AlexandriaSpicy Woody Extrait de Parfum

Alexandria by Contes de Parfums is a niche woody, spicy and gourmand perfume extract, unisex, created by Alberto Morillas, one of the most famous perfumers in the world. It belongs to the Timeless Cities collection, for which he also created Babylon.

From cities lived to vanished cities

At Contes de Parfums, each perfume is a personal memory of the perfumer, who works with complete freedom of expression, and their name is printed on the bottle. To this end, the house has brought together leading noses — Alberto Morillas, Anne Flipo, Carlos Benaïm, Ramon Monegal, Jean-Christophe Hérault, Caroline Dumur. The Cities collection, launched in 2022, tells the stories of cities they have personally lived in; the Timeless Cities collection tackles vanished cities — those that no perfumer has been able to visit. Here, the city where the Orient meets the Mediterranean, a crossroads of civilizations and knowledge since antiquity. 50 ml bottle.

An opening of incense, bergamot and cardamom

Incense opens the perfume, resinous and smoky — which is rare in the top notes. Bergamot brightens it with a bitter zest and cardamom brings its camphor spice.

A heart of jasmine and praline

Jasmine unfolds, white and sunny, immediately joined by praline — caramelized almond, frankly gourmand. Two materials that are complete opposites.

A base of Bourbon vanilla, sandalwood, oud and patchouli

Bourbon vanilla rounds it out, sandalwood brings its creaminess, oud its woody depth and patchouli its earthiness. The trail is rich and very long-lasting.

The house's signature

A praline next to a jasmine, then an oud. The combination is unexpected: the almond and caramelized gourmandness of the praline has no business being near a white flower, much less next to an oriental wood. This is precisely the crossroads that the perfume tells — the Mediterranean and the Orient in the same bottle, without one prevailing over the other. Alexandria was the city where Greek, Egyptian and oriental knowledge crossed paths; the formula does the same thing with its materials. And the incense in the top note, where it is usually placed at the base, announces right from the opening that the perfume will not follow conventions.

For whom, for what occasions?

Woody, spicy and gourmand, this extract is for those who love oriental gourmands with longevity. It gives its best from autumn to winter, in the evening, worn equally well by women as by men. It is the richest of the Timeless Cities.

With Alexandria Contes de Parfums, Alberto Morillas holds the Mediterranean and the Orient in the same bottle.