Francis Kurkdjian conceives his fragrances with people in mind, and what he wanted for Amyris femme was to express the quintessence of the Parisian woman, which he defines as primesautière, a word that means “perky” and “impulsive”.

He also conceives his collection as a fragrance wardrobe for every moment of the day and with the Amyris his'n'hers duo, he wanted scents that could be shrugged on for daywear: chic, but comfortable enough not to demand major commitment before spritzing.

Amyris is a wood formerly known as West Indies sandalwood, which draws its name from the Greek amyron, “intensely fragrant”: it was in rediscovering its scent during exercises with his apprentice that Francis Kurkdjian was inspired to use it. The word itself included “iris”, which yields the core accord of the fragrance: orris butter – a high-quality variety with no rooty-earthy facets – and amyris, which teeters between sandalwood and cedar. To make the austere iris smile like an impish Parisienne, the perfumer wraps it in a sweet, plush lemon blossom and leaves accord and dabs it with a powder puff.

Amyris femme is a Holly Golightly of a fragrance, which sparkles and charms without trying too hard. Slip into it for the office, and it'll carry you effortlessly into champagne hour.