Perris Monte Carlo - Black Collection - Tubéreuse Absolue

Perris Monte Carlo - Black Collection - Tubéreuse Absolue

The inspiration for this scent is of course the famous "forbidden" tuberose, a flower so potent and exuberant that for as long as it has been grown, people have been trying to tame it. When done right, the scent of tuberose is intoxicating and powerfully sensual, with the ability to haunt and excite in equal measure. For some, it is narcotizing. Women have been known to fall into a faint when smelling it, so voluptuous and sexual its aroma. In many cultures, the tuberose is a symbol of sensual excesses and over-indulgence.

The tuberose is a semi-tropical flower native to Central America. Long prized for its narcotic aroma, the Aztecs called it "Omixochitl", which means "bone flower" - an allusion to its long, tubular white petals. Tuberose is also known as "La belle dame sans merci", which, as in the famous poem by John Keats, indicates something or someone with a nocturnal, merciless beauty that cannot be resisted by mere mortals. A beautiful, dangerous creature of the night.....

THE SCENT

Tubéreuse Absolue is so-called because it is an "absolute" version of tuberose, meaning that although it is framed by green, citrusy resins on top and by warm, dark woods from beneath, the start of the show is truly the tuberose flower itself.

A wave of green citrus, spice, and aromatics pave the wave for the Queen of the Night, the tuberose. A blistering fizz of tart bergamot snaps you to attention, while green cardamom and galbanum resin roll out a spicy, resinous carpet of velvety green. The opening is also fresh and tingling with the bristle of aromatic lavender. The effect of these sharp notes is to cleanse the palate before the main act.

The tuberose makes her showy entrance, unfurling her sensual secrets in rich streams of creamy, tropical, buttery sweetness. The freshness of the green resins, citrus, and aromatics frame her gently, keeping the scent full of light and air. The spicy bitterness of broom is an interesting counterpart, hedging against the richness of the tuberose and inserting a tart herbal character. But truly, nothing takes away from the beauty of the tuberose, which is joined by a lusty sambac jasmine and a honeyed orange blossom, which flesh her out even further. The full, creamy heart of white flowers glows softly against a darker, resinous drydown of vetiver, cedar, and musk.