Perfumer's Note

Tuberose, one of perfumery's most precious florals, is truly in a class by itself. Its hypnotic scent — at once intoxicating, clean, rich and buttery — is incomparably alluring. Known as the Queen of the Night, this iconic, night-blooming flower has a long-standing reputation as a seductive temptress. In Victorian England, for example, young ladies were not permitted to enter tuberose gardens after dark for fear that the narcotic blooms would rouse their senses and inspire them to indecent behavior (true story!).

In creating No. 9, I wanted to merge the raw sexiness of tuberose with an unexpected fresh note that would present the voluptuous flower in a crisp, modern setting. That note turned out to be fir balsam absolute — a sweet, warm, jammy forest essence that plays beautifully with the boldly charismatic tuberose. The mesmerizing floral heart combined with fresh, woody accents creates a magical chypre scent that imparts confidence, radiance and contentment to its wearer.

So why did I call it No. 9? Because when I was developing the fragrance, I composed a dozen iterations of the formula, and ultimately decided that the version I liked best was number nine. — Claudia