Van Cleef Van Cleef & Arpels

Van Cleef & Arpels is a fragrance that treats florality as a structural material rather than mere decoration. Pascal Giraux constructs something deceptively austere here—a green, almost architectural composition that refuses the sweetness its base notes might promise. The galbanum and tagetes create an assertive, slightly bitter green backbone, supported by neroli and bergamot that feel mineral and crisp rather than luminous. This is where the fragrance reveals its true character: it's built for restraint.

The heart is where complexity emerges, though never generously. Carnation and heliotrope arrive with a peppery, almost medicinal warmth, while jasmine and orange blossom provide a whisper of indulgence without surrendering to floral excess. The ylang ylang doesn't sweeten; instead, it adds a creamy, slightly spiced texture that anchors the composition. It's the interaction between these middle notes that matters—the way heliotrope's almond-like warmth plays against carnation's clove-tinged sharpness creates a compelling tension.