Villanelle’s Secret Formula - The Story Behind The Perfume
Villanelle’s enduring appeal lingers on, and her trademark eclectic signature has been immortalised in a bottle, purely by accident. This time as a less deadly scent, in the literal sense, albeit one which may leave you wanting more. Read on for the story behind the perfume by Kamila Aubre, the inspiration for this blog, as a follow up to our last article:
’The Power of The Aesthetic… Why Villanelle is the Perfect Customer for ThriftVIP’
Image: Kristina Flour
….Escapsim, hedonism, and the blissful heady scent of a perfume unique to our senses can evoke emotion like no other.
Kamila Aubre’s all natural fragrances deliver a whole new world of traditional perfumery. Using pure botanical extracts, and high quality, natural raw materials, KA perfumes are formulated, bonded and packed by hand in a small town near Antwerp. They are 100% natural, sustainable and vegan.
As I read on about the ethos and philosophy of this perfume house, it resonates and reflects with my own values and the concept I have for ThriftVIP. It’s so wonderful when you stumble upon such a beautiful brand who shares a similar philosophy.
Eclecticism and storytelling are ingrained passionately into my work too and one of my dream goals is to visit a perfumery to make my very own unique scent; one which is deadly only in terms of the power it holds in delivering a state of ecstasy, akin to Patrick Süskind’s novel, Perfume.
What’s in a Name
Kamila Aubre had little idea of how popular her aptly named ‘Villanelle’ perfume would become.
It grew so much in popularity that she eventually wrote a blog dedicated to it last year, from which I will share some takeaways with you here.
(The) “Villanelle perfume was never inspired either by the book or series, it is a real perfume with its own story and a passionate perfumer and aesthetic behind it, while La Villanelle, a fictional perfume, might have its own alluring character, somehow they got on one google page when people started searching for a real Villanelle perfume and a new story of Villanelle has begun…”
Kamilia Aubre
In a similar way that I like to create stories around pieces of clothing, Kamila explores the surrounding narrative for her perfumes. With Villanelle, ‘the idea was to create a scented version of a poetic form.’
The scent is a part of Kamila’s Poetic Spring Collection, where it embodies ‘not only late spring days but all the dark scent notes related to soil, moss, dusty air before a storm, a heavy humid air in the Flemish woods and some mysterious, obscure treasures of earth.’
The first inspiration for the name, Villanelle was taken from a poem by Keith Douglas, which you can read in Kamila’s blog.
"When I describe the perfume to people, I say, it is the darkest of all perfumes I have created but not the darkest perfume in history. Think of May storms, when day light changes into darkness, the overcast sky creates a dark mood, something is going to happen, a thunder, a storm, a blast of wind, when the path you took in a forest smells of wet moss, with the first heavy drops of a late spring shower, you feel the dust rising up into the air, when the wind wandering among the old oak trees brings the smell of fresh leafage, wet bark and shadowy animals and footsteps left by someone.
The scent of the Villanelle perfume is not gloomy but rather murky. You have no choice but to follow the path you took because the forest will get only darker with stormy weather.”
Kamila Aubre
Evocation: Villanelle by Kamila Aubre
There is a definite mystery, veiled in dark layers alluding to the anticipation of something about to happen, (like a storm on a late Spring, or Summers day), and this seems to complement the character of Villanelle in the Killing Eve Series.
Earthy tones, damp sweet bark and the intensity and heaviness of humidity can take us right to season 2’s episode in the forest, where Villanelle dresses for the occasion in a black Alexander McQueen dress with sheer panels, hiding and revealing aspects of her character harmoniously. The scent of the earth where we all return after death and the uncertainty of Villanelle’s next move are just some of the eclectic notes in play here. The black of her dress, like a shadow moving through the trees adds a further layer into our imagination. I think this could definitely capture the darkest dramatic tones and top notes of the scent if it were asked for.
All I can say is that I am anticipating the arrival of my Villanelle perfume sample to see what emotions it evokes and the journey it may take me on.
“Darkness in nature and darkness of soul can somehow be intertwined. Is that what is happening to Villanelle since people thought to try it? I do not know it. Honestly, it is very difficult to find a name for a perfume these days and when I wanted to blend two forms of art: poetry and perfumery, I was happy to find many connections.”
Kamila Aubre
Pure evocation…. enjoying my samples during lockdown, a year on from writing this blog. Escapism at its finest involves the intricacies of the olfactory senses, for me. Pure delight. It’s been an intriguing & enjoyable journey.
You can read Kamila Aubre’s Villanelle blog post in full here
For everything Kamila Aubre, click here
I've really enjoyed finding out more about you and your perfume house after accidentally stumbling across it via your photography....it’s been great to try a sample of this particular perfume for myself, amongst the other samples which have been beautiful. Thank you for allowing me to write about your intriguing scent, Villanelle!
Madeleine Xx
Tanya Louise channels her secret perfume agent alter ego in this grey Sisley Mac and Fendi doctors bag