In the Heretic’s Garden, nocturnal flowers reign supreme as Mother Nature’s most enigmatic treasures. Hidden under the veil of darkness, they seduce us with their intensely narcotic scents. Evolved to attract pollinators that are active at night such as the evocatively named Flying Fox Bat or the Death’s Head Hawkmoth, these botanical beauties thrive in the moonlight and attract man and creature alike with their pale, luminous petals and hypnotic fragrance. Their mysterious flowering cycles have intrigued scientists for centuries, adding to their allure, as is their ephemeral presence—many of these fleeting florals last mere hours, creating a sense of urgency and wonder.
As perfumers, we are also enchanted by these nocturnal blooms because of how powerfully they symbolize transformation, hidden beauty and the lure of the unknown. They remind us of the magic that flourishes in shadows, capturing our imagination with their intoxicating scents and ethereal glow. And we are not alone; for millennia, nocturnal flowers have been cherished for their symbolic and spiritual significance – from Daoist and Buddhist devotees using them as metaphors of impermanence, to Amazonian Shamans selecting certain varieties for their psychoactive properties to create a bridge to the realm of the gods.
QUEEN OF THE NIGHT
The elusive Queen of the Night – Selenicereus grandiflorus – is a flower of rare beauty and romanticism, blooming just once a year for a single moonlit night in the deserts and rainforests of Central and South America. Its luminous petals and sweet, hypnotic fragrance have inspired myths and legends, symbolising nature’s abundance and deep mystery.
In this fragrance, the mesmerisingly rich and slightly fruity scent of the Queen of the Night intermingles beautifully with the luxurious warmth of vanilla and the lush, heady and unmistakably opulent notes of jasmine. Mimosa provides a powdery, airy and uplifting green finale to this ravishing composition. This is an ode to the essence of femininity and the ephemeral nature of life.
NOTES
Top: Ylang-Ylang, Bitter Orange, Lime
Middle: Jasmine, Mimosa
Base: Vanilla, Vetiver
PERFUMER
Douglas Little
HOW IT WEARS
Queen of the Night opens with a bright, juicy duet of lime and bitter orange – a vibrant entrance fitting for a queen! The citrus then fades into the background, and you begin to pick up the florals; honeyed ylang ylang, heady jasmine, and the soft powder of mimosa. The dry down is where you pick up the subtle green spice of vetiver, and the base note that really makes this fragrance: creamy, sweet, sensual vanilla. A fragrance that combines the best elements of mother nature, Queen of the Night has an otherworldly scent throw and will last 4-6 hours on the skin.
LORE LOVES
If “ethereal” was a fragrance, this would be it. Its photorealistic florals combine so effortlessly with seductive vanilla, creating a sense of warmth, which makes the fragrance feel like it’s softly glowing. This is the fragrance equivalent of a flowing white silk nightgown, worn while walking through a secret garden at midnight. For our lovers of tarot, the Queen of the Night flower is aligned with the High Priestess card, which represents introspection, wisdom, and bewitching power.
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