The other day, another idea popped into my head, and I thought: what if, inspired by the characters from The Arcana, I tried to describe what a perfume based on them could be? I thought about it spontaneously when I bought as many as two bottles of perfume, and now I want to at least embody my fantasies in text, maybe there are perfumers among the fans of the novel.
As usual, I would like to start with the courtiers, because, to be honest, I love them maybe even more than the M6. Since the posts promise to be voluminous, I will not cram several characters into one post at once, otherwise it will turn out to be a mess of letters and it will become more difficult to focus attention.
Valerius is the cream of society, and the cream of society carries a burden in the form of a permanent need to have impeccable taste and be perfect in all spheres of life, not an example to follow, but an unattainable ideal that a mere mortal is hardly able to reach with all his efforts. A perfume inspired by Consul would reflect the desire and craving for luxury, a penchant for a hedonistic lifestyle, and a clear understanding of its value, which is undoubtedly extremely high. The scents would allow you to touch this unattainable, ideal world, filled with gloss, brilliance and condescending glances directed at the unworthy, as well as a subtle reminder in the form of an endless duty to improve, hours-long activities replete with distinguished guests, delicacies and being the center of everyone's attention.
Champagne and cream. Surprisingly, yes, I didn't start with wine. But besides wine, other equally pleasant alcoholic beverages have a right to exist, don't they? The plume of delicate and airy buttercream by no means completely envelops and does not obscure the core in the form of the aroma of champagne, but helpfully envelops it before exposing the refreshing fragrance of the bubbling golden drink. As a nobleman, Valerius is accustomed to comfort, and the presence of a cream train, soft, cozy and frothy, perfectly complements the ensemble, turning it into a daytime rather than a formal version, light and relaxed, but no less elegant, luxurious and soothing to the sense of smell. The moderate sweetness does not allow the aroma of champagne to escalate to the limit, so that the perfume would retain its relevance and restraint. Valerius is allowed to balance on the edge of effeminacy with his status and financial condition, and therefore the presence of cream in the perfume is not for nothing, because the sweetness of this hints at his love of cosiness.
Wine and chocolate. No, not some nameless wine taken from nowhere, even if it's an expensive brand. It must certainly be a well-aged wine in wooden barrels, for which decades have been spent to achieve a result worthy exclusively of representatives of the upper classes of society. As for chocolate, there are requirements attached to it: it must be dark with a maximum cocoa content, under no circumstances sickly sweet. Valerius is a gourmet and a connoisseur, and this applies not only to wine products, and he will not tolerate chocolate smelling of low–grade sugary sugar and cheap ingredients instead of the noble aroma of cocoa beans. Only the highest quality, and he would never settle for anything less. Perfume is resistant enough to stay on skin, hair or clothes for a whole day, if not longer. Velvety and able to make itself known, but by no means indecently intrusive. The fragrance would be remembered for a long time as a refined person who could prove himself in a secular society. Aged wine does not hint, but speaks directly about the aroma of the elite class, it is not a fume in the imagination of the peasants, because they hardly had the honor to taste the real drink of the gods, moreover, well-seasoned, before getting into the glass. The wine tartness is successfully complemented by a delicate, but by no means soft chocolate note, and it is then that the aromas intertwine, forming a rare mixture when one does not cover the other, but coexists in harmony, giving rise to a perfume worthy of an aristocrat, which will be imprinted in the memory for the whole evening, or even more.
Liqueur, cherries, almonds. Perhaps this is the only trio in the selection among the duets of ingredients. Liqueur – because with the right combination of additional ingredients, the output is moderately bold, an elegant and attention–grabbing result, the effect that, in my humble opinion, Valerius expects most of all, namely silent awe, perhaps a pinch of someone else's envy of his proud persona. In theory, this perfume could pass for casual, but this does not mean that it is too simple or modest, by no means. The only modesty that the consul accepts is "quiet luxury", when, despite his restraint, it will be clearly noticeable from afar that he is not an ordinary folk and does not even stand next to this nickname. But at the same time, Valerius will never allow himself to slip into tastelessness and become excessive, because he knows exactly how to appropriately and subtly demonstrate his own power and wealth, without resorting to absurdity. The presence of liqueur in the perfume would only reinforce the fact that the consul does not have to prove anything to anyone, it exudes self-sufficiency and firm confidence. Juicy cherries sweeten, but do not kill tartness, and almonds add a slight bitterness. A complex and gourmet fragrance, seductive and sublime at the same time.
Saffron and jasmine. Another equally complex and expensive scent, because it is not for nothing that jasmine is called the king of flowers in the perfume world, and saffron carries the proud title of the most expensive spice. Valerius is someone who can afford spices of any value, and if it's saffron, then he can afford it, so nothing prevents him from one day acquiring a product that contains the spice mentioned. The warm and honey notes of saffron fully reveal Consul's love for stability in all spheres of life, be it work duties or home life: he is used to living in warmth, light and comfort, where there is everything that the soul asks for, and saffron may well play a role as an ingredient reflecting well-being. Jasmine, in turn, is relaxing and at the same time deep, serving as the epicenter of the fragrance, thanks to which both saffron and the wonderful scent of the flower complement each other, opening in turn and leaving behind a trail of peace and satisfaction. The combination is both rich, sensual and optimistic, even a "sunny" fragrance that celebrates a stable and prosperous life.
Iris and vanilla. Why iris? It's simple: this ingredient is the most expensive in perfumery, and it takes a huge amount of time to get its oil. I would say that I have closed the list of perfumes inspired by Valerius, the most expensive fragrance, and in general the collection turned out to be such that not every purse will pull it. But what can I say as an excuse? It's Valerius, and we can't associate cheap or even middle-class flavors with it, haha. So, iris is a vivid proof of this. Grown and squeezed at a slow pace, this ingredient describes without unnecessary comments how rich and arrogant character is. Vanilla is powdery, enveloping and affectionate, contrasts with cool iris, and as a result, opposites do not attract, but collide, but do not conflict, delicate vanilla softens the overall severity of the exquisite iris. It's a balance, a win-win option for any occasion, whether it's a lavish ball or another gathering - it's impossible to go unnoticed in any of the atmospheres.
