The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Released in 2018, Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure is built around an unusual pairing that shouldn't work on paper but absolutely does in the bottle: the clean, effervescent fizz of champagne set against the smoky stillness of Japanese boudoir incense. Praline and candied lemon peel bridge these two worlds, catching the brightness of the citrus and folding it into the warmth of the nut. The opening reads as a celebration, almost too playful, until the incense settles in and pulls the composition somewhere quieter, more contemplative. What keeps the sugar from tipping into cloying territory is a resin backbone that anchors everything, giving the sweetness weight and structure. The result feels like a glass of champagne raised in a dimly lit room where something honest is about to be said.
What makes this composition structurally interesting is the tension between its two poles. Champagne and candied lemon peel sit at the bright, effervescent end of the spectrum, but Japanese incense and cashmere wood anchor everything in something smoky and still. Praline and caramel pull toward confection, while orris root adds a powdery, root-vegetable earthiness that grounds the sweetness. Vanilla orchid ties the florals to the gourmand base without ever letting the composition feel like a pastry. It's a balancing act, and the interplay between fizz, smoke, and sugar is what separates it from straightforward gourmands.
The evolution
The first ten minutes are all about lift. Champagne and candied lemon peel hit bright, almost sharp, with bergamot adding a green-citrus edge that makes the opening feel sparkling and alive. The fizz is real, almost olfactory, the way a freshly poured glass catches light before the bubbles settle. Then the praline starts to soften things, and the vanilla orchid blooms alongside it, turning the composition warm and creamy within the first half hour. The nuttiness of the praline rounds out the citrus bite, and the vanilla orchid adds a floral creaminess that smooths the transition. By the second hour, the Japanese incense makes its presence known. It doesn't dominate, but it curls underneath the sweetness like smoke caught in fabric, shifting the whole scent from festive to something more intimate.
Cultural impact
Wearers tend to describe this fragrance as unexpectedly sophisticated for a scent this sweet, and the reaction is consistent enough to suggest the composition achieves something genuinely rare: a gourmand that doesn't read as juvenile. The champagne note gives it an opening that feels celebratory and bright, almost like the first few minutes of a long evening, while the incense underneath lends a gravity that keeps it from feeling like a novelty. The praline and candied lemon peel tie the sweetness to something confectionary and familiar, but the Japanese boudoir incense ensures the whole thing never loses its edge.
