The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Michel Almairac composed ITISLOVE for the Dalí fragrance house in 2008. The name says everything and nothing, love announced, love examined. Spanish narcissus anchors the heart, lending the composition a waxy, melancholic floralcy that resists the ordinary. The fragrance opens with bright, tart notes that give way to deeper floral territory as it develops on the skin. Almairac approached the material with care, allowing the narcissus to speak clearly without apology or excess. What results is a composition that balances bold declaration with tender restraint, a scent that feels both intimate and dramatic in its quiet confidence.
What makes ITISLOVE interesting is its structural logic. The top opens tart and bright, pink pepper, pomegranate, grapefruit working in concert, then cedes to a heart that feels almost counter-programmed. Spanish narcissus is waxy and deep. Immortelle adds a honeyed-herbal undertone. Iris contributes powdery violet-and-wood character. Together, these materials create an unexpected floral experience. The base shifts again: warm, close, skin-like. Musk amplifies the powdery quality of the iris while softening the sandalwood and rounding out the vanilla.
The evolution
The opening hits with genuine brightness. Pink pepper tingles, pomegranate delivers tart fruit, grapefruit adds a clean citrus edge. This phase is sharp and direct. Then the handoff arrives. Spanish narcissus and immortelle arrive together, their waxy floralcy replacing the citrus with something deeper, more melancholic. The rose is subtle, threaded through rather than announced. Iris becomes more apparent as the heart develops, lending its powdery, violet-tinged character to the composition. The base phase belongs to musk, sandalwood, and vanilla, the vanilla warm and present without being cloying, the sandalwood adding a creamy wood quality that extends everything. The drydown holds for several hours. Moderate sillage means it stays close, intimate, a scent you notice when you move rather than one that announces itself across a room.
Cultural impact
The Salvador Dalí fragrance house launched ITISLOVE in 2008. ITISLOVE offered a different kind of floral composition, featuring Spanish narcissus and immortelle in a structure built around floral-woody-musky elements. Michel Almairac composed the fragrance to capture the house's heritage through scent, creating a profile that appeals to those seeking something beyond conventional floral fragrances.
