The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Up To The Moon arrived in 2020 from The House of Oud, crafted by perfumers Cristian Calabrò and Carlo Ribero. Part of the Arts collection, the fragrance explores something specific: the moment before lift-off, that held breath when everything is possible but nothing has moved yet. The cool, powdery opening mirrors the controlled anticipation of that instant. The warmth that follows is what happens when you actually go.
What makes this work is the iris. Not iris as a pale abstraction, but Florentine iris, the real material, with its cool violet-powder signature intact. It arrives alongside blackcurrant and pink grapefruit, giving the top a brightness that feels cold-air fresh, not sweet. The fruit notes (pear, blackcurrant) keep it from reading as austere, while the neroli adds a clean, citrus-adjacent lift. The heart, magnolia, jasmine sambac, damask rose, doesn't try to overpower the opening. It blooms warmer as the citrus cools, which is where the name starts to make sense. You're rising, not launching.
The evolution
The opening is crisp and bright: blackcurrant reads first, tart and immediate, before the powdery iris and neroli arrive to cool everything down. Pink grapefruit adds a sharp edge that doesn't linger. Within 20 minutes, the citrus fades and the florals take over, magnolia and jasmine sambac, rich and almost humid, like stepping into a greenhouse at noon. The damask rose appears here, lending a sweetness that stays. By hour three, the drydown begins. Raspberry absolute and amber arrive quietly, without fanfare, transforming the composition from floral to something skin-close and warm. Vanilla and sandalwood anchor the base, while ambrette seed (musk mallow) gives the finish a soft, almost creamy quality that doesn't read as heavy. By hour six, this sits inches from the skin, a quiet warmth you have to lean in to find. The next morning, a trace of sandalwood and powder still lingers on fabric.
Cultural impact
Up To The Moon sits in an interesting position: fruity-floral and powdery enough to appeal broadly, but with an iris-led structure that gives it a niche sophistication. Some wearers compare it to mainstream fruity florals, but the Florentine iris and vanilla-sandalwood drydown set it apart. The fragrance is a respected choice for daytime wear, particularly spring and summer, where its cool opening and warm finish feel seasonally appropriate.
