The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Barbès Mandarine appeared in 2020. Dominique Preyssas composed it as a minimalist eau de parfum with an emphasis on cool space, sharp color, and quiet contrasts. The fragrance moves through bergamot and orange blossom before reaching a more intricate floral center built around Bulgarian rose, ylang-ylang, lily, and neroli. Bergamot gives the opening a brisk, lightly bitter citrus brightness, while orange blossom brings a clean, radiant softness. At the heart, Bulgarian rose adds velvety depth, ylang-ylang introduces a richer floral texture, lily contributes a delicate petal-like quality, and neroli brings a transparent green-floral accent. Patchouli lends an earthy edge, white musk smooths the composition, and tonka bean places a gentle sweetness beneath the florals.
What makes Barbès Mandarine interesting is the tension between two kinds of brightness. Citrus and neroli bring light, air, and polished surfaces to the opening, while patchouli introduces a darker root beneath the flowers. Tonka bean and white musk then soften that contrast without erasing it, leaving a composition that can read as fresh, floral, and quietly earthy at once. The floral heart is broad but not vague: Bulgarian rose gives it structure, ylang-ylang adds an airy floral depth, lily brings a cool petal effect, and neroli connects the heart back to citrus. It is a careful balancing act, and that measured contrast is the fragrance's real signature.
The evolution
The opening arrives with brisk citrus energy and the clean radiance of orange blossom, immediately polished and translucent rather than heavy. Bergamot provides a lively, lightly bitter lift, while orange blossom gives the first impression a soft, airy florality. As the heart opens, rose, ylang-ylang, lily, and neroli widen the fragrance into a floral veil, with enough sweetness to feel rounded but enough freshness to stay controlled. Rose contributes a supple, velvety depth, ylang-ylang adds a richer and more sensual floral texture, lily brings a delicate coolness, and neroli keeps the combination luminous and transparent. That is the most noticeable shift, because it briefly resembles a different scent: less citrus, more translucent skin and clean petals. Then patchouli introduces its earthy edge, grounding the brighter materials with a dry, woody depth.
Cultural impact
Barbès Mandarine can be discovered through its sensory contrasts rather than a prescribed cultural reading. The opening combines bergamot's brisk citrus character with the clean radiance of orange blossom. Its heart reveals a more layered floral register, where Bulgarian rose, ylang-ylang, lily, and neroli shift between depth, richness, delicate petal softness, and transparency. Patchouli, white musk, and tonka bean complete the composition with earthy texture, smooth continuity, and restrained sweetness.
The House
Élixir PrivéÉlixir Privé is a Parisian fragrance house that opened in 2020, built on the conviction that perfume should feel personal rather than mass produced. Founded by Ankita, whose formative years spanned Chandigarh and Shanghai before settling into the Parisian atelier, the house occupies an intimate space in contemporary perfumery. Rather than chasing commercial trends, Élixir Privé approaches each composition as an act of storytelling, with founder Ankita shaping the creative direction and collaborating directly with perfumers to bring each scent into being. The house is best known for offerings like the 2025 releases Matcha Irozi and Tunis Neróli, alongside earlier works such as Chatiment (2020) and the oud-forward Babel Oud (2022). Its catalog is kept deliberately small, allowing each fragrance to exist as a distinct olfactory chapter rather than part of a sprawling lineup.
The Creator
Dominique PreyssasDominique’s signature technique rests on precise accord construction. He builds foundations with classic French ingredients—bergamot, jasmine, sandalwood—then introduces subtle twists of rare absolutes or modern synthetics to add depth.
