Moonlight Patchouli

It was in 1906 that Estelle and Alfred opened their first boutique on the legendary Place Vendôme in Paris. Their expertise, their talent, and their inclination toward innovation would lead them to become known throughout the world. It was in 1976 that Van Cleef & Arpels surprised everyone by presenting their first perfume, First. In 2016, the house unveiled Moonlight Patchouli, a fragrance that is part of the Collection Extraordinaire.

Patchouli in the spotlight

The purpose of the Collection Extraordinaire from Van Cleef & Arpels is to showcase an ingredient and enhance it through other raw materials. After orchid, iris, lily of the valley, and gardenia, Van Cleef & Arpels chose to put patchouli in the spotlight. Patchouli is a noble ingredient, a tropical plant found mainly in South America, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Patchouli arrived in France in the nineteenth century, when it was used to protect the cashmere shawls that “cocottes” had given to them. Then, in the 1970s, patchouli became a symbol of freedom, as it was often burned as incense by hippies as a sign of protest. Patchouli is currently highly prized by perfumers; it releases a scent that is woody, damp, earthy, even dusty and camphoraceous. Moonlight Patchouli pairs it here with iris and cocoa and is intended as a unisex fragrance.

Patchouli by moonlight

Moonlight Patchouli is a wonderful olfactory interpretation of patchouli by moonlight. As the house Van Cleef & Arpels states, Moonlight Patchouli echoes the poetic vision of the moon lighting up the night with its halo. Its fragrance is at once rich, warm, and sensual. Moonlight Patchouli opens with an unusual pairing, that of patchouli leaves with woody notes, and cocoa, which lends a certain gourmand character. Moonlight Patchouli then develops into an elegant floral heart with Bulgarian rose combined with iris flower. Finally, the base is bold and sensual, with fruity notes mingled with leather and suede notes. The bottle is understated and elegant. It follows the codes of every bottle in the Collection Extraordinaire. Rectangular in shape, it rests on a heavy glass base. The juice here has been tinted a lacquered black. The cap, made by the house Jackel, is actually a zamak, that is to say a mixture of aluminum, zinc alloy, magnesium, and copper. A silver-toned band encircles the neck, which is attached with a cord. Finally, the box is a lacquered wood case with a piano finish, involving 8 layers of superimposed lacquer.

An exquisite perfume that is part of the Collection Extraordinaire from the jewelry house. With Moonlight Patchouli, it is patchouli that is put in the spotlight here. A legendary ingredient, patchouli has an entire story to tell. Every raw material was chosen with care, and patchouli, surrounded by cocoa and iris, here takes full flight and offers an unmissable beauty.