Jasmin de Nuit is the latest fragrance from The Different Company, and the line’s first release created by Celine Ellena, daughter of well-known nose Jean Claude Ellena. I believe that I read somewhere (but as usual can’t find the link) that Celine Ellena has spent some years creating fragrances for cosmetics. This is her first major perfume release, although she also created the now discontinued Biotherm Relax.
The notes for Jasmin de Nuit are bergamot, black currant, egyptian jasmine, star anise, cinnamon, cardamom, sandalwood, musk and amber. According to The Different Company, the fragrance has unusually high concentrations of Egyptian jasmine absolute, a variety which is said to have a fruitier undertone than those more commonly used in perfumery.
Jasmin de Nuit starts with lush, rich jasmine and just a touch of bergamot. The spices are quite strong and dusty, with a heavy dose of cardamom. The opening may be too heady for those who don’t care for spicy scents, but it was actually my favorite stage.
As it dries down, the amber and black currant become more apparent. The spices fade considerably — it is really only lightly spicy at most — and as the cardamom quiets it is possible to faintly make out the star anise and cinnamon. The jasmine itself is fairly muted, in fact I find the amber more pronounced than the jasmine after an hour so. After 2 hours, the jasmine was just a whisper under the amber. It is lightly sweet at most, and not as heavy as I expected.
The Different Company Jasmin de Nuit is a beautifully done fragrance, but I am not a big fan of amber and it will not be a full bottle purchase for me. Like the others in the line, this is an Eau de Toilette, but the style is less sheer than Osmanthus, Bois d'Iris or Divine Bergamote. The lasting power is reasonable. It is probably too heavy for a hot summer day, but it did not strike me as a fragrance that couldn't be worn during the day otherwise, so long as it has time to calm before you get on an elevator.
For buying information, see the listing for The Different Company under Perfume Houses.