
When the bottle just opens it’s mouth it shouts: Freedom!
Green galbanum, sage and bergamot are hinting to the Chypre quality of this marvelous perfume. It is going to be a super-multilayered adventure that requires patience and faith.
The green rush fades rather quickly, smoothing itself gradually into an almost powdery combination of jonquil and cedarwood, mellowed and warmed by powdery musk and the Guerlainade - orris root, tonka bean and vanilla. That is what makes the narcissus notes not so heady and overwhelming (reassuringly, this perfume is neither too floral nor overly sweet, especially for the sophisticated and adventurous woman!) - Vol de Nuit is truly a perfume of refinement and an understated, passionate approach to life. In my mind it symbolizes independence and individuality in it’s most truthful meaning - facing adversity all by yourself, and yet remembering who you are.
The smooth, somewhat powdery heart gradually evolves into a more sophisticated Woody-Chypre accord, based on Labdanum and Oakmoss and a noble Agarwood note that lends a somewhat sweet, somewhat sour undertone that is not unlike Mitsouko’s vetiver-agarwood base, but is richer and sweeter.
Than there is the next phase of heart notes - which is definitely the inspiration for Chant d’Aromes in my opinion, as it smells exactly like this lovely, cheerful and spring-like perfume: the fresh white florals (honeysuckly, gardenia, narcissus) over a woody-light musky-chypre base, floral and deeply wamr at once, fresh and young and at the same time thoughtful and deep.
The drydown echoes the earlier impression of the heart accord: woody and musky, with some ambery-vanilla sweetness in the tradition of Guerlain (Which somewhat reminds me of Shalimar - only that Shalimar is a perfume worn to seduce, where as in Vol de Nuit the seduction is more natural and sublte, and almost unintentional - you wear it first of all for yourself - and than come all the other side-effects...).
Like Shalimar, the Vol de Nuit drydown is somewhat resembling a natural skin scent (which is my personal weakness...).
In my mind, Vol de Nuit is associated with the heroic women of the WWII era, namely my dearest grandmother (Vol de Nuit was the romantic gift my beloved grandfather has given her after taking her to the Guerlain boutique in Champs Elysee where she received a personal fragrance consultation). I also associate it (I admit it - a lot of elements in the movie reminded me of “The Little Prince” by the same author of “Vol de Nuit”) - the airplane crashing in the desert) the desert-dwelling British heroine from “The English Patient” (Was her name Katherine?).
Vol de Nuit is rich, complex, mysterious. A perfume that needs to be worn with dignity and self-worth, you can either make it your own, or wonder for years trying to convince it to be worn by you.
Top notes; Galbanum, Bergamot, Sage
Heart notes: Jonquil, Jasmine, Orris Root, Cedarwood, Musk
Base notes: Tonka Bean, Vanilla, Oakmoos, Cedarwood, Agarwood, Labdanum, Oakmoss, Vetiver
Keep in mind that Vol de Nuit stand hand-in-hand with the great Jacques Guerlain creations - l’Heure Bleu and Mitsouko. It can be interpreted in many ways, and has layers upon layers of connotations and essentially it’s own vocabulary. I believe there is always something new to find about it, so don’t be surprised to find me writing another perfume review of it tomorrow that will be quite different.
I remembered it as much darker and floral than it is today. And the EDT I found to be a lot more similar to Shalimar in the drydown note which is musky-vanilla.