Moresque’s Art Collection showcases artisanal talent in its opulent fragrances (composed by Andrea “Thero” Casotti) and in the hand-decorated, one-of-a-kind bottles that house them. Some of the perfumes in this collection even take inspiration from other art forms. Here are three that are sure to delight the nose and engage the imagination.
In the world of classical dance, nothing is more iconic than Swan Lake, and few dance companies are more legendary than the Bolshoi Ballet. Moresque’s Ballerina invites us to picture a performance in progress: Tchaikovsky’s haunting music, the polished wood and heavy velvet curtains of the theater’s box seats, and the prima ballerina onstage in the spotlight. What scent would embody this dancer, whose delicate gestures and fragile satin-and-tulle costume bely her extraordinary strength? Ballerina’s dewy peach top note segues into a heart of raspberries and cream, but this fragrance isn’t just sweet and fluffy. Like the dancer who performs the dual role of the White Swan and the Black Swan, it’s lithe and tenacious beneath its ethereal surface, with a heart of iris (evoking powder on warm skin) and a base of olibanum and musky ambrette seed. (Fans of Parfums de Marly’s Delina will definitely want to try Ballerina as well!)
Virginia Oldoïni, the Countess of Castiglione, was an Italian aristocrat and influential member of Parisian high society in the later 1800s. She is often remembered for her romantic connections with famous men like the emperor Napoleon III. However, she was also significant as a muse to the painters and photographers who documented her beauty and her opulent sense of style in hundreds of images. More than a century before social media, the Countess knew how to present herself in a way that was distinctive and memorable. As an olfactory tribute to Virginia Oldoïni, Contessa is a colorful femme fatale of a fragrance. Its classical heart of rose, jasmine, and ylang ylang is dressed up with unconventional top notes of pink pepper, nutmeg, and most of all, anise—whose unusual, licorice-like aroma tempers the heat of the other spices. Contessa’s drydown is sultry and lasting: tonka bean adds some woody sweetness and a persistent trail of musk completes the perfumed picture.
Moresque describes Aristoqrati as a celebration of the noble and royal dynasties whose family trees have shaped history. We could also consider this fragrance as a salute to the time-honored alliance between artists and their patrons since so many aristocrats have supported culture over time. In either case, Aristoqrati’s composition draws from the rich offerings of the Silk Road and the spice trade, combining notes of Egyptian geranium, Indonesian nutmeg, and vetiver from Madagascar for a spicy-woody blend with an enduring amber base. This is a less traditionally “feminine” fragrance than Ballerina or Contessa and it could be worn by anyone with a taste for artistic achievement and a sense of adventure. After all, no aristocratic title is required to appreciate the art of perfumery!
