Métallique

Aldehydes detonate with pink pepper in a fizzing, almost effervescent cloud that's bright but not sharp. Bergamot weaves through the sparkle, adding a citric roundness that tempers the metallic shimmer before it turns too soapy or austere. There's an immediate sweetness lurking beneath, like powdered sugar waiting to dissolve on the tongue.

Heliotrope takes centre stage with its almond-tinged, Play-Doh softness, whilst hawthorn introduces an odd, medicinal greenness that keeps the florals from going saccharine. Lily of the valley adds that distinctive laundry-musk quality—clean, bright, with an almost aqueous metallicity that finally makes the name make sense. The sweetness builds but never cloys, held in check by the soapy floral accord that maintains a polished, synthetic sheen.

Vanilla and Peru balsam create a creamy, balsamic warmth that clings close to skin, but ambrette's musky, slightly vegetal character prevents it from becoming a full gourmand. Sandalwood whispers in the background, adding a gentle woodiness that grounds rather than dominates. What remains is a powdery, sweet skin-scent with a subtle metallic ghost—expensive body lotion meets polished chrome, intimate but deliberately artificial.