It was very early when she entered Misfah. Colours were made more intense by the morning cold. The moon was full, the detail of its mountains and oceans completely visible. Her steps were so light that she seemed weightless in her long orange dress. The village awoke gently to the sound of water meandering wildly along thousands of irrigation canals, the falajs. With hands covered in unknown symbols, she gently touched the trees, buds, and young fruit.
The magic of touch was at work. Nature began to rustle. Pomegranates, apricots, figs, and almonds ripened. Roses opened into a kaleidoscope of brilliant colours. The palm trees bent under the weight of their arrogant dates. As she passed, Misfah transformed into an extraordinary village. An open-air cornucopia, where each breath was an opportunity to discover a new scent.
She left Misfah through a hidden door, leaving the villagers a moment of happiness that was renewed every day. Misfah will always be Misfah: A peaceful haven, an extravagant garden, a hidden address.
The perfumer’s words
For ‘Jardins de Misfah’ (which belongs to the Oman collection in eau de parfum), you reworked your first composition into an extrait version. What was your initial idea in this reworking?
Recreating an Eau de Parfum as an Extract is not as simple an exercise as it seems. You have to know how to keep the strengths of the original while bringing new contrasts to reinvent its signature. I took what was key to the sillage of ‘Jardins de Misfah’ and raised it to an even higher level of sensuality and desire. At the centre of the perfume are dates, which have a much richer treatment with a note of date honey supported by the balsam and vanilla accents of benzoin. The floral heart is built around rose water, delicate and fresh in the eau de parfum, and becomes smooth and sweet with a duo of essence and rose absolute. Finally, this rose-date honey accord is reinforced by the spicy and leathery effect of the saffron, making this new extract a sultry and irresistible version of Jardins de Misfah. – Jérôme Di Marino
Collection Extraits de Voyage
Night. The mind wanders. Our eyes rest on the moon’s glow. The silence of the sleeping world excites our imagination. Here we find enchanted lands, magic, and mystery. And legends. We go from story to story, changing destinations, heroes, and landscapes. Our collection of ‘Extraits de Voyage’ is a scent exploration of these real and imagined stories, passed down from generation to generation. — Alexandra & Philippe