Intelligence & Fantasy

Fragrance and memory are intimately bonded, not only because a scent can summon an absent person or a bygone moment, but also because memory – the recollection of thousands of notes and accords – is an essential dimension of the perfumer's art.

It is only fitting then that the Grand Master of Memory Christiane Stenger should be the muse of the Geza Schoen for the first installment of The Beautiful Mind series, dedicated to women gifted with exceptional skills.

But fans of the Berlin-based perfumer may be in for a shock. Unlike the conceptual, minimalist Escentric Molecules scents he created, The Beautiful Mind is a sensuous, shimmering floral whose heart is the rare and precious absolute of tiaré, a Tahitian variety of gardenia. Bergamot, mandarin and pink pepper brighten the creaminess of the tropical blossom; magnolia, freesia, osmanthus and hedione adorn it with fresh lemon, violet, apricot and green jasmine facets; musk wraps it in a huge, fluffy-powdery cloud. Cedar, sandalwood and Cashmeran ground it in a luscious, woody-balsamic base. Geza Schoen calls it “an ode to summer and its memories”; we say that if this is what Ms. Stenger's memories smell like, we'd very much like her to remember us.