Sali reveals her latest perfume obsession

Frederic Malle’s L’Eau D’Hiver isn’t a new perfume, only new to me. I’ve no idea why I’d never tried it, since I’ve long since been a fan of Malle’s perfume collection, but I’m glad I didn’t, because discovering it last month has made my autumn.

Malle’s scents are created by guest perfumers of world renown, apparently lured to the house with the rare promise of creative freedom. L’Eau D’Hiver (2003) is the scent of Jean-Claude Ellena, whose day job is as in-house perfumer at Hermes. He created the wonderful Terre D’Hermes and further back, YSL’s Falling In Love Again and Sisley’s Eau de Campagne – all perfumes I admire. But L’Eau D’Hiver is so completely beautiful that I find myself idly sniffing my wrists all day, inhaling so deeply that I fear I’ll spirit it clean away.

Yes, as the name suggests, it’s warming. But don’t mistake that for highly spiced or vanilla-sticky, which couldn’t be further from the truth. L’Eau D’Hiver is a much more complex blend of warm and watery heliotrope flowers, almond milk, a tiny whiff of citrus, a pinch of powdery cinnamon and a gentle tipple of booze. This is the gentlest, mellowest, cosiest perfume I’ve ever had the pleasure of wearing – so transparent, soft and whispery that I expected it to be fleeting, but to my great delight, it lasts all day (I can still smell it when I lift my toothbrush to my mouth before bed). This perfume is just bliss – like a warm, calming, soothing baby blanket for the nose and yet, very unexpectedly, quietly sexy and deeply elegant. It’s clean but never virginal, soft but never girlie, sensual but in no way smutty. It’s one of those scents you want to wear all of the time, even when alone, because everything seems better when it’s nearby. Frederic Malle’s L’Eau D’Hiver is olfactory Valium, essentially. And I’m already irretrievably addicted.

Frederic Malle Eau D’Hiver, from £60, Liberty