Passage d’Enfer
Passage d'Enfer
Passage d'Enfer is a surprising classic, for Him or for Her.
Pure, airy and all-consuming, it attracts and seduces, conjuring up dream-like, voluptuous, poetic and sensual moments of pleasure.
Olivia Giacobetti is one of the most gifted perfumers of her generation. Trained from the age of 17 at Robertet in Grasse, she created her perfume company in 1990. Her nose, which she affectionately refers to as "ma truffe" in French, has led to the creation of major classics such as Passage d’Enfer(1999) and Premier Figuier (1994) to name but a few.
[read more]
Today, her inspiration is drawn from a wealth of memories epitomising respect for nature in its finest hour - the freshness of a ripe fig tree, the complexity of wet leather, the delicious fragrance of the cacao tree and the finesse of a tea plantation.
Her creation, Passage d’Enfer pays homage to the Parisian location of L’Artisan Parfumeur’s office in the 1970s. It is also a cunning play on words - a moment suspended between two worlds - hell and paradise. It conjures up images of chilled cathedral walls and echoes of rituals and incantations.
It is a chord struck between the mystic and the sensual, enveloping the male body and clothing the female body. Its name may be dark and unsettling, but the perfume itself is tranquil and contemplative.
Incense comes from an aromatic resin produced by plants belonging to the Boswellia genus. These sacred trees originate from the Arabic Peninsula. L’Artisan Parfumeur has selected Boswellia Carterii from Somalia for its authenticity, richness and charisma.
Passage d’Enfer, a sensual, all-consuming fragrance based on incense essence, accentuates this exquisite, pure, woody raw material with a dash of amber. A fresh, dry and intoxicating note, characterised by its interplay between light and dark, is rounded off with white lily and clean musk.
It was also the emblem of France up until the revolution - a time when French Kings decorated shields, silverware and sculptures with lilies. Today, its majestic petals, often featuring in communions and catholic marriage services, remain a symbol of innocence and pure, chaste love.
Its French nickname is 'muette’, which translates as 'silent', since it is impossible to extract its essence or absolute. In Passage d’Enfer, the synthesis of the lily has been carefully chosen for its sometimes lush green, sometimes sunny notes, which contradict each other, heightening the personality of the fragrance created by perfumer, Olivia Giacobetti.
Light and refreshing, its cedar scent is a warm and welcoming memory of childhood for everyone, reminiscent of putting pencil to paper and doodling away at the back of the class. It has a slightly woody odour with balsamic overtones similar to damp clay.
The Atlas cedar, which is recognisable from its bluish needles, comes from the North African mountain chains forming the Atlas Mountain. It grows spontaneously and can reach a height of 45 metres with a life expectancy of over 2000 years. The oldest species produce essence of unparalleled quality. The dry, slightly leathery essence is obtained by steam distillation of the previously cut wood.
In Passage d’Enfer, the camphorated, lush green fragrance of cedar prolongs the freshness of the white lily and adds substance to the Eau de Toilette.
An Eau de Toilette that intertwines and uplifts a dry freshness where white musk softens the smoky balsamic traits of incense, creating transparency and leaving a magnificent fragrance in its wake.
The velvety softness of the translucent lily petal rounds off the top notes, illuminates the middle notes and strikes a chord with aloe wood and benzoin in the bottom notes.
