Jil Sander
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Black pepper and pepperwood crackle across the opening with bergamot providing a dry, almost peppery citrus counterpoint rather than relief. The initial fifteen minutes are sharp and distinctly spiced, verging on aromatic rather than fragrant, with that synthetic accord creating a subtle smoky haze.
By the first hour, cardamom and nutmeg emerge to soften the pepper's edges without domesticating it entirely, whilst lavender introduces an herbal thread that prevents the composition from becoming merely warm spice. The woody notes intensify here, with the tonka beginning its gentle sweetening effect, creating a paradoxical character—simultaneously spicy-sweet yet somehow savoury.
The vetiver and patchouli ascend as the pepper fades, creating a dry, earthy foundation tinged with residual tonka warmth. What remains is subtly woody and faintly sweet, with the synthetic notes lending a whisper of incense-like smoke, a fragrance that becomes increasingly intimate and skin-scent-like rather than fading into nothingness.
Strictly Night is a fragrance that takes the spice rack seriously, treating it less as a culinary reference and more as a philosophical statement. Olivier Pescheux has crafted something that feels deliberately restrained despite its 100% spicy accord—there's an almost architectural precision to how black pepper and pepperwood establish themselves without becoming a brash, peppery assault. The bergamot arrives not as the typical fresh citrus cheerleader, but as something drier, more resinous, allowing the spice to breathe within a woody framework.
What makes Strictly Night compelling is its refusal to court sweetness overtly. The tonka bean in the base doesn't arrive as creamy indulgence; instead, it tempers the cardamom and nutmeg of the heart, creating a rounded warmth that feels almost savoury. The vetiver and patchouli form an earthy bedrock that prevents the composition from becoming gourmand, anchoring everything with mineral, slightly bitter undertones.
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3.4/5 (100)