WHAT I SMELL:  No. 12 opens with a soft, buttery bergamot that’s infused with citrus and lightly sweetened florals that go on smooth as silk.  From first spritz the perfume is elegance personified as there’s nothing sharp as the now lightly warmed florals seem to infuse into your being as if the perfume isn’t just resting on your skin, but becomes part of it.  The ylang-ylang is front and center initially, but hints of rose peek through every now and then.  After some time, the perfume withdraws a bit, making it rather quiet as a slightly metallic rose makes its way in replacing the ylang-ylang as the center of attention.  The perfume still retains its buttery and silky finish as it starts to become warmer and grows in projection.  After some more time, the butter makes way for the powder which makes the florals all that more feminine.  Continuing on, No. 12 deepens and warms with a lightly weighted mix of amber and softened sandalwood.   Overall the perfume is seamless in its development and its infusion of ingredients.  As such, I’m not sure I’m giving it justice with my description.  So in the end, the best way to describe No. 12 is to envision a beauty descending slowly down a grand staircase at the start of the magnificent ball.  You can’t help but turn your head and take in the radiant grace and warmth of her spirit.  Let the festivities begin! 

From the Puredistance website:

A grand perfume that wraps around you like a cashmere veil… A perfume like no other, in many ways timeless and hard to describe with words. No.12 perfectly embodies the DNA of Puredistance: timelessly beautiful, elegant and very distinctive in character

Top Notes: Bergamot oil, Mandarin oil, Cardamom oil, Coriander oil, Ylang Ylang oil, Narcissus abs

Middle Notes: Jasmin abs, Rose oil, Geranium oil, Lily of the Valley, Orange Blossom, Osmanthus abs, Orris Butter, Heliotrope, Hedione HC

Base Notes: Vetyver, Sandalwood oil, Patchouli oil, Oak moss, Tonka, Ambrette note, Ambroxan, Vanilla, Musks.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  Royal blue.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE No. 12:  grand, graceful, classic, warm, inviting, rapturous…ok, so that’s more than three words, but I probably could add another 20 and in the end it wraps up to just one word…gorgeous.

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT No. 12:  The Plum Girl, PerfuManiac, CaFleureBon

BOTTOM LINE:  No. 12 is the last entry into the Puredistance Magnificent XII collection of perfumes.  And what a way to seal off an already amazing set of fragrances.  With No. 12, perfumer Nathalie Feisthauer has created a classic that harkens back to the day when perfumes were created that were simple in their beauty while also being fantastically grand.  I have always stated that White was my favorite perfume in the Puredistance collection, but I am thinking that No. 12 may have just changed my mind.  No worries though as I can love them both!

• Bone Rating: 5 out of possible 5 bones
• Nose: Nathalie Feisthauer
• Classification:  Leans feminine
• Expense: Starting at 175 Euros for 17ml parfum extrait (25% perfume oil).