A couple of months ago I was invited to have breakfast in the company of Master Perfumer Alberto Morillas, his family and of course other esteemed perfume and beauty bloggers and editors.
The venue was Spring restaurant at Somerset House and it was decorated beautifully to celebrate Alberto Morillas' new perfume creations under his family perfume house Mizensir.
Delicious breakfast was served!
The story of Mizensir started when Alberto Morillas couldn’t find fragrances for the interiors that matched his expectations so in collaboration with his wife, the brand was born in 1999.
The initial idea was to capture beautiful fragrances and incorporate them into candles which led to hundreds of different offerings that extended to room fragrances and in 2004 the exclusive line of Mizensir perfumes was created.
Today there are 22 fragrances available and 3 new colognes that we had the opportunity to try while listening to Alberto Morillas and his daughter Veronique Morillas speak to us about the brand, the inspiration, his favourite note to work with – which no surprise is musc – and of course answer questions.
Alberto Morillas always aims for excellence which is evident in his extremely popular creations for other brands that include my absolute favourite Baiser du Dragon for Cartier, CK ONE that defined an era, Flower By Kenzo, Pleasures Estee Lauder, Gucci Bloom and so many others.
Poudre D’ Or
This is one of the 3 newest perfume creations where Alberto Morillas creates an olfactory fairy tale. The inspiration was the calmness of evenings when everyone is getting ready to go out. Using as inspiration the 3 elements of gold, powder and light he has created a beautiful creamy, soft and luscious perfume that lingers on the skin like expensive silk and projects an aura of exotic sparkle.
The top notes: tiare flower, Paradisone®
The heart notes: Exaltone®, Iris
The base notes: sandalwood essence, Madagascar vanilla®
Full bloom flowers, powdery feel and a luxurious, rich softness; just beautiful.
Celebes Wood, a Selfridges exclusive is a spicy woody perfume.
Warm, sparkling and sensual it evokes the dream of travelling and exploring.
The top notes: Bergamot, Cardamom, Geranium
The heart notes: Cinnamon, Cistus, White Pepper, Tonka Bean
The base notes: Styrax, Patchouli, Madagascar Vanilla, Musk
The third one, Very Musc, is a true ode to musk. Clean, powdery and dirty / sensual at the same time it just proves why Alberto Morillas is such The Master of Musk. He has a true understanding of the ingredient and can very easily transform it to suit any mood or purpose.
The three new Colognes are :
Cologne du Mate
Top notes: tangerine essence, Paradisone
Heart notes: mate absolute, sage essence
Base notes: Vulcanolide, woody solar accord
A very aromatic cologne with a classic aromatic citrusy opening, however a bit different thanks to tangerine with its sweet and bitter character, delicately supported by aromatic sage. The woody drydown gives it a longer lasting power than your average cologne.
Cologne De Figuier
Top notes: bergamot essence, grapefruit essence, fig leaf accord, Ambrox
Heart notes: galbanum essence, pink pepper essence
Base notes: Vulcanolide, Cetalox
Green, crisp, aromatic and milky at the same time, a great interpretation of fig leaves warmed up in the summer sun. Fresh, summery and familiar, Cologne de Figuier is an "olfactory sketch" of a fig tree, leaves, fruit and bark that results to a bright, green and subtly woody Cologne perfect for summer.
Coeur De Cologne
Top notes: bergamot essence, neroli essence, lemon essence
Heart notes: orange blossom absolute, liatrix essence
Base notes: Muscone, incense Resinoid
Bubblegum neroli! An absolute delight, this one is by far my favourite!
Fresh and sweet like flavor bursting through your nostrils, dense and sweet. The neroli is so intense that takes over your senses and makes you smile.
It's supported by orange blossom absolute, bergamot and lemon, plus a hint of green and honey liatrix, musks and a dash of incense for the depth but it never leaves centre stage.
It's a beautiful scent - I wouldn't exactly call it a cologne - that Alberto Morillas suggests we layer it as he has created it so that it offers a freshness and an extreme density that can be worn alone or with another perfume. "Imagine the white colour in the palette of a painter: alone, it expresses itself beautifully under the brush of the artist, as a duo, it nuances another colour, revealing new chromatic ranges. Coeur de Cologne is a bit like white in the palette of scents that I propose to everyone."
I am planning to follow his advice!
