise.
What remains is a plush, ambery cocoon of sandalwood and white musk, with leather and oud providing a subtle animalic backbone that keeps the sweetness grounded. Patchouli adds an earthy, almost chocolate-like richness, whilst vanilla persists as a gentle hum—warm skin, resins, and the ghost of spices long faded.
Isra & Miraj announces itself as an amber-forward baroque fantasy, where Ceylon cinnamon and nutmeg collide with bergamot in an opening that's simultaneously scorching and bright. This is Stéphane Humbert Lucas in full maximalist mode—no restraint, no apology—layering osmanthus absolute's apricot-suede richness over a vanilla that's been dusted with heliotrope's almond-powder sweetness. The spice work here isn't the polite chai-latte variety; it's hot, almost medicinal at first, before mellowing into something more ceremonial and resinous.
What distinguishes this from the glut of sweet amber scents is the质地—there's genuine Mysore sandalwood adding its creamy, lactonic depth, whilst oud provides a darker, barnyard undercurrent that prevents the composition from collapsing into confectionery. The leather note weaves through like incense smoke, animalic but refined, giving structure to what could easily become a shapeless gourmand puddle. Patchouli and amber create a resinous foundation that's almost sticky in its intensity, yet the white musk keeps everything from suffocating under its own opulence.
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4.0/5 (153)