Luxembourg

The decision to omit a traditional top note came from the collective's desire to honor the Jardin du Luxembourg's formality. French formal gardens begin immediately with structured hedgerows and allées; they do not ease the visitor in with wildflowers at the entrance. Cedarwood serves as the backbone, with Blackcurrant providing fruit and darkness, while Bergamot shaves citrus brightness across the surface before Apple introduces a brief sweetness. Rose appears in measured doses, keeping the floral element aristocratic rather than romantic.

The evolution

Rather than opening with citruses or light florals, Luxembourg begins its evolution directly through Cedarwood, Blackcurrant, Bergamot and Apple, presenting the park's woodland sections without preamble. The Blackcurrant note recalls the garden's clipped bosquets, dark and dense with foliage. Rose whispers through the heart, suggesting the ornamental flowerbeds near the Medici Fountain, while Cedarwood persists like the park's ancient plane trees standing through centuries of Parisian weather. Patchouli and Amber in the base evoke the earthy underfoot quality of lawn paths after rain, grounding the composition in something tactile and real rather than purely visual.