Sebastian

Sebastian is the scent of tuberose rendered as cashmere, white florals made tactile rather than shrill. It captures tuberose at its creamiest: not the green stem, not the narcotic or indolic headiness, and certainly not the bubble-gummy sweetness that plagues so many modern interpretations, but the buttery, softly glowing heart of the flower itself. What makes this composition exceptional is how tuberose is treated as a material rather than a spectacle. Sandalwood provides a smooth, velvety warmth, while immortelle plays a crucial role, lending a waxy, golden, almost cosmetic richness. Its faint maple-honey, straw-like warmth rounds rather than sweetens, creating the unmistakable lotion-like richness of expensive creams that makes Sebastian feel comforting rather than floral-forward. Vanilla appears not as dessert, but as structure, restrained, textural, and quietly supportive, forming a base that feels like skin warmed beneath fine fabric. The result is a tuberose that smells less like a flower and more like memory: silk slips, polished blonde wood furniture, softly lit Parisian apartments where minimalism costs a fortune. Sebastian envelops rather than announces. It whispers instead of performs, lingering close to the skin with impressive longevity for something so soft-spoken. There is nothing sharp, screechy, or attention-seeking here, just continuity, creaminess, and ease. It is white floral elegance for those who find most white florals too loud, tuberose worn as a second skin that happens to smell like quiet opulence. Verdict: A masterclass in creamy, cosmetic tuberose that feels quietly luxurious and deeply comforting, proof that true elegance does not need to announce itself.

Battle-ready tuberose meets unruly immortelle, but instead of knocking each other out, they lie exhausted in each other's arms after a long struggle, thanks to the peace efforts of sandalwood and vanilla. Beautiful, round, meditative fragrance with light gourmand facets reminiscent of mushrooms or black olives. Mme Roitfeld says: "It's very Carlos Gardel!". Right she is! Perfectly unisex, btw.

~Brace yourself for overuse of the word "soft" in this review~ After quite a pungent opening Sebastian settles into a lovely, soft, fluffy perfume. There is a vanillic-woody base with a soft, almost powdery floral over it. It brings to mind YSL Cinema in its comforting, gentle, soft character. Are you sick of the word "soft" yet? I am! But, well, that's the impression it gives: a gentle, soft cloud of vanilla, wood and powdery floral. I can imagine people describing this as a comfort scent. Don't be confused by it having a masculine name - it is marketed as unisex but I would say it leans to the classically feminine side.

Rather 'meh' at the beginning, Sebastian matures into a cosy scent for winter nights. It reminds me of a soft throw, you can almost feel the fabric. There's a sweet tinge to it from the tuberose, too, and a slight metallic hint, with discernible fresh powderiness in the drydown. One of the more intriguing fragrances in the range.

Green minty tuberose, a little spicy, very sweet but not in an artificial way. Leans femme.