Francesca Bianchi Under My Skin Extrait de Parfum

Fragrance Family:
Dry Woods

Notes:
Grapefruit, Lavender, Black Pepper, Spices, Bulgarian Rose, Carnation, Iris Butter, Musk, Castoreum, Ambergris, Leather Accord, Costus, Tonka Bean, Tolu Balsam, Peru Balsam, Mysore Sandalwood, Vanilla, Treemoss

Concentration:
Extrait de Parfum (25%)

Occasion:
An intimate and mysterious animalic fragrance, one that softens and tames an animalic ferocity. To be worn close, for fine occasions. 

Francesca’s Inspiration:
“Under My Skin is my interpretation of the animalic theme. I was charmed by strong animalic scents, and I tried to do my own; but I had to realise that what I like in other’s creations is not necessarily what I like to create myself. So after adding animalic materials going into the heavy or sweet or stable-like direction, I had to eliminate them little by little, and arrive to this solution which suits me the best: a leathery, slightly animalic, powdery one, a velvety and elegant take. It goes along with my personality and my style and when I finally realized that this was my way, I was finally happy and relieved.

The name comes from a conversation with an artist and fragrance lover, who said it is as if the scent emanates from the skin. This concept of ‘Under My Skin’ reinforced my path of going into something more subtly ’human’ than overtly ‘animal’. The core of the scent is a combination of animalic and leathery notes tamed by iris butter (at 15% irone!). After working on this core, I worked on the base notes, made up of Tolu Balsam, Peru Balsam, Tonka Bean and several kinds of wood. The last step of the job was the opening, where I used grapefruit and lavender. I used to be a ‘Lavender hater’: but here it plays a subtle and elegant part. I was amazed how nicely it matched this scent, adding brightness and elegance.”

Made in Italy

Under My Skin could almost be two fragrances at once, a bold musk fragrance in the same vein as Musc Ravageur (Frederic Malle) or the legendary Muscs Khoublai Khan (Serge Lutens), intertwined with an exquisite and dignified iris, cool like Iris Silver Mist (Serge Lutens) or Chanel No. 19. It is, however, the very best of both of these categories, a creation that can be surveyed up close, as if to see the texture of these musky materials redolent of hide, or even the wrinkles on this precious iris flower - while its root is ground to a desiccated powder. I imagine the ancient practice of scenting leather gloves, impregnated with buttery iris and the peppery fire of carnation and the blunt heat of cinnamon, the earthy and roasted warmth of tonka bean, then saturated with resins, balsams, unguents, and sap that almost begin to scintillate.

Like many of Francesca Bianchi’s fragrances, this is a mercurial composition with a long sensual trail. It’s something you can never quite grasp, but it never fails to captivate.