Last week I swooned a bit over La Femme Bohème, one of three new fragrances from high-end cosmetics line Edward Bess; this week I've been wearing Spanish Veil. This is another oriental scent, also developed by perfumer Carlos Benaïm, with notes of sandalwood, tonka bean and guaic wood.
Spanish Veil was inspired by inspired by the artifice and mystery of facial veils worn like a "second skin": "Scents of the outside world are trapped in the starched net, a magnet for the plumes of smoky incense wafting through ancient basilica walls that mix with the smells of savage animal hides in bullfighter rings and clouds of white dust native to the Latin land." But once we get past that somewhat overwrought prose, what do we have?
If you've been holding your breath (maybe just to avoid inhaling all that dust and smoke), you can let out a sigh of relief: Spanish Veil is another seamless and sophisticated composition that's a throwback to classic glamour yet avoids feeling "vintage-y." As Gaia observed on The Non-Blonde, there's a lot more going on here than the three notes mentioned above, but the fragrance is so gracefully balanced that it's difficult to parse. I think I detect some mimosa and iris as surprise floral notes, and there's also an incense motif that unites Spanish Veil with its two "sisters" in the collection. Here, the incense seems like it might be benzoin. The tonka bean is prominent and nutty-sweet, but not dessert-like. The woods are smooth and just a touch creamy, "exotic" yet polished.
Spanish Veil seems to have more sillage than La Femme Bohème, and it's very long-lasting on my skin. I'm trying to think of a comparison I can make with any other fragrance in my collection, and the closest I can come is Amouage Opus III, another radiant golden oriental with a luxurious feel.
As you can tell, I've been impressed by Edward Bess's foray into perfumery. In addition to being high-quality, these fragrances feel like they grew organically from the same creative process: instead of trying to check off as many boxes as possible with three totally different scents (e.g., something fruity, something oud-y, and a big white floral), Bess and Benaïm have produced a trio with a mature and unified aesthetic. That's something increasingly rare these days, so if you've been feeling jaded about niche perfumery lately, you might want to make a mental note of these recent arrivals.
Edward Bess Spanish Veil is available in 100 ml Eau de Parfum ($175) at Aedes de Venustas or Neiman Marcus. You can find it in France at Colette.
Note: top image is detail from El Jaleo by John Singer Sargent, 1881, via Wikimedia Commons.
Oh, this and La Femme, really does sound amazing and I’m very tempted to a blind buy
Another amazing review, dear Jessica
Hello hello!
Don’t blind buy! Just in case! but I do hope that you’ll find a way to get your hands on some samples… they are both dreamy.
This is very appealing to me. I wonder if Lucky scent or some where has a sample of it yet… wandering off to see what I can find…
Aedes de Venustas has an online sample service. You need to request seven samples at one time (which is easy, given the many tempting fragrances on their website), and the price is very reasonable at $15 for the seven samples.
Good suggestion! Thanks, Noz.
Great service – and I have no affiliation with Aedes.
Genre was the fragrance I was instantly the most interested in, but you’ve painted such a lovely picture that I’ll have to try Spanish Veil while I’m making a sample order… and they have Peau de Betê? I didn’t know there was anywhere in the US you could order that.
(Enablers, the lot of you <3)
(Also samples are free with an order.)
It’s so encouraging when a quality line of scents is born. Looking forward to trying these soon. Thanks for the review because I was totally unaware.
I’m glad to be able to spread the word! Hope you’ll enjoy them as much as I do.
You had me at the John Singer Sargent painting
And these scents sound pretty good too. Not sure why the word “seemless” is so appealing to me when it comes to describing perfume, but it is. Too bad these are not more widely distributed.
Good point – seamlessness is a wonderful quality in perfume!
I agree with all this!
Yes, but does wearing it feel like being wrapped in Edward Bess’s beautiful, beautiful hair?
Ha…and thus a new literary sub-genre was born: Edward Bess fanfiction.
Now, that’s the question.
I do like how EB put in a lot of thought into his products and that it’s extending to the perfume as well.
These sound great! It looks like nobody in Europe is offering samples though, and at €180 for 100ml it’s not worth the risk of a blind buy. Hopefully it will get some wider distribution. :^)
I have to say, all three are gorgeous. Very luxurious but smooth and soft. La Femme Boheme is my favorite but my samples of Genre and Spanish Veil went quickly. Bottles never sway me but I’ll admit these bottles are beautiful in person. All around, a solid trio.