Hey Perfume Posse. Seville a l’aube means Seville at dawn. When my mate Denyse from Grain de Musc brought out a book I was super thrilled and had it as soon as it could come to Australia. Then I bought a few and gave them to my mates for presents I enjoyed it so much. What a story, so full of fun and excitement, a real life lived well and the joy of being a fragrances muse. It doesn’t get much better than that. Then the fragrance came along a re-swept me off my feet.
Seville a l’aube by L`Artisan Parfumeur 2012
Seville a l’aube by Bertrand Duchaufour
Photo Stolen Fragrantica
Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Aldehydes, Lavender, Petitgrain, Plant juice
Heart: Benzoin, Beeswax, Jasmine, Orange blossom, White blossoms
Base: Amber, Resin, Rose, Frankincense
I have a couple of bottles of Seville a l’aube, one of then is seriously depleted, and while cleaning up some stuff the other day I found an original 5ml decant that may have come from Denyse. It has gone the most starrrtling orange colour and when I spray it on it is mainly orange blossom, resins and honey. Extremely animalic and strong. It’s like I found a parfum version and maybe the alcohol has burned off and left mainly the juice.
Photo Stolen WikiMedia
Having nearly finished this decant and still craving Seville a l’aube I grabbed my bottle out today and gave myself a few spritzes. Now I sit in a for of sensual orange blossom and a less aggressive animalic back story leaving much more space for the flowers and herbal bouquet to really shine. Bright, sweet and very pretty Seville a l’aube has a very glamorous sillage and projection is excellent for the first hour or so when it calms dramatically to a softer, friendlier floral warmed by the various resins, incense and vanilla. It’s so lovely I feel cradled within a fragrant cocoon and close my eyes to drift off as I sit on my sun warmed verandah in Sydney’s winter. Life is pretty good.
Photo Stolen Book Depository
I think I’ll start unpacking the books and re-read The Perfume Lover.
Further reading: Bois de Jasmin and Candy Perfume Boy
Book: The Perfume Lover by Denyse Beaulieu
Parfum1 has $120/50ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4.50/ml
At IUNX Paris in 2014
Have you read The Perfume Lover? What about Seville a l’aube, did it lure you?
If you liked this then drop on over to Australian Perfume Junkies and continue the fragrant conversation there, we love visitors.
Portia xx
Hey, Portia! This is a beautiful scent but it goes a bit flat and honeyed on my skin and I tend to like something with a bit more tang. I do love the story behind it. BTW, for those who love this scent, wouldn’t it be glorious in a shower gel, lotion or cream?
Oh yes, I would LOVE it in the rest of the range. That would be fabulous.
What a pity it turns flat on you Ann.
Portia xx
The book was recommended to me, and some months later one of my reatives hunted it down and gave it to me as a Christmas present. I like the story and also the feel and layout of the cover on the British edition. The perfume is very good, I own a bottle after emptying a decant in no time. It is one of the few from l’Artisan which I really love (in general I find their perfumes very wearable, but some are too polished and soft). The lavender in this one is also one I enjoy (not always a fan of lavender, or incense for that matter)
Hi there Ingeborg,
I wonder if the lavender not hitting you in the face is why I don’t get it.
DEFINITELY wearing it tomorrow.
Portia xx
Hiya Portia, I’ve read the book AND own a FB of Seville a l’Aube which is getting seriously depleted. The juice in my bottle, which I got several years back has turned into a deep orange color. I actually get a lot of the caramelized lavender!
Hey there Hajusuuri,
Yes, my original decant is FLURO orange. It’s freaky isn’t it. The bottles have maintained their clear light orange colour so far.
I’m going to wear it again tomorrow and see if I can find the caramel lavender.
Portia xx
I love this one too. So much so that I got a backup of it. One of these days I’ll get around to reading the book.
Hey Poodle,
The book is AWESOME! You will kick yourself for not reading it sooner.
Portia xx
With enough perfume to last a few lifetimes, I decided no more full bottles. However, after lusting after this for what seemed to be years, I broke my rules and bought a bottle 🙂 So glad that I did, it is just lovely and my absolute favorite orange blossom. I get a honey note that is just fantastic!
That honey is a beautiful counterpoint, isn’t it ElizabethC?
Portia xx
I haven’t read the book but I looove the perfume, especially in the summer. I’m onto my second large decant and it’s on my full bottle list, I wore it in the sultry heat of New Orleans on vacation this summer and it was swoony 🙂
Hi there Rosarita313,
I bet it was heavenly in New Orleans for summer. You should grab the book, it’s a page turner. I’ll bet you can’t make it last a week. I ate in up in days. Learned so much about the behind-the-scenes of our fragrant hobby too.
Portia xx
Portia, I also enjoyed The Perfume Lover and loved meeting Denyse and BD when they came to London to talk about Seville a l’aube. The perfume is a fab orange blossom with a bit of a twist..I have a bottle. The inclusion of the carmelised lavender absolute was really clever.
Oh and it DOES have glamorous sillage!
Hey Tara,
That lavender note eludes me but next time I wear SAL I will definitely have a closer sniff for it.
Oh yes, they could float in its wake.
Portia xx