Tulipe Noire

Tulipe Noire arrives as a deliberately contradictory proposition—a floral that refuses the expected sweetness, instead channelling spice and woody restraint through a jasmine-tuberose heart. The opening coriander-bergamot pairing creates an almost savoury entry, the citrus catching those herbaceous spice notes and lending them a slightly peppery, almost herbal quality rather than the typical warmth you'd anticipate. What's remarkable here is the synthetic accord's presence (64%) acting not as a cheap flourish but as a structural element—it keeps the tuberose from becoming indolic or cloying, instead lending an almost powdered, slightly metallic quality to the floral heart that prevents it from romanticising itself.

This is a fragrance for those drawn to florals with bite. The cedarwood and sandalwood base create a woody skeleton that speaks to restraint and formality rather than sensuality—think structured tailoring rather than silk negligée. The ambrox and musk add a creamy undercurrent that prevents the woods from turning astringent, though "creamy" here is more chalky, skin-like whisper than buttery comfort. It's unisex not because it's a thin compromise, but because it refuses gender performance altogether; it simply exists as an angular, somewhat austere floral that happens to work on anyone willing to meet it on its own terms.