Bois Oriental & Ylang

Karine Vinchon traces this perfume to a first encounter with ylang in Martinique. The flower looked fragile and white, yet its scent was heady, enveloping and faintly animal, and that contradiction became the subject of the composition.

Saffron, nutmeg, cardamom and davana open on dry spice with a hint of dried-fruit sweetness. Tuberose and ylang then fill the heart with dense, creamy petals, while labdanum and incense pull them toward resin and smoke.

Papyrus, Atlas cedar, tolu balm and patchouli give the flowers something hard to lean against. The perfumer sets the quiet strength of ylang against the raw force of upcycled Atlas cedar, and the finished scent keeps both petal and timber without letting either win.