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The waves of vanilla that swept through
Western beauty products at the end of
the last century might well be
attributable to the publication of A
Natural History of the Senses (1990), in
which naturalist Diane Ackerman waxes
rhapsodic about the intoxicating
qualities of vanilla. For nearly an
entire chapter, Ackerman’s lapidary
prose is so evocative and persuasive
about the aphrodisiacal powers of
vanilla, and its gastronomic history,
that one can hardly decide whether to
race for the kitchen or douse oneself in
vanilla or light a dozen vanilla
candles. As Ackerman mentions, "only
saffron is a more expensive spice."
Ackerman’s favorite vanilla fragrance
was a combination of Ann Steeger’s
vanilla body veil, layered with Jean
Laporte’s Vanilla perfume, which
possessed a bitter sting. It’s a near
certainty that Ackerman, and all other
vanilla aficionados, will go crazy for
Atelier Cologne’s Vanille Insensée,
which roughly translates to "Insanely
Vanilla."
After more than fifteen years in the
beauty industry, Atelier Cologne
founders, Sylvie Ganter and Christopher
Cervasel, launched their own line in
February 2010 with a series of
citrus-based, Cologne Absolue fragrances
concentrated at 15% that are
widely-celebrated for their sillage.
Evoking the original line, Atelier
Cologne’s Vanille Insensée opens with a
burst of lime and cedrat, leavened by
coriander. "Vanilla...can be cloying,"
said Vanille Insensée perfumer Ralf
Schwieger. "Here I tried to open another
door, the black one, which gives access
to the spicy floral heart." The top
notes of Atelier Cologne’s Vanille
Insensée are less like a vanilla cupcake
than they are the equivalent of stepping
onto the island of Madagascar, where the
earth is damp and loamy.
There’s nothing cloying about Atelier
Cologne’s Vanille Insensée - and
particularly when the heart notes of
jasmine, vetiver, and oak moss kick in.
At this point, it’s possible to imagine
yourself in a Turkish bazaar, where the
smell of vanilla pastries, glazed with
syrup and caramel, mixes with the sweat
of young Turks, hawking their wares
while baking in the sun.
It’s in the base notes of Atelier
Cologne’s Vanille Insensée that
Ackerman, and all other vanilla
aficionados, will swoon with delight.
Vanilla from Madagascar mingles with oak
wood and amber to create an almost
hallucinogenic olfactory memory. For who
amongst us has not fallen in love with
the smell of vanilla at some point
during our lives? A cake in a garden,
homemade ice cream, the hint of a
cologne, the taste of someone’s skin,
the warm burn of a cognac - from
childhood to adolescence, and on to
adulthood, the scent of vanilla has
marked our lives.
Like a double helix, Atelier Cologne’s
Vanille Insensée twists memory with
acquired wisdom, and the result is a
fragrance as mysterious as life.
PRICE: $170.00 / 200 ml (6.7 fl.
oz.)
LINK:
Atelier Cologne: Vanille Insensée |
