In one of the fragrance groups I belong to on Facebook, a number of people were discussing a new fragrance from the Mediterranean fragrance house, Hellenist Paris, that combines the beauty of Greece with inspiration from the cultural heritage via Greek myths. The new scent launched in 2024 is an Oriental Vanilla fragrance, Les Bras de Morphée.
Word for word, it translates to Morpheus’ arms, but it actually means Morpheus’ embrace. In Greek mythology, Morpheus is the god of dreams, the son of Hypnos (god of sleep) and Pasithea (goddess of rest and relaxation). Because I have such a hard time sleeping, I hope that Les Bras de Morphee will “deliver me to the arms of Morpheus” so I can get a peaceful and pleasantly dreamy night’s sleep!
The scent contains two of my favorite floral notes, iris and violet., as well as my favorite base notes, tonka bean, vanilla and cashmere. It’s a gender-neutral scent that, to me, leans a bit more feminine. The “nose” who developed the scent is Suzy Le Helley, though I am not familiar with her.
- Top notes: Violet Leaf, Heliotrope, Peach
- Middle notes: Iris, Violet, Hazelnut
- Base notes: Cashmeran, Tonka Bean, Vanilla.
The main accords are:
- powdery
- violet
- woody
- iris
- vanilla
- nutty
- ozonic
- floral
- earthy
- amber
Honestly, I love so much about this perfume! It’s an absolute delight: elegant, deep, magical, potent but not overly so.
Warm and enveloping, “Les Bras de Morphée” is like a gentle caress that one could wear on the skin. A tribute to the caves of Lemnos, where Morpheus lived according to legend, its delicious combination of velvety notes of peach, iris and violet leaves a hypnotic scented trail that invites you to dream, but not only that… Indeed, with its addictive accord of hazelnut and its sweet and amber notes of tonka bean and vanilla, this sensual and powdery perfume is a real addiction.
I knew I would love this scent, but it is expensive so I decided to buy a sample to try it out. I bought a 2 ml sample spray from Stéle NYC, a newish fragrance retailer in downtown New York that specializes in indie fragrances. The sample was $10, and it cost $6.76 for shipping. Because Hellenist Paris scents are hard to find in the US, it was certainly worth it to try the small sample.
On me, the scent is initially strong, moderately long-lasting, with moderate sillage (projection of the scent). Although I find this to be a floral fragrance, I think it is best suited for autumn, winter and spring, although I would wear it on a summer day like we’ve had this week: high in the low 70s and no humidity.
Those in the know say that Les Bras is similar to Guerlain Iris Ganache or Ombre Mercure by Terry de Gunzburg.
Les Bras de Morphée comes in two sizes: 100 ml/3.4 fl. oz. for $208 and 15 ml for $48 on the Hellenist Paris website. Currently, it is sold out online at Hellenist Paris in both sizes. It is available at Stéle NYC for $208 for 100 ml as well as the $10 sample of 2 ml. However, I found Les Bras de Morphée in the 100 ml and 15 ml sizes online at Fragrance Passion for $167 and $37, respectively with free shipping.
If you’re a fan of elegant and complex perfumes featuring iris and violet, try Hellenist Paris Les Bras de Morphée.
I love fragrance, but every one I try does not last or project on me. No sense (er, scents) of spending a lot of money if people do not occasionally comment, “You smell great! What is that fragrance?” There is only one fragrance that lasted on me which was made by an indy in Asheville, North Carolina, but he discontinued it. I had bought bottle after bottle, but now it’s a mere fragrance memory.
Barb, who was the perfumer in Asheville? We got there a couple of times a year, so wondering if I should check them out? I know what you mean about getting compliments letting you know that the fragrance is a success. I’m sorry to hear about your problem. I think over the years, I have become anosmic to many of the scents I wear too. The three fragrances that I wear that still seem to have a lot of sillage are Musc Ravageur by Frederic Malle, Grand Soir by Francis Kurkdjian, and Under the Skin by Francesca Biancchi. The 1st and 3rd are really beasts! Have you tried any of them? Also, if you want to play around with dupes so you’re not wasting too much $, have you tried The Dua Brand fragrances? Might be worth a look
Oh my stars! This sounds dreamy! Thanks for the tip about this. I’ve become so eclectic. You wouldn’t believe my rotation.
What has changed in your fragrance rotation? Have your tastes become catholic?