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Edward Bess Spanish Veil ~ fragrance review

Posted by Jessica on 23 February 2017 19 Comments

John Singer Sargent El Jaleo

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.

Edward Bess Spanish Veil

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.

Filed Under: perfume talk
Tagged With: carlos benaim, edward bess, oriental

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19 Comments

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  1. littlecooling says:
    23 February 2017 at 3:40 pm

    Oh, this and La Femme, really does sound amazing and I’m very tempted to a blind buy ;)

    Another amazing review, dear Jessica :)

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    • Jessica says:
      23 February 2017 at 3:59 pm

      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.

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  2. meredifay says:
    23 February 2017 at 4:16 pm

    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…

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    • nozknoz says:
      23 February 2017 at 4:56 pm

      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.

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      • Jessica says:
        23 February 2017 at 5:08 pm

        Good suggestion! Thanks, Noz.

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        • nozknoz says:
          23 February 2017 at 5:54 pm

          Great service – and I have no affiliation with Aedes.

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          • tracy.o says:
            23 February 2017 at 10:37 pm

            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)

      • nozknoz says:
        23 February 2017 at 5:53 pm

        (Also samples are free with an order.)

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  3. Deva says:
    23 February 2017 at 4:25 pm

    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.

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    • Jessica says:
      23 February 2017 at 5:09 pm

      I’m glad to be able to spread the word! Hope you’ll enjoy them as much as I do.

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  4. floragal says:
    23 February 2017 at 5:14 pm

    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.

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    • nozknoz says:
      23 February 2017 at 5:55 pm

      Good point – seamlessness is a wonderful quality in perfume!

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    • Jessica says:
      23 February 2017 at 7:48 pm

      I agree with all this!

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  5. Isabella says:
    23 February 2017 at 5:49 pm

    Yes, but does wearing it feel like being wrapped in Edward Bess’s beautiful, beautiful hair?

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    • Jessica says:
      23 February 2017 at 7:48 pm

      Ha…and thus a new literary sub-genre was born: Edward Bess fanfiction. ;)

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    • solanace says:
      24 February 2017 at 5:34 am

      Now, that’s the question.

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  6. AnnieA says:
    24 February 2017 at 11:36 am

    I do like how EB put in a lot of thought into his products and that it’s extending to the perfume as well.

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  7. Koenigsberg says:
    24 February 2017 at 1:50 pm

    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. :^)

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  8. sullapelle says:
    24 February 2017 at 10:05 pm

    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.

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