The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Pro Fond arrived from Esscentual Alchemy with Amanda Feeley credited as the perfumer behind the composition. The scent marked a move into fuller territory, a more head-on kind of indulgence than what the brand had offered before. The name itself suggests depth, something that goes beyond the surface, and Feeley built the juice around a clear tension: bright citrus pitched against heavy white petals, then grounded by an unexpected base of barley and cocoa. Blood orange and petitgrain lift the opening with a green, slightly bitter brightness, while the heart stacks Indian magnolia, tuberose, white lotus, and ylang-ylang into something creamy and dense. Karo karounde enters the heart as well, adding a cool thread that keeps the white petals from collapsing into pure sweetness.
What makes Pro Fond unusual is the structural choice to stack multiple white florals in the heart while keeping the base firmly edible and earthy. Indian magnolia, tuberose, white lotus, and ylang-ylang bloom together in full, and the composition's defining move is what sits beneath them. Karo karounde joins the heart, and its presence shapes how the white petals register on skin, keeping the bouquet from tipping into something purely decorative. In the base, cocoa and barley bring a grainy, toasted weight, while frankincense and vetiver dry the whole thing into resin and root.
The evolution
The opening arrives with a green, slightly bitter brightness that reads more like crushed leaves than fruit. Blood orange and petitgrain lead the charge, and underneath them a rosy sweetness hints at the florals waiting in the wings. As the top notes settle, the heart opens wide. Tuberose and Indian magnolia fill the space with a creamy, almost indolic density, the kind of white-floral weight that announces itself without apology. Ylang-ylang and white lotus soften the edges, while karo karounde threads a cool, green note through the middle, a counterweight that keeps the bouquet from collapsing into sugar. Nothing about this phase is restrained. Eventually the florals begin to recede and the base emerges. Cocoa arrives first, dark and faintly bitter, followed by the unusual warmth of barley, which smells toasted, grainy, almost bread-like.
Cultural impact
Pro Fond is a scent that asks to be noticed. It fills a coat collar, lingers on a scarf, and announces itself without shouting, rewarding wearers who want their perfume to do something rather than whisper. The barley and cocoa base gives it a groundedness that many white-floral compositions lack, and that unusual pairing is what tends to stick with people who try it. Wear it in cooler weather and the cocoa reads richer; in warmer air the florals push forward and the base becomes a quiet hum underneath. The composition doesn't apologize for its own volume, and that confidence is part of its draw.
The House
Esscentual AlchemyEsscentual Alchemy crafts small‑batch botanical perfumes that blend natural essences with carefully selected aroma molecules. Since its first releases in 2010, the house has built a catalogue that includes The World (2011), Chocolate Hazelnut Twist (2010), Kama (2010), That 70's Smell (2010), Autumn Spice (2010), Purple Orchid (2010), Pro Fond (2015), Prata Viridi (2010), Dvora (2011) and Poir Indiscrète (2017). Each scent is presented in a minimalist bottle that lets the fragrance speak for itself, inviting wearers to explore memory, place and feeling through scent.
The Creator
Amanda FeeleyAmanda favors a minimalist palette, often starting with a single botanical note and building around it. She prefers absolutes of rose, jasmine, and orange blossom, paired with essential oils of bergamot, cedarwood, and sandalwood.
