French Affair

French Affair, inspired by Ex Nihilo French Affair (2017)

French Affair opens green and sparkling, with violet leaf (crisp and leafy, a little like cucumber skin) set against bergamot and lychee. Rose arrives quickly, sharpened by pepper and by angelica, a root with a musky, earthy-herbal smell. Beneath it sits a classic chypre structure in modern form: oakmoss and patchouli for depth, cedar and vetiver for dryness. The result is a rose with structure rather than sweetness.

About the original

Quentin Bisch composed French Affair for Ex Nihilo, and a retailer dates it to 2017. The brand ties it to 'Parisian panache', inspired by 1970s optimism and the dandies of the Boulevard Saint-Germain; some retailers also cite Serge Gainsbourg. Retailers classify it either as a contemporary chypre or as a floral woody. A chypre is a perfume family built on a citrus top over an oakmoss and patchouli base.

Our version

Ours is an independent eau de parfum made to evoke the same character. It is not Ex Nihilo stock, not an official relaunch and not the original formula.

Who it suits

Chypre lovers, and anyone who likes rose with moss and earth, will recognise the structure. It is drier and more serious than Ex Nihilo's fruity florals, despite the lychee. The patchouli and oakmoss base can feel dark to someone who prefers clean, musky florals.

Related scents

• Ex Nihilo Fleur Narcotique
• Ex Nihilo Lust in Paradise
• Ex Nihilo Midnight Special

Notes of the original fragrance, as published by the brand.

Top notes: Violet Leaf Absolute, Bergamot, Lychee

Heart notes: Rose Absolute, Pepper, Angelica

Base notes: Oakmoss, Patchouli, Cedarwood, Vetiver

Violet leaf, bergamot and lychee open it green and faintly fruity.

Rose takes the centre, with pepper and angelica adding spice and an earthy, herbal tone.

Oakmoss, patchouli, cedarwood and vetiver give a dry, mossy chypre base.

Is French Affair a rose scent?

Rose sits at its heart, but the violet leaf opening and the oakmoss and patchouli base make it read as a modern chypre rather than a single-flower rose.

How does French Affair compare with Fleur Narcotique?

Both are by Quentin Bisch and share lychee. Fleur Narcotique is a light fruity floral, while French Affair is greener and mossier.

Inside the EU, delivery is free on orders of €49 or more. Below that it is a flat €4.99. Outside the EU, delivery is a flat €4.99 on every order. We send every order in 1 to 2 working days. It arrives in 3 to 7 days across the EU and in 7 to 14 days outside the EU. You have 14 days to return an unopened bottle.

Ex Nihilo and French Affair are trademarks of their respective owners, and all rights remain with them. Parfumour is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or connected to Ex Nihilo in any way, and no business relationship of any kind is implied. Our product is an original interpretation created to evoke a similar scent profile, and the trademark names are used purely for honest, descriptive comparison, so that you can quickly identify the style and fragrance family you are looking for. We make no claim to sell the original product, and we do not use the same ingredients or formula. Any similarity lies in the overall impression of the scent as interpreted by our own perfumers, not in the source materials.