There’s a rush we know well in the office, every time an editorial deadline approaches. We feel it even before switching on the creative part of our brain: we have to write, decide how to tell the story through the photos, publish – because in the meantime the Maisons have already launched ten more perfumes, and the ones we wanted to talk about suddenly seem to have aged, outdated, “old news” before they’ve even been told. It’s the rhythm of this world, and that’s how it should be: even beauty runs, even the beauty industry has its fast seasons, its weekly launches, its constant hunger for novelty.
But perfumes, by their very nature, do the exact opposite. Nothing binds itself to time – and to whoever holds the memory of time, meaning memories – quite like a fragrance. A perfume worn one evening stays that evening forever: just one note, years later, is enough to bring us back there, intact. That’s why, every so often, it’s worth slowing down. Stopping for a moment before chasing the next new thing, and truly looking at what’s in front of us, here and now: letting the nose, for once, and with it instinct, set the pace.
In these past months, as always, an extremely high number of perfumes have been launched. We’ve chosen a few: our favorites, the ones that made us stop, breathe, imagine something. For each one we thought of an image capable of translating into matter what the nose, alone, could only suggest.
Now, let’s breathe. Let’s dream. Let’s enjoy the present, and these bottles.
LATTE CALDO, LATTE TIEPIDO, LATTE FRESCO – L’Amande
A trilogy built on a single idea: the temperature of milk as a metaphor for intimacy. Latte Fresco opens with citrus – bergamot, orange, grapefruit – before warming into a heart of sandalwood, jasmine and caramel, and closing on white musk, tonka bean and vanilla; its two siblings, Caldo and Tiepido, take up the same milky material and push it, gradually, toward denser comfort or more immediate lightness. For them we thought of the simplest and truest image: the three bottles set on a surface marked with milk stains, traces of a gesture just completed – as if the liquid had been poured a moment before, leaving behind the pale imprint of its presence.
MANCHESTER – Rose & Co
The name holds an entire atmosphere: the elegance of a historic industrial city, the rainy climate of northern Europe, and the damp green of English gardens. Launched in its first version in 1985, this iconic fragrance, celebrated for its rigorous, timeless character, blends an aromatic, citrus top note (bergamot, lemon, cedar and rosemary) with a floral heart of damask rose, lavender and orange blossom, before settling into an enveloping base of grey amber, tonka bean and musk. This bottle is covered in a dense layer of rosemary needles, turning the flacon into a tactile, almost vegetal object, as if it had grown spontaneously in a meadow.
SUNSET HOUR – Goldfield & Banks
An Australian sunset that is more drunk than breathed: it opens with mandarin, pear and quandong (desert peach), slips into a tropical heart of jasmine, ginger, mango and creamy coconut, with pink pepper for bite, and rests on a base of Australian sandalwood, benzoin, vanilla, caramel and cashmere wood. A perfume that never sits still – juicy, almost liquid. That’s why the still life is blurred until it trembles: the bottle elongated, molded, almost melted, as if the evening’s heat had made it malleable.
MUSC CHARNEL – Reminiscence
The modern return of a historic musk, born in the ’70s and more intense today: ylang-ylang and coriander on opening, tonka bean and labdanum at the heart, white musk and vanilla at the base. This is a perfume that speaks of skin, not of rooms – of physical closeness rather than atmosphere. The overlapping frames, the minimal, close-up shots of the bottle, tell exactly this: layers accumulating one on top of another, like the memory of a familiar body.
BOIS DE MANGROVE – L’Atelier 100BON
A rare, protected wood, never before used in perfumery, at the center of the composition: pineapple on opening, then bay berry, iris and lavender, down to a deep base of juniper wood, Atlas and Virginia cedar, saffron, leather and white musk wrapping around the mangrove wood. A saline, tannic perfume, almost aquatic in its woody side. The shot presents it like a recovered artifact: the bottle set on a silver tray, surrounded by branches of raw wood, like a small natural altar dedicated to a coastal forest.
WOOD SAGE & SEA SALT – Jo Malone London
A classic that needs no introduction: ambrette seeds and sea salt on opening, sea fennel at the heart, sage at the base. It may be the most mineral, most British-coastal perfume there is: salted skin, wind, northern Mediterranean scrubland. That’s why the elements surround the bottle: salt crystals, sage, wood. Not an evocation, but almost a diagram.
AMBER MINK – Better World Fragrance House
A name that holds animal warmth and resin, amber and fur: Amber Mink by Better World Fragrance House (the brand founded by Drake) is an amber-woody fragrance designed to merge with the skin. Its olfactory profile combines the initial freshness of Italian citrus, clary sage and petitgrain with a spicy, floral heart of sambac jasmine and rose oil, before settling on an enveloping base of vetiver, ambroxan and creamy musk. We portrayed it as a presence and its lunar reflection – two faces of the same light.
ARGENTIQUE – Blancheide
The name itself – “argentic,” silvery – suggested the visual key even before the notes did: a perfume that lends itself to being photographed the old way, with grain, imperfect light, and blur that hints rather than shows. Blancheide’s fragrance plays precisely on this ethereal aesthetic, opening with the powdery softness of iris and an enveloping Crème Blanche accord, before unfolding into a floral heart of centifolia rose, light woods and Grasse jasmine, anchored to a lingering base of white musk and amber. The shot places the bottle at the center of a radiant weave of silver and black foils, spreading out like a fan of metallic light, almost giving physical form to the very meaning of the name.
WHITEDENIM – Perroy
A name that evokes fabric and youth, a garment worn by time and sun: Perroy’s Whitedenim embodies that carefree summer and the feel of a perfectly fitted white jeans. Its olfactory pyramid holds this balance of softness and salinity, opening with an enveloping milky accord, continuing with a marine, salty heart evoking sea-soaked skin, and settling on a warm, comforting base of sandalwood. We imagined it as a shape “carved” into a foamy blue surface: the bottle emerging like stone-washed denim, rough and soft at once, where the denim color becomes physical matter rather than a mere reference.
DESTIN – Balmain
The Maison’s new prestige fragrance, signed by Quentin Bisch: ripe, juicy strawberry on opening, a heart of peony and lily, creamy sandalwood and patchouli at the base, with pink pepper and ambroxide giving it electric energy. A young, luminous, almost neon perfume. The shot treats it with the same structure as its bottle – a cube, a labyrinthine monogram – building a grid: the cap from above, the side with the logo, the mirrored side, the cap from the side, topped by the black silhouette of the packaging, like a small graphic sample sheet.
YOUR TURN II – Billie Eilish
A darker, more complex evolution of the first chapter: pimento berry, mirabelle plum and cassis leaves on opening, an almost secret heart of fig, black tea and vanilla orchid, and an earthy base of vetiver, frankincense and Virginia cedar. A perfume that plays, quite deliberately, with the contrast between light and shadow. The mirrored arrangement of many identical bottles seen from different perspectives, repeated as in a mirror, conveys exactly that duality: the same shape, multiplied, never quite the same as itself.
ANGELS’ SHARE – Kilian Paris
The name comes from the “angels’ share,” the liquid that evaporates from the barrels during cognac aging, and that is exactly what one breathes: cognac, oak, cinnamon, tonka and vanilla – a perfume as warm as the bottom of a bottle left open. The extreme close-up on the bottle, and on the light projected onto it, captures exactly this: a reflection that looks like liquid amber, as if light itself had been bottled.
PORTO BELLO – Le Couvent
Inspired by the travels of botanist Louis Feuillée as far as the Bay of Panama: orange and mandarin on opening, davana at the heart, incense and a cognac accord at the base. A perfume that feels both tropical and resinous, like an overseas sunset. The shot literally suspends it in liquid, an ethereal image where the bottle floats weightlessly, like the scents of a journey that linger even after the journey itself has ended.
ETERNAL ROOTS – Orabella
A name that speaks of roots and permanence: the idea of something that sinks into the ground and remains unchanged, even as everything around it shifts. Eternal Roots turns this concept into a woody, fruity olfactory pyramid, balancing the juicy freshness of lychee, bergamot and pink pepper with a soft heart of raspberry flower and suede. The fragrance finds its true root at the base, thanks to the earthy intensity of vetiver, papyrus and birch smoke. The slightly blurred bottle casts enveloping shadows, almost like secondary shapes surrounding it: a way of making visible what in the perfume is invisible yet persistent – its trail.
LA VIE EST BELLE VERY CHERRY – Lancôme
The iconic signature of La Vie Est Belle (iris, praline, vanilla) tilted toward a more indulgent, juicier side – that of ripe cherry. A twist that remains recognizable but lights up in red. The bottle’s silhouette, paired with natural elements like flowers, makes that warmth almost tactile: the rosy light filling the scene, leaving behind the colors of a sunset, like the memory of a freshly picked fruit.
MIUTINE INTENSE – Miu Miu
A perfume that plays on repetition as a stylistic signature, just as Miu Miu’s fashion plays on details that multiply and chase one another. Miutine (in its Intense version) reinterprets the brand’s irreverence and femininity in a fruity, gourmand trail, where the juicy, boozy burst of blackberry liqueur meets the retro creaminess of gardenia, settling on an intense, enveloping base of Bourbon vanilla. Hence the idea of the bottle’s silhouettes repeated in a geometric, circular composition, almost a kaleidoscope, turning a single object into a pattern, a decorative motif in its own right.
VALLEY OF FLOWERS – Oribe
A name that promises a flowering field seen from afar, blurred, almost impressionist: Valley of Flowers by Oribe is a true immersion in a meadow in full bloom. The composition opens with the sparkling citrus freshness of pomelo and Italian bergamot intertwined with a note of blue violet, before unfolding into a rich floral bouquet dominated by Bulgarian rose, white peony and jasmine petals. This soft, enveloping olfactory signature finally settles on a lingering base of warm amber, sandalwood and creamy musk – a formula made to last long on both skin and hair. Our shot takes it literally: dried flowers looming over the bottle, as if time had stopped them right at the instant before wilting completely.
VANILLA 28 – Kayali
A warm, gourmand and complex vanilla: Vanilla 28 moves away from classic sugary, pastry-shop notes to open with the delicacy of vanilla orchid and creamy jasmine. Its rich, deep heart weaves the unmistakable Madagascar vanilla with tonka bean and the toasted sweetness of brown sugar, before settling on an opulent base of amber, golden woods, musk and patchouli. A creamy, boozy base that melts on the skin, making the fragrance perfect for layering too. That’s why the bottle emerges from sand: an image that conveys the warmth and density of the material, as if the perfume had been dug out of a golden dune.
OMBRE LEATHER – Tom Ford
A dark, tactile, enveloping leather: Ombré Leather by Tom Ford evokes the boundless heart of the desert and the feel of rich, soft leather brushed by the wind. Its pyramid opens with the warm, slightly balsamic spice of cardamom, before revealing a sensual, floral heart where an intense black leather accord meets the elegance of sambac jasmine and violet. At the base, the fragrance settles on deep, earthy notes of patchouli, amber and oakmoss, elevating leather to a noble material – never aggressive, yet incredibly enveloping. The pieces of broken mirror reassembled to still reveal, through the gaps, the whole perfume, tell this duality well: something shattered that becomes legible again, almost stitched back together by light.
VENDETTA UOMO – Valentino
Called an olfactory pact: fresh Peruvian ginger on opening, an exclusive accord of cinnamon and liqueur at the heart, warm patchouli at the base. A perfume that burns slowly. The beam of light illuminating only part of the bottle, leaving the rest in shadow, seems made on purpose for this fragrance: half glow, half mystery.
DEBASER – D.S. & Durga
Inspired by the Pixies song: bergamot, green leaf and pear stem on opening, a heart of fig, coconut and iris, blond woods, musk and tonka bean at the base. A damp perfume, almost analog in its imperfection. The deliberately out-of-focus shot of the bottle mirrors its raw nature, a bit punk even in the image.
DIRTY MILK – Born To Stand Out
A name that plays on the ambiguity between innocence and carnal sensuality. Dirty Milk breaks the sweetness of condensed milk and caramel with the sharp bite of black pepper. At the heart, milky creaminess merges with iris and the woody facets of akigalawood and cashmeran, before settling on a warm base of vanilla, tonka bean and musk. The arrangement of several bottles placed geometrically, with only one finally revealing the label, echoes exactly this game of hiding and revealing.
VANILLA SKIN – Phlur
A vanilla musk designed to merge with the skin rather than cover it, taking the logic of the skin scent to its extreme. Phlur’s Vanilla Skin opens with a sparkling note of pink pepper, apple and sugar crystals, before evolving into a soft heart of cashmere wood, jasmine and lily. The base reveals the fragrance’s deep soul, where vanilla joins sandalwood, benzoin and touches of oud. Hence a division: two surfaces that resemble each other, almost interchangeable.
PORTRAIT OF A LADY – Frederic Malle
An olfactory portrait built on Turkish rose and patchouli, incense, sandalwood, cinnamon and cloves, with a dark heart of blackcurrant – sensual, magnetic, almost an elixir. The bottle, framed by fragments of natural details, makes visible what the perfume only suggests through scent: seduction, mystery, a femininity that needs not show itself entirely.
EASY BAKE INTENSE – Huda Beauty
The brand’s first perfume, born from the most beloved powder in its makeup line: wild black cherry on opening, a heart of white flowers, cinnamon bark and caramel milk, and a base of Bourbon vanilla. Since it’s inspired by a powdery texture, the image plays with frosted glass: the bottle glimpsed behind a satin surface, as if wrapped in the very powder that inspired it.
SUN CITIES – Vilhelm Parfumerie
Part of the Triptych Collection, Sun Cities by Vilhelm Parfumerie is an opulent, sunny creation. It opens with the tropical energy of pineapple, mandarin and cardamom, before revealing an intense heart where leather intertwines with violet, saffron, immortelle, osmanthus and oakmoss. At the base, the trail settles on warm notes of patchouli, amber, pink sugar and musk. A golden, vibrant composition, mirrored in the visual concept of a bottle veiled and suspended in a warm, luminous atmosphere.
TEA TONIQUE — Miller Harris
Described by the brand as a cup of tea holding a bouquet of flowers, Tea Tonique Extrait by Miller Harris intensifies the tea ritual. It opens with the liveliness of Calabrian bergamot, lemon, petitgrain, nutmeg and a soft touch of peach blossom. At the heart, a rich infusion of green tea, Earl Grey, maté, jasmine tea and violet lends a powdery elegance, before settling on an earthy, smoky base of birch and musk. The out-of-focus bottle, paired with a flower, translates into image what the name suggests: something delicate and ceremonial, consumed slowly like a hot tea held in the hands.
ONLY DESIRE – Diesel
The Maison’s first women’s perfume under the creative direction of Glenn Martens: luminous aldehydes, bergamot, pear and banana on opening, then cumin, vanilla orchid, Indian grandiflorum jasmine and rum absolute, down to a base of Madagascar Bourbon vanilla, praline and amber woods. A gourmand that wants to be rebellious, almost metallic in its vanilla. A dense, sensual image, where the sweet, syrupy material wraps around the bottle, reflecting deep, warm glows. The interplay of red light and smoke suspended in the darkness evokes the sensation of a primal desire, turning the fragrance into the visual evocation of something slowly burning, in half-light.
Photos by Johnny Carrano.
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