FOCUS & FLOW

Black Citrus by Vilhelm Parfumerie is a woody aromatic fragrance for men - one of the house's first eight scents in 2015, composed by Jérôme Epinette as London air right after a sudden rain shower. Cardamom and Calabrian bergamot open it, maté leaf and violet give the heart a tea-like, herbal coolness, and smoky birch, Indonesian patchouli and vetiver leave a dark, wet-wood finish. "London after the rain - bergamot, wet wood and a little smoke."

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Mefisto by Xerjoff is a citrus aromatic fragrance for men - from the Casamorati line, a modern revival of a Casamorati perfume from around 1900 that was sold on its seductive allure. Calabrian lemon, grapefruit, bergamot and lavender open it sharp and bright, Florentine iris and rose absolute make a clean, elegant heart, and amber, cedar, musk and Mysore sandalwood leave a cool, polished trail. "Cool citrus and iris - clear mountain air in a tailored suit."

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Fars by Xerjoff is an oriental woody fragrance for women and men - from the Oud Stars collection, East meeting West in an evening at a Middle Eastern bazaar with spice and incense in the air. Cade, French lavender and Italian bergamot open it, Atlas cedar, Egyptian geranium and jasmine make a smooth, almost rosy heart, and amber, Haitian vetiver, patchouli and sandalwood carry a soft, honeyed barbershop warmth, with the house's oud kept in the background. "Lavender and geranium in a bazaar at dusk - smooth, classy and warm."

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Kobe by Xerjoff is a citrus aromatic fragrance for men - from the Shooting Stars collection, named for the 1999 meteorite that crossed the sky over Kobe as a fireball, and composed by Jacques Flori of Robertet. Bergamot and orange open it over a resinous thread of labdanum and cistus, neroli, orange blossom and Paraguayan petitgrain carry the heart, and amber, tonka, musk and rosewood give it a warm, mature base that lasts far longer than a citrus usually does. "Orange blossom on a warm stone, long after the sun has gone."

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Villa Primerose by Atelier des Ors is a rose musk fragrance for women - named for the 1886 villa in Grasse that is now the house's creative home, and composed by Marie Salamagne as a nod to the old Grasse trade in perfumed leather gloves. Juicy pear, pink pepper and cardamom open it, a centifolia rose infusion sits in the heart with ambrette and powdery iris, and a soft leather, amber woods and musk base keeps the rose clean and close rather than jammy. "A pear-bright rose in kid gloves - soft, powdery and polite enough for the office."

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Panthea by Stéphane Humbert Lucas 777 is a powdery floral fragrance for women - a 2017 eau de parfum the house compares to Cleopatra's milk bath, written for the goddesses who walk among us. Bergamot, pink berry and white tea open it clean and airy, iris absolute, jasmine and violet bloom in the heart, and white musk, tonka bean and sandalwood finish it soft, creamy and faintly soapy. Refined, quiet and easy to love. "Iris and white musk after a milk bath - clean, creamy and quietly elegant."

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Am Muse by AromaMeta — The elegance of a Sunday morning meeting. A morning hush of oolong tea, bergamot, and apricot-tinged osmanthus. A soothing heart of steamed milk, gardenia, and orange blossom wraps you in quiet comfort. Vanilla-kissed white musk and buttery sandalwood create an elegant veil that feels just as right in a boardroom as it does on a slow Sunday brunch. Built on tea and soft citrus — composed for mornings that ask you to be at your best without trying.

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Fresh Silhouette by AromaMeta — Morning calm on a quiet lake. A clear-air burst of bergamot, lemon, and grapefruit. A calming heart of lavender, vetiver, and rosemary adds herbal poise. Modern warmth arrives with smooth cedarwood, velvety cashmeran, and crystalline ambroxan — clean yet cozy, worn before the day gets loud. Citrus and herbs, composed for the quiet hours before everything starts.

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Matsukita by Clive Christian is a woody chypre fragrance for women and men - an 1892 formula from the Crown Perfumery archive, revived in 2021 for the Crown Collection and said to have been inspired by a Japanese princess at the Victorian court. Bergamot, pink pepper and nutmeg open onto smoky green maté and two jasmines, and balsam fir, guaiac wood and amber give it a dry, resinous finish. "Maté, jasmine and fir - quiet, dry and unlike anything else in the house."

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Royal Sapphire by Thameen is a citrus chypre extrait de parfum for women and men - the house's jewel in the crown, named for the St. Edward's Sapphire, the oldest stone in the Royal Collection and the one set at the top of the Imperial State Crown. Bergamot and mandarin open it bright, orange blossom and jasmine fill the heart, and grey amber, patchouli, moss and dry wood give it the chypre spine that makes a citrus last. Reviewers keep reaching for the same comparison - this is what a designer fresh-woody would smell like if someone spent properly on it. "Mandarin and orange blossom over moss and grey amber - clean, sharp and it does not quit."

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Visionary Eye by Jusbox is a woody floral eau de parfum for women and men - David Bowie in Berlin, 1976, written by Dominique Ropion around the two differently coloured eyes that became shorthand for a plural creative identity. Bergamot, wormwood and white thyme open it bracing, Ceylon cinnamon, lavender and orris ultimate give it the cold, clean iris heart, and sandalwood, vanilla and musk keep it from ever turning sharp. Reviewers keep comparing it to Le Mâle, which is fair, and then adding that it is far more refined, which is fairer. "Cold iris and lavender - elegant, and so quiet you have to lean in."

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Papyrus Moléculaire by Maison Crivelli is a woody aromatic eau de parfum for women and men - dry papyrus drawn out over resin and warm tobacco, composed by Leslie Girard in 2020. Black pepper, elemi and coriander open it sharp and green, amyris, carrot seed and olibanum give the middle its earthy, powdery quiet, and tonka bean and tobacco close it warm without ever raising their voice. "Dry paper and old incense, worn like a good coat."

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