Launched in 2020 by L'Artisan Parfumeur, Passage d'Enfer Extrême is a new version of the cult favourite Passage d'Enfer from 1999. The incomparable Olivia Giacobetti signed both fragrances.

Passage d'Enfer Extrême opens with a sombre note of smoky incense that's cool more than it is resinous. The strong, sweet smell of white lilies bolstered by sweet, luxurious jasmine comes through the smoke. The heady, aromatic flowers smell fresh and add sensuality to the fragrance. The lilies have spicy nuances that bloom on my skin, giving the incense a second act. Creamy sandalwood stars at the base and joins the incense to boost the woodiness of Passage d'Enfer Extrême. Vanilla adds a coziness to the base; its sweetness tamped just enough by the smoky incense.

Passage d'Enfer Extrême is one of Ms. Giacobetti's finest works. She brings the nuances out of each note at just the right time in the progression of the fragrance creating space for creating ethereal veils of scent shadows. The interplay among the notes, as when the lilies appear through the smoky incense and then recede, only to reappear later wrapped in sandalwood, creating those ethereal veils of scent shadows mentioned earlier.

Passage d'Enfer translates into 'passage to hell,' leading one to think that the fragrance is dangerous or edgy and suggesting that the Extrême version is even more daring. In fact, Passage d'Enfer refers to the address of L'Artisan's head offices in Paris in the '70s. There is nothing edgy or hellish about either of these fragrances. Instead, they are deftly designed skin scents, each with its own unique ethereal beauty and personality.

Notes: Incense, jasmine, white lily, sandalwood, vanilla absolute.