Undeniably feminine, with an olfactory arc that moves from transporting and fresh-aromatic to otherworldly, exotic and decadent, No. 1 for Women is a first-class perfume ticket to a floral wonderland. The best Indian jasmine, Tahitian vanilla, Rose Centifolia, carnation and ylang-ylang, make up No. 1's heart, helping to explain the perfume's designation as the world's most expensive, made without reference to cost. But this cost helps produce an intoxicating scent experience that is recognizably special at first spray.
No. 1 starts with a floral high that sustains itself operatically, with subtle pineapple, plum and lemon revolving around intense jasmine and ylang-ylang notes. It then evolves into an ambery vanilla base touched with cedar, musk and the smoothest sandalwood. By the time the perfume dries down, the marriage of these precious ingredients is seamless, and the floral drama subsides into a comforting, ambery-vanillic warmth that lasts. The Empress does have clothes.
