Launched in 2006 by Canadian-born San Francisco-based perfumer Ineke Ruhland, After My Own Heart is the first in her alphabetized series of scents. It is one of my favourite perfumes….ever!

A soliflore built around lilac, it opens fresh and bracing from green bergamot. It smells like a spring breeze. A note of fruity, tart raspberry balances the green tang that carries over into the heart, giving the impression of new leaves. Soon, the delicate, tender scent of lilac comes forward. Its lily of the valley and mimosa facets immediately conjure spring. Lilac has a creaminess that’s highlighted with a note of creamy, woody sandalwood. Heliotrope, almondy, powdery and green deepen those facets of the lilac, while musk adds a kiss of warmth to the fragrance.

After My Own Heart isn’t about notes and pyramids; it’s about the olfactory experience of lilacs: the leaves, the flowers, and the stems all at once. It dries down to a soft, powdery floral scent that is wistful and romantic and a beautiful harbinger of spring.

Notes: Bergamot, raspberry, green foliage, lilac, sandalwood, heliotrope and musk.