La Favorite
Jean Paul Gaultier hasn't launched a major women's fragrance in ten years, so La Favorite is carrying some expectations. It's built around Queen of the Night, a flower that only releases its scent after dark, which gives the whole thing a nocturnal, slightly secretive personality before you even smell it.
Jasmine Sambac Absolute
Rose Essence
Ylang-Ylang
Virginia Cedar
Vanilla
White Musks
Rose and jasmine sambac open things up top, then benzoin, ylang-ylang, and Virginia cedar take over through the middle. It closes on tonka bean, vanilla, and white musk, which keeps the whole composition warm without tipping into straightforward sweet. Perfumers Amelie Jacquin and Quentin Bisch built it as an oriental floral, and it reads that way: rich, a little smoky through the amber, but never loud.
Some early coverage lists additional notes not in Jean Paul Gaultier's own breakdown: cinnamon and bitter orange up top, geranium and juniper in the middle. We're going with the house's version above, but it's worth knowing if you run across the longer list elsewhere.
No confirmed US retail listing or Amazon availability at time of publish.
Notes confirmed via Jean Paul Gaultier's own product listing; a secondary source lists additional supporting notes not in that official breakdown, flagged above. Shopping link is not a monetized affiliate link.