Perfumes have their secrets.
They trouble you, they move you, and they open doors towards other lands, like a dream of the Orient as conjured up by Valentina Oud Assoluto. Like an emotion you respire in it traces out a scented sillage between Italy and the Levant, between Latin palaces and heady, oriental fragrances. By unveiling this bewitching perfume, a mystery preserved in a black and gold bottle, Valentina Oud Assoluto associates the tradition of both Italian and Oriental perfumeries, while also adding the sensuality of oud wood to the sparkling orange blossom.
FROM THE LEVANT TO ITALY
In the Orient, the history of perfume began in the sacred smoke of branches, resins or aromatic compositions burned in the precincts of temples to glorify the gods. It then continued in the form of beauty care, with oils and balms, which were soon to become indispensable. This refined culture of fragrances then spread to homes: perfume burners diffused vapours of incense and woods, the rugs, sofas and tapestries were impregnated with orange-blossom water, while the fountains and basins gushed with rose water… Such delicacies were brought back from Genoa and Venice by navigators and merchants. In such palaces, the fireplaces were decked with fagots of laurel or thyme, the floors were covered with lavender, bulrushes and mint, the tablecloths were scattered with aromatic 
flowers and herbs, while pads containing the powder of iris roots were slipped in-between the bed linen. Fragrant preparations then multiplied: rose or lavender water, violet powders, clove soaps, beauty products composed of myrrh, musk or oud wood. Thus was Italian perfumery born, nourished from spices, aromatic substances and fragrant woods from the other end of the world, preserved in phials and bottles produced by the Venetian glass-makers. After the rise of the master glove-makers and perfumers, perfumery became associated with couture, before becoming, over the centuries, a genuine science and a total art.
ORIENTAL PARADISE
There are so many aromatic substances that come from the Orient: amber, rose water but also cardamom, saffron and oud wood. Also called agarwood or aloeswood, it is considered to be a divine manifestation capable of purifying the mind and body, as a metaphor for paradise. As a major raw material in the perfumery of the Middle East, oud wood is used as an oil directly on the skin, or else to impregnate clothes. It is also an essential element in the delights of taking a bath, or in the scented care procured in Oriental saunas.
A HIDDEN TREASURE
Beneath the bark of a mighty tree, the odorous resin of oud wood conceals its bewitching perfume. Its rarity means that it is a substance which is so precious that in legends it is considered to be even more valuable than gold… To provide Valentina Oud Assoluto with the infinite refinement and richness of oud wood, the Maison has decided to reconstitute all of its facets. It was Olivier Cresp, Valentina’s master perfumer, who patiently composed the base of the fragrance: an accord of oud, in the form of a genuine “capture” of this scent, which is at once plain and sophisticated, sensual and fascinating.
BEWITCHING ELIXIR
Olivier Cresp has created Valentina Oud Assoluto as a precious, captivating elixir, an oriental interpretation of the eternal femininity of Valentina. In this perfumed kaleidoscope, each of its ingredients chimes together infinitely with voluptuousness, with sensuality and the power of the oud accord. Like a sparkling apparition, orange blossom plays on all of its luminous freshness, creating an irresistible duo with the peppery effervescence of cardamom. By their side, comes opulent and fruity Bulgarian rose blossom, along with the woody softness of leather. Then saffron, with its eruption of warmth, propels the power of the accord of oud into the light, surrounded by the sensuality of vanilla and the unexpected refinement of dried woods.
BLACK & GOLD
Continuing this voyage from the Orient, Valentina Oud Assoluto pays homage to the Italian glass-making tradition, while preserving its mystery in a black glass bottle. Decked with a dark flower, it is crowned by a gold ring and topped with a black pearl. This highly “couture” approach is pursued even as far as the black case, decorated with embossed flowers and a golden label.
Add Comment