Ybry Amethyste is an eau de parfum built on contrast, opening with sharp olibanum incense and bitter-edged bergamot before a lush heart of tuberose, orange blossom and ylang-ylang takes over. The base of vanilla and ambergris smooths the composition without flattening it, so the tension between the austere top and the creamy middle stays intact.

Composed by Violaine Collas, it reads differently on the wrist than it does from across the room, which is usually a good sign.