Evernia • Ormonde Jayne

The lily of the valley keeps this from being too heavy, which I appreciate since most chypres overwhelm me by noon. It wears close for the first hour, then the cassis absolute comes forward and it turns warmer and slightly sweet on my skin.

That orris butter gives it such a smooth, powdery finish — it never turns sharp on my skin the way most chypres do. The cassis absolute is tart and juicy up top, then it settles into something quiet and grown-up within an hour. Easily the most complimented thing in my collection right now.

I was worried the pink pepper would make it sharp, but it just gives the bergamot a little sparkle before the orris softens everything. Two sprays on my wrist lasted a full workday, and the drydown is powder-soft rather than sweet. Easily the most grown-up thing on my shelf right now.