French Affair Ex Nihilo 2017

Anyone who still claims that true Chypre fragrances belong to the past is proven wrong by ‘French Affair’. Like ‘Maai’, ‘Chypre Palatin’, ‘The Afternoon of a Faun’ or ‘Chypre Shot’, this scent shows that classic Chypres are still achievable today, and that they can indeed stand alongside the classics thanks to the latest, largely allergen-free oak moss.
However, there was a long dry spell during which the development of a Chypre fragrance was essentially impossible, and thus there was no continuity in the evolution of the genre, leading to these new creations often being labeled as ‘neo-classical’.
Indeed, the references mostly lie within that time frame which was classic for Chypre fragrances: from the 1950s well into the 1970s.
‘French Affair’ clearly quotes the last great decade of Chypres, the 1970s. And here, particularly a variant, the rose-patchouli Chypre, whose most prominent representatives were ‘Aromatics Elixir’ and ‘Aramis 900’, both created by Bernard Chant in the early 1970s.
That the young French company Ex Nihilo comes up with a work nearly half a century later that quotes exactly these fragrances shows quite a bit of courage, as the originals play no role at all in today’s fragrance scene, in stark contrast to the past. On the other hand, it fits with the ubiquitous effort to revive the ‘good old days’: suddenly, new ‘classic’ Fougères are popping up, as are patchouli, amber, and musk, the favorite scents of the hippies, which are once again very much ‘en vogue’, just as oriental heavyweights like ‘Opium’ are being quoted again.
So why not the rosy patchouli Chypres of Bernard Chant?

Quentin Bisch, his successor, has created a genuine Chypre fragrance with ‘French Affair’, one that seemed unimaginable just a few years ago. The ball that IFRA had directed straight into the heart of the Chypre genre was too well-placed. The delinquent seemed dead as a doornail, but was actually just comatose, and only temporarily at that.
‘French Affair’ now boldly presents itself with a Chypre gesture as if nothing had happened, absolutely nothing.
Right at the beginning of the fragrance development, the characteristic bitter-woody-mossy base accord typical of Chypres swells, initially accompanied by fruity, sweet-bitter lychee, which contrasts beautifully with the dry, green-grassy violet leaf, which in turn transitions into a lovely, velvety-strong rose accord, which settles on rich woody-earthy patchouli, bitter oak moss, and smoky-green vetiver.
All phases of the fragrance development reveal themselves simultaneously, only the focus shifts slowly. Even after many hours, one can still smell back to the beginning, as one can sniff through to the end. ‘French Affair’ unfolds quite a volume without appearing overloaded or too heavy. Despite this enormous presence, the fragrance does not come across as loud or intrusive, but wonderfully maintains a balance between a strong presence on one hand and appropriate restraint on the other.
In this way, it somewhat aligns itself between its predecessors ‘Aromatics Elixir’ and ‘Aramis 900’: not quite as resonant as one and a bit bolder than the other.

The idea for this fragrance supposedly stemmed from the desire to pay homage to that type of Parisian dandy of the 1970s, that rare but gossip-column-filling species that meandered between the dazzling fashion world, glamorous jet set, and existentialist Rive-Gauche chic.
Jacques de Bascher, for example, became an epitome of this type: partner of Karl Lagerfeld and occasional lover of Yves Saint Laurent - an elegant gentleman with a melancholic shadowed gaze and a well-groomed mustache. Marcel Proust was once such a beau, as is today Pierre Niney, the actor who portrayed Yves Saint Laurent in the film.
Yes, I think that fits quite well. The connection with these typical Parisian scene plants works.
However, it’s not that this inspiration struck me; I had to be pointed out to it. In the case of Patricia de Nicolaï’s ‘Patchouli Homme’, today’s ‘Patchouli Intense’, also a patchouli-rose combo, I actually had this association with a Marcel Proust type.

Just as those dandies played with their feminine side, ‘French Affair’ is an absolute gender-bender, at least in my perception. A fragrance-affine colleague who was completely enamored with ‘French Affair’ and constantly clung to me repeatedly said: “Ah, what a scent, so masculine!”
Strange how different perceptions can be. A fragrance like Givenchy’s ‘Gentleman’ from 1974, which was also a patchouli-rose scent, but with a significantly higher patchouli content (here, that woody-earthy accord really creaked), I would rather describe as masculine - although I had a good friend who wore it for years...
But ‘French Affair’?
No, I find this fragrance to be absolutely unisex. Just as ‘Aramis 900’ was unisex, or is, although Bernard Chant developed it as a male counterpart to ‘Aromatics Elixir’. I, on the other hand, clearly perceive ‘Aromatics Elixir’ as feminine - the floral component seems too pronounced and prominent to me.

In any case, ‘French Affair’ is a wonderful Chypre with distinct vintage vibes, in a simultaneously modern guise: lychee gives the essential bitter-citrusy bergamot for every Chypre a fruitier touch, a good pinch of pepper and some bitter-herbaceous angelica accentuate the floral components, cedar and vetiver ventilate the mossy-resinous base.
Lychee, angelica, pepper, and cedar form the contemporary Terre d’Hermès/French Lover outfit in which ‘French Affair’ presents itself as a good old acquaintance.

But as good as the fragrance is, in my opinion, you won’t encounter it often. The fragrances from Ex Nihilo are not only quite expensive but also hard to come by, which is very unfortunate, as the combination of inspiration, skill, and good material choice is rather rare. Usually, it falters on the first, often on the last, and sometimes on everything.
Not so with Ex Nihilo, and certainly not with ‘French Affair’.

Perhaps one day the company will reconsider its distribution policy so that ‘French Affair’ might become a ‘Worldwide Affair’ after all.
Please!