Soliflores are at their best when the keynote is a special version. It is why it has mostly been the place where small independent perfumers shine as they can source small exquisite batches. To everything there must be an exception and Diptyque has once again proven they can also play this game with Diptyque Essences Insensees 2019.
The Essences Insensees collection was debuted in 2014 with the concept that they would release soliflore perfumes highlighting a particularly good harvest of a keynote. In 2014 it was mimosa, followed by jasmine in 2015 with the last one being in 2016 for Rose de Mai. This appeals to me as there must be years when a harvest of a specific flower must be better than other years. Which means the task of the perfumer is to find a way to display that keynote in all its glory. Diptyque has asked perfumer Fabrice Pellegrin to be the man behind that for this collection. In 2019 he is working with a harvest of tiare flower from Tahiti.
Fabrice Pellegrin
Tiare is an interesting floral to highlight. Called the “Tahitian gardenia” it sits firmly within the white flower family. I would put it in between the familiar gardenia and tuberose. If you’ve ever seen a movie with people wearing lei in Polynesia it is tiare which is the flower on them. For Essences Insensees 2019 M. Pellegrin highlights two of the characteristics of tiare which have always stood out to me, the sparkle and the creaminess.
Tiare has this ineffable sparkle which makes it different than other white flowers to me. M. Pellegrin uses a set of ozonic notes to highlight that. It is a fresh sea breeze that glides over it all. A touch of baie rose highlights the subtle green thread which runs through this tiare. As the tiare becomes more of the focal point M. Pellegrin turns it towards its more floral aspects with some frangipani. Then the creaminess is brought forward with vanilla forming an almost custard-like finish.
Essences Insensees 2019 has 8-10 hour longevity and average sillage.
If you are a fan of white flower perfumes Essences Insensees 2019 is one you should try for its unique take on the genre. It is a tiara of tiare.
Disclosure: this review is based on a sample provided by Diptyque.
–Mark Behnke
