Téo Cabanel
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The bergamot bristles forward with crisp, almost lime-like energy whilst lavender provides a herbaceous cushion and pink pepper adds a gentle bite that tingles against the skin. This is brisk, almost cologne-like in its opening freshness, though you already sense the florals massing beneath.
The rose varieties bloom simultaneously—the Moroccan variety bringing jam-like sweetness whilst its Bulgarian counterpart offers drier, slightly tea-like nuances. Jasmine and ylang ylang create an intoxicating middle, but it's the iris and labdanum interaction that prevents this from becoming overwhelming; they introduce a creamy, slightly woody quality that grounds the sweetness with an almost antique powder-like character.
The base becomes the story entirely. Benzoin imparts a caramelised warmth whilst patchouli and sandalwood create an earthy, slightly smoky foundation. Vanilla and white musk blend seamlessly into this resinous bed, resulting in a soft, skin-like close that lasts remarkably well despite Alahine's modest longevity ratings—it becomes a second skin fragrance, intimate and quiet rather than projecting.
Alahine announces itself as a rose-forward composition with considerable spice, though not in the bombastic manner of modern florals. Jean-François Latty constructs something altogether more nuanced—a fragrance that pivots between two distinct personalities depending on skin chemistry and time of day.
The bergamot and pink pepper create immediate brightness, a sharp contrast to what's coming. Then the heart materialises: a triumvirate of rose varieties (Moroccan and Bulgarian) with jasmine and ylang ylang threatening to push the composition into hedonistic territory, yet the labdanum and benzoin in the base anchor everything with a dry, resinous warmth that prevents sentimentality. There's an almost savvy quality here—the iris threads through the florals like a silver needle, lending a powdery, slightly soapy quality that transforms what could have been cloying into something genuinely refined.
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4.0/5 (325)