Excuse my casual humble brag, but at this point in my beauty career my fragrance collection is something of a treasure trove of far-flung destinations. A bottle of juice can transport you anywhere in the world depending on the ingredients. I can go skiing in Aspen on Monday, with hints of juniper and cedarwood, sip an Aperol spritz by the Mediterranean on Thursday with a blend of mandarin and sandalwood, and go dancing at an underground Parisian nightclub, with notes of sparkling champagne and smokey Gauloises by the weekend. But until recently, my perfume armchair travel had never taken me to the one place I most desire to be during the depths of winter: the desert, under the scorching sun with wide open landscape and knobby cacti dotting the horizon.
Luckily, the team at Frederic Malle, one of my favorite luxury fragrance brands, offered me a chance to explore the type of scenery that inspired legendary perfumer Dominique Ropion during his development of the brand's Desert Gems collection. It took less than an hour of exploring the Paradero grounds to understand how the drama, serenity, and glorious heat (I visited in winter, so I was more than happy to bake outdoors) of the desert could inform the newest, and intensely alluring, Hope eau de parfum.
The newest scent in the lineup, Hope delivers just as rich of an olfactory experience as its two sister perfumes, Promise and Night, incorporating tangy pink peppercorn, smokey incense, and vetiver, crisp juniper, and lush cypress with the heady oud base. The luxurious three-part collection stands as an homage to the rich traditions of Middle Eastern perfumery, bottling the stark beauty of the desert with Ropion's signature elegance.
"[We're] using the best raw materials we can find," the perfumer explains over Zoom from his home base in Paris, although he's frequently abroad, traveling to Saudi, Qatar, Dubai, or even Thailand for work and inspiration. I inquire how it's even possible to capture the scent of a place that is known for such sparse flora and fauna, the elements that most frequently inform fragrance notes.
"The only olfactive link that we can do with the desert is the dry part," he explains. "Some ingredients...are quite dry, like the umber-y wood knot. I very much like this part of the world, and all the essences and perfumes that you can find there. It's the kind of atmosphere where I can make something very interesting."
Although Baja is many thousands of miles away from the Middle East, the arid landscape, and breathtaking sunsets perfectly reflect Hope's scent profile. It's the type of perfume that entices strangers to lean closer, to inquire how you've managed to smell so captivating. So until I can charter a private jet to Doha on a whim to walk through the desert in a fabulous caftan, I'll be spritzing plenty of Hope for the foreseeable future.
With warm notes of amber and wood, plus a pure oud essence, Hope is a sophisticated rendition of the sensuous desert landscape. Combined with leathery frankincense and tangy pink peppercorn, you can drape your skin in fragrance haute couture with each spritz.
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