As I’ve experienced more and more perfume, and perfumers, I realize there are a group of olfactory artists who “get me”; most without ever meeting me. I am sure anyone reading this has the same reaction to their favorite perfumers. My favorites seem to compose things under other’s creative direction that could’ve come directly from my wish list. One of the perfumers who is on that list for me is Cecile Zarokian. All of the fragrances she has signed connect with me and my own personal aesthetic. I was thrilled to hear that Claude Marchal of Parfums MDCI had engaged her for his latest Nuit Andalouse.

Nuit Andalouse is meant to capture an Andalusian night as the white flowers release their bouquet into the air. Mme Zarokian captures the reality of that plus the warmth of a late summer evening as the stars begin to twinkle in the sky. This is a still frame of a moment and a place and stands out for that ability to capture that landscape in fragrant form.

Cecile Zarokian

Mme Zarokian starts our evening at sunset as a tart orange is kept on the tart side by adding violet and some green from methyl salicylate. Mme Zarokian uses salicylates throughout Nuit Andalouse and they add a warmth characteristic of this class of aromachemical. Right from the start the methyl salicylate adds the dying rays of the sun with the green. Then we dive into a heart of gardenia and orange blossom and I am guessing benzyl salicylate is used to turn them from wallflowers into stars. This combination is nothing new but Mme Zarokian gets the balance just right. The base is a panoply of sweet warmth in the presence of creamy sandalwood, vanilla, and musk. Again I’ll make a guess that amyl salicylate is used to add the warmth for the base notes. I also urge anyone interested to try this on skin as it really shows off the complexity better there than on a strip where it stays a little more closed up.

Nuit Andalouse has all-day longevity and moderate sillage.

Nuit Andalouse is not groundbreaking in the use of its components but it is an expertly crated piece of perfumery. Mme Zarokian uses each note for a specific effect and particularly adds the salicylates throughout so that there is a subtle depth that lingers. Muy Bueno Cecile!

Disclosure: This review was based on a sample provided by Cecile Zarokian.    

Thanks to Madame Zarokian and Claude Marchal of Parfums MDCI we have a sample to giveaway of Nuit Andalouse. This is a US and EU only draw. To be eligible leave a comment on which perfumer “gets you” and whether you live in the US or which country in the EU. The draw will end December 22, 2013.

We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our RSS option…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.

-Mark Behnke, Managing Editor