The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Beso de Ylang translates to "Kiss of Ylang" and it earns that name. Launched in 2018 by Atelier Segall & Barutti under the creative direction of perfumer Tzivia Segall, the composition operates from the brand's Brazilian base while gesturing toward Iberian and Latin sensibilities. The official positioning frames it as a feminine fragrance, with a Portuguese-language reference describing it through the lens of "sensualidade luminosa," a phrase evoking luminous sensuality rather than overt sweetness. Segall's formula leans into ylang-ylang as the gravitational center, with lychee brightening the top, civet adding depth and friction at the heart's edge, and a whisper of coffee settling into the drydown alongside vanilla and oakmoss.
What separates Beso de Ylang from a dozen other ylang-led florals on the market is the tension between its top and base. This one opens with rosemary and artemisia, two materials associated with herbal bitterness and aromatic lift, before tipping into the golden floral heart. The drydown then reintroduces that friction through civet, a material with a long history in classical perfumery and a reputation for adding depth through its warm, almost animalic character. Coffee and oakmoss anchor the base, preventing the vanilla from turning the whole thing into a confection.
The evolution
The first fifteen minutes are the most deceptive part. Litchi and orange arrive with a fruit-forward brightness that suggests something casual, almost like a body splash. Then the rosemary and artemisia muscle in, dragging the opening toward something more herbaceous and angular. By the thirty-minute mark, the ylang-ylang surfaces fully, and the composition settles into its intended register: golden, creamy, slightly indolic in the way only yellow florals can be. Magnolia and rose keep the heart from becoming monolithic, while the sandalwood underneath starts announcing itself as the real foundation. The drydown shifts considerably. Civet wakes up somewhere around the three-hour mark, adding a warm, almost animalic hum that grounds the vanilla and keeps the coffee from reading as literal.
Cultural impact
Beso de Ylang sits within Atelier Segall & Barutti's catalog as one of the more overtly feminine compositions, carrying a sensual character that comes through in its civet-forward base. The Portuguese-language positioning evokes "sensualidade luminosa," a luminous sensuality that runs through the fragrance's golden floral core and its animalic drydown. It shares DNA with the brand's other floral compositions but stands apart through its specific tension between herbal top notes, creamy ylang-ylang heart, and the warm, slightly dirty civet that anchors the base.
