The perfume world can be small, and sometimes a very fine nose lies in the family. Jean Claude Ellena, one of the most famous perfumers for many years now, founded The Different Company in 2000. When he left to take over the head position for fragrances at Hermes (creating scents like “Hermessence Ambre Narguile”, which I adore), his daughter Celine became part of the company. She has created some highly rated scents for the company herself, including “Jasmin de Nuit”, a sharply spicey jasmine perfume. It captivated me immediately. The scent is not mellifluous soft, but makes itself felt like a strong, hot wind in the noon sun in an arid country without a chance to hide in the shadow or somewhere inside.
For the picture of the scent notes I did choose with full intention the dried versions of jasmine, cinnamon, cardamom and anis. No scent is further away from the sea and anything humid; the picture the perfume awakes is of a harsh brownish semi desert with little green, no lush trees or blooming flowerbeds. Only single flowers and spices, not too many different ones, but those that grow are strong. The scent belongs to a mountainous land, where cicadas chirp and the smells are intensified by loneliness and heat. Jasmine actually stays in the background compared to the spices. A lot of people have complained to me about the slightest bit of cinnamon in perfumes – here in “Jasmin de Nuit” cinnamon rules.
To me the perfume is no real night scent, but I can imagine the smells soften and melt when the sun goes away and night takes over. There is a lot of passion in the scent, longing and refusal. It is a realistic scent. Not endearing, but honest. One wonders if Celine Ellena’s first studies of psychology and linguistics somehow melted with her latter perfume education. It is a grown scent of a powerful woman, maybe a queen of hearts or other, but not that of a young girl.
The colour of the “Jasmin de Nuit” is best captured in the brownish red tone of the cinnamon bark / anis (and actually of the liquid perfume itself). The perfume liquid leaves a mark on clothes – somehow this is quite appropriate. Other earth tones might come along with the main colour, but they are for the background only.
The Different Company will be the centre of attention here from time to time again, as there are remarkable scents in the collection. As usual, noses and sentiments vary. I bought “Soublime Balkiss”, also created by Celine Ellena. Not to my liking at all. I gave it to a friend, and it became her signature scent.
The art and handicraft of a real “Nose” is to create perfumes for different audiences. Simpler minds like myself probably would stick to the same ingredients or – more probably – the same type of perfume, in endless variations. Certainly, even master perfumers have their preferred scents, but as it is their work to create different fragrances, they must be able to combine ingredients and grow over their own comfort zone. As a perfume does hit the brain directly, it is always an emotional thing to smell something. It is basically impossible to smell something without judging it. Perfumers who can create elegant perfumes of the most differing ingredients deserve the highest respect.
The Different Company lives currently also from inspiration of Emilie Copperman, who does leave her mark in the artistic department. She is the creator of the colognes collection which includes wonderful “Majaiana Sin”. Other designers, famous ones (like Bertrand Duchaufour) and less famous ones complete the current creative set. Luke Gabriel leads the company since Jean Claude Ellena left in 2004.
The Different Company stayed one of the truly independent niche perfume labels. Defending their place in the complicated and overcrowded perfume space for over 20 years now, without making compromises on quality as so many others do, is admirable. Their growth seems carefully planned and sensibly executed. Personally, I hope the company produces many more great scents, stays independent and away from the mainstream. “Jasmin de Nuit” is a special jasmine scent, spicier than any other I know and one to never forget.