L’Insomnuit by Robert Piguet

If you love iris, this is a fragrance you have to try. Perfect when it’s cold outside and you start craving warmth, cozy environments… But it also carries a languid vibration that makes you forget, even if just briefly, the harshness of winter, with all its darkness and sadness that often follows. And let it make you feel sensual, even if you woke up or got home at 7:00 AM. I adore fragrances dedicated to this precious note, but few truly satisfy me. Yet this creation is very particular, quite different. L’Insomnuit is a dark blue iris, almost midnight. It lives in a full moon night, icy and crystalline… a nearly lunar atmosphere, precisely, where everything is still and perfect… and you feel a slight shiver of melancholic pleasure as you spray it on your skin. And it’s exactly when you start thinking this fragrance will lead you into a labyrinth of thoughts that these somewhat unsettling and poetically sad atmospheres give way to completely different images, because the fragrance comes alive, warms up, and ignites in a way that’s almost miraculous. Bergamot evokes pale, warm rays of sunlight, and the shy violet becomes an embrace. In the base, subtle oud gently appears, bringing a scent of sweet, woody wood, very delicately resinous, providing a wonderful, almost mystical depth and gifting you the caress of a small autumn fire. In this phase, it smells deliciously fruity, quite intense. Then comes a powerful iris, a bit more intensely creamy, enveloping you with mystery, yes, but also with caressing elegance and giving you a sense of tranquility so unpredictable yet enduring. This fruity iris is captivatingly beautiful, but it simply doesn’t bring peace, in all its brilliance. The warm, spicy blend of tonka, sandalwood, and cedar makes it even more beautiful, ensuring a truly pleasant, high-quality finish. General performance on my skin is good, with a well-perceptible trail for the first hour and a half before slowly fading. I’ve worn it for 7 hours, not bad. I loved it; at one point, it reminded me of Florentine Iris, but warmer as time passed. Expensive perfume, I don’t recommend buying blindly; better to try a small decant to decide if it has a feeling with your skin and style. By courtesy (and fault) of Rafasant, I guess I’ll write a little letter to the Kings…