Best Morning Chess by Vilhelm Parfumerie Alternatives & Similar Perfumes

‘O absent presence, Stella is not here’

The fifth and final instalment of the Revenants collection draws inspiration from the Elizabethan poet Sir Philip Sidney. In his Sonnet sequence ‘Astrophel and Stella’ Sidney develops and captures the essence of a haunting… the presence of one that is always felt but never seen.

‘Now I, wit-beaten long by hardest fate,

So dull am, that I cannot look into

The ground of this fierce love and lovely hate,

Then some good body tell me how I do,

Whose presence absence, absent presence is;

Blesst in my curse, and cursed in my bliss.’

Perfume:  Alexis Dadier

Galbanum, bergamot and tomato leaves create an exquisite citrusy woody diffusion. Marie Jeanne, known for the outstanding quality of their materials, have excelled, offering a beautifully rich green fragrance.

Pergola opens with the most incredible rush of twisted green vegetation and instantly transports you back to the heyday of that decadent walkway. There is so much happening in here but the notes of galbanum, bergamot, and ivy are particularly spectacular. The floral heart is a swooning blend of narcissus, tuberose, and jasmine but the pergola’s passage of history is provided by an earthy pairing of patchouli and vetiver. You get a real impression of its heritage from touches of resins and moss and, whilst it’s described as a fougere, there is definitely a feeling of the most glorious aromatic chypre.

Northern Cardinal, formally Cardinal, is a big bold fragrance, loudly herbaceous with a sparkling citrus tone and a heavy backdrop of oakmoss which serves up a delicious earthy greeness. The vanilla brings warmth, the leather a dark intensity and the clary sage depth. It's like biting into something crisp and juicy while feeling the sun on your face. Cloak yourself in this warm, cheerful perfume, a spark of joy on a bleak winter day.

Time-honoured accord of roses and jasmine with dashing notes of orange blossom and bergamot but veers away and deepens with patchouli, cedar wood and fanned with a big hearted warm amber molecule, expertly synergised to create a perfectly balanced but hypnotic and opulent perfume.

Ambre Royal is to be treasured and trusted for it is both strong and sensual, warm but powerful.

Moss' green and citrus aroma of bergamot, oakmoss and petitgrain amplifies with the added freshness of juniper berry and depth of amber. A bold tonic that satiates the senses.

This is the Bold version of Moss — a powerful, room-filling rendition of its Balanced counterpart, infused with deep, dark notes that’ll make your presence known. Also try Moss | Personal and Moss | Balanced & Expressive.

Warm sunshine at twilight. Tangerine dances with bergamot in this cashmere, jasmine and patchouli-based choreography. With a whopping 50% of perfume oil, this extrait is persuasive enough to beguile any unsuspecting soul who crosses your path.

Nawab of Oudh is part of the Four Corners of the Earth collection and represents India, the land that gives us oud, a plethora of spices, and so many beautiful flowers.

The name of the perfume can be interpreted in two ways. It’s a literal reference to the rich history and culture of India: hawab or nabob meaning ‘the ruler’, and Oudh the historical name of the modern day Uttar Pradesh region. However, given the current fashion for oud perfumes, you can interpret the name “the oud to rule them all’.

Nawab of Oudh has the complex architecture of many ingredients, surrounding the oud heart deep within. And on the way there, you will travel through layers of cardamom and other fresh spices, extravagant garlands of exotic flowers, the sea breeze of ambergris, and more.

The elixir is also exceptionally concentrated, at 42% - hence the 'intensivo' in the title.

White Blood refers to the pale, living fluid in the stem of a flower. In this case, an imaginary flower with opalescent petals. Seemingly a “nothing” colour, here white reveals itself as the sum of a thousand shades: layered iridescences, light diffracting at every angle. A crisp, appealingly sour opening of starfruit launches into a dense tropical juice of tiaré and watery pink lotus. Like the kaleidoscopic pastels of an opal, a rainbow of scent impressions drift by: is that rose? Ylang-ylang? Kiwi? The enigma continues through the drydown, which stays intriguingly cold and refreshing.

Perfumer: Isabelle Doyen.

The character of the perfume is the darkest of green, almost black and in that darkness hide flowers that talk, whisper and wait to for you to come closer and join the conversation. 

Not for the fainthearted.