Night Veils: Le Rituel de la Nuit
"I believe the night is something special, it opens up another world of possibilities; another version of who we are, a nocturnal feeling of duality. From the nocturnal blossom to the animals, there is a whole part of nature that lives at night - how can we be exempt from this? I know that after nightfall I have a completely different way of thinking; it is almost a different life, and I wanted to create something to mark the beginning of the evening, a new nocturnal ritual that sounds like a gong when this life of twilight begins". Ben Gorham, creative director and founder of Byredo. Tobacco Mandarin completes the Night Veils into a quartet and joins Casablanca Lily, Reine de Nuit and Sellier as part of Byredo's unique series of Extraits de Parfum. The Night Veils reflect the morning ceremony of applying fragrances and are conceived as a counterpart to the ritual of the night. Their application signals the beginning of the evening and the embrace of another, nocturnal life. Like flowers that release their beguiling fragrance only at dusk, with more lush, richer and rounder notes, these penetrating fragrance concentrates of the purest and most precious ingredients envelop the wearer with an intense yet intimate scent. Using an ancient, luxurious and refined perfumery tradition that works closer to the skin and with the radiance of body heat, a small amount of Extrait de Parfum lasts for many hours and bonds more deeply with the wearer. Whether worn in the evening for a special occasion or simply in bed, the Night Veils offer deep olfactory stimulation, inspiring and reflecting a nocturnal world of fantasy, memory and desire.
Tobacco Mandarin
A journey to another place in another time, where light citrus fruits and spices compete with dark, smoky sophistication. In Tangier, the European West meets the African Middle East; an ancient city of contrasts, where a daytime landscape of citrus trees and spice trade is contrasted with a seductive night world of femmes and hommes "fatals" wrapped in tobacco smoke and enthroned on leather. Here, a place - which is already a complex myth in itself - inspires a fragrance soaked with sensuality, elegance and danger. This evocation of contrasts and fascination is also evident in the precious raw materials: A tangy touch of citrus fruits and spices is immediately transported through the top notes of tangerine, coriander and cumin; in the heart, every volatility is forgotten, traditional and elegant, creamy leather fixes the fragrance together with labdanum, while a smoky cloak of narcotic tobacco envelops everything; at the base we find ancient resins and woods, both sacred and profane - olibanum, also known as francincense, with its notes of sacred, aromatic sweetness, oud and sandalwood with its nuanced and soothing woody accents. Tobacco Mandarin is like a cross-section of the history of the ancient city of Tangier - a crossroads of the world by scent - and evokes an opulent and ancient interplay of past and present, day and night, male and female, unclouded by time. The fragrance itself could be a complex figure in a novel or film noir.
