Introduction
This fragrance was created by Francis Kurkdjian, the nose behind JPG Le Male, Mr Burberry, Baccarat Rouge 540, Grand Soir and many others. The essence collection from Elie Saab is all about taking one prominent note and make it play first violin on the compositions behind the name of the fragrance, for example, on Essence N°9 Tubéreuse, it’s all about the white flower but the notes also contain cinnamon bark, musk and bergamot, however, the Tuberose flower is the main note and the prominent one, same for the rest of the line. What’s more, the fragrances are are meant to complement each other (for example, this one can be layered with the Vetiver, Our or Amande Tonka versions), part of the genius that only Kurkdjian can bring to the table.
The Opening
Tuberose (Agave amica) can lean feminine as it’s very floral and rounded…. but, I think it leans feminine because we associate certain notes with a population, in my case, I associate white florals with a fragrance my mom and her friends wore when I was growing up called White Diamonds …therefore I consider Tuberose to lean feminine. However, I think forcing a scent profile to a gender is not correct, it limits your olfactory experience and you’ll miss out on some gems out there.
Enter Essence No 9. The opening is all white floral, all powder, very powerful and loud, the cinnamon sharpens the opening, upon first spray you think it’ll grow close to skin but it doesn’t, it sparks, it does this magic trick where it rests on your skin first and THEN it becomes loud, the scent cloud, if you are not careful, will be super strong. Imagine grabbing two handfuls of freshly picked tuberose flowers, on a hot day where the flowers are particularly loud, now imagine burying your face in those flowers…. but what’s more, imagine your hands can hold twice the amount of flowers and you bury your face again…THAT is what this feels like. It’s amazing, it’s so pure and loud.
The DryDown
Musk enters the composition but it never takes over completely, the essence of the white flower is there even though it sits darker and earthier on your skin. The drydown is very well rounded and still floral, the powder aspect remains but it’s not what I would consider a powdery scent considering the ingredients (meaning: it’ll always be powdery
Performance
This fragrance is a beast! It will project 1 to 2 feet for at least 3 hours, and will be on your skin 8+ hours.
Where to Buy?
I got mine from FragranceNet, highly recommend you join their mailing list to get some significant discounts.
The Bottle and The Sprayer
The cap is magnetic and it's easy to hold the bottle from the cap (useful when you store bottles on a drawer), the bottle is thick glass and screams quality, the sprayer produces a beautiful mist, 9/10 for the bottle. One of my favorite bottles from my collection.
Conclusion
If you are into white florals, this is not to be missed, if you are into Tuberose (pure scent) then this is definitively not to be missed. It sparks from your skin with the most pure Tuberose note, the cinamon helps tone down the powder and add complexity to the scent, the bergamot makes it shine and the musk allows it to sit on your skin, rounded and complete. This is not everyone’s cup of tea, but, it’s the right person’s sip of whiskey. Totally recommended, 8/10.
Have you tried this or any from the Essence Line? Drop me a line and tell me about your experience!
As always, wear it because it complements you, not because of the compliments.
Thanks for reading,
X.
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