Ode to urban sensuality
“…She is getting ready in her office. She won’t have time to go back home. She defines her eyes with black pencil and enhances her lips with a sensual red shade. She closes the building’s door behind her, and the sound of her heels echoes briskly along the street. Like every Thursday, she enjoys visiting that cabaret on the Place de la Concorde… Seated at the bar, she orders a whisky on the rocks and lights a cigarette. In the dim light of the room, she catches sight of a silhouette facing her.”
Thus began, in 2016, Madame’s night—as envisioned by David Benedek, founder of the fragrance house BDK. For her, he conceived Pas Ce Soir, an addictive chypre for the self-assured woman that avoids heaviness or cliché.
In Pas Ce Soir, top notes of pepper and ginger—like pieces of jewelry—accentuated an enveloping pear, intoxicating in its spontaneity.
A fragrance for the self-assured woman, created by a woman: perfumer Violaine Collas (Mane) (read her full interview about her career here).
And perhaps that is precisely the secret behind this perfume’s enduring success. A woman comfortable in her own skin knows full well that she needs no artifice to assert her personality.
Notes of pear quickly mingled with the creamy richness of the white floral heart.
Self-assured and intellectual, she revealed a sensual side. Amidst jasmine, orange blossom, and quince, she loved to laugh and play, yet she was not one for provocation; there was something almost childlike in her playfulness.
In the base notes—a blend of patchouli and cashmeran—one could sense she had just encountered an attractive man. She became more alluring, more of a temptress. Not tonight… Really?
Today, « Madame » rediscovers herself in Pas Ce Soir Extrait, a multifaceted extrait de parfum that echoes the olfactory structure of the original Pas Ce Soir. This time, the pear top note blends with exquisite notes of cocoa resinoid. Madame is even more self-assured and daring; she draws people in like the sun, compelling both men and women to follow her. In the base, benzoin, vanilla, and caramel ensnare her admirers. With Pas Ce Soir Extrait, she breaks free from all limits. It is a magnificent, utterly addictive creation that appeals equally to young women and those who are more mature.
Interview with David Benedek
Flannie – A few years ago, I gave Pas Ce Soir to a friend who needed a little boost to make a life change. This time, it was my 16-year-old daughter and her friends who fell for Pas Ce Soir Extrait; they wanted to make it their own, even though I wanted to keep it jealously to myself. Did you expect young girls to set aside their usual fragrances to wear Pas Ce Soir Extrait?
David Benedek – Not at all. When I work on a fragrance, I never ask myself who the target audience is. What really interests me is the beauty of the scent—trying to create something different that resonates with people, because a fragrance is meant to be worn. I visualize it on the skin. It makes me very happy to see young girls making it their own.
F – What was the brief for this creation?
DB – For the extrait, I really wanted to bring out a denser, more mysterious facet of Pas Ce Soir. Not necessarily darker, but even more sensual. In the Les Parisiennes collection, I focus heavily on sensuality—specifically, urban sensuality. I wanted the extrait to reflect the original while adding a much more mysterious, deeper dimension, achieved by increasing the patchouli content and adding cocoa. Violaine and I didn’t reinvent the story—the story remains the same—but we revisited the raw materials that made up Pas Ce Soir and extended the top and base notes. We decided to use Gayo patchouli, a new quality of patchouli that Mane has recently started using—a patchouli that isn’t earthy but rather quite rounded—and it suits the fragrance perfectly.
F – What adventures has she experienced to become so bold?
DB – (laughs) What makes her so bold? A refusal to accept the rules that try to dictate how she should act or live. There is a certain mystery in Paris—a fiercely independent spirit found in many people—and women love being free and independent; hence the name of this perfume. Pas Ce Soir can be a refusal, but also an invitation.
At the press launch, I invited Elisabeth de Feydeau to join me in interpreting Pas Ce Soir Extrait. She remarked that the name was incredibly evocative of the fragrance itself—like a suggestion for tomorrow.
F – Rouge Smoking, Pas Ce Soir… Do women with strong personalities inspire you?
DB – I’ve been surrounded by women since I was a child—my mother, my grandmother… They were all very independent, quintessentially Parisian women, and that energy was a major source of inspiration for the story behind the BDK house. Although all BDK fragrances are unisex, women seem to identify with the stories I tell, and that really moves me. Women inspire me enormously—in fashion and in imagery. I’m a graduate of the Institut Français de la Mode, and I wanted to approach fragrance the way one approaches fashion collections. That’s why BDK has four distinct collections. Rouge Smoking and Pas Ce Soir belong to the Les Parisiennes collection, where I really want to explore themes of sensuality and strength. For Rouge Smoking, I envisioned a Parisian woman moving through Pigalle with great glamour, contrasting with the neighborhood’s gritty edge.
F – Which women inspire you the most?
DB – I admire women in politics and the arts. I love the gentleness a woman can convey while simultaneously being very strong. I don’t view that gentleness as a weakness at all—quite the opposite. I would have loved to meet the Queen of England, but that’s no longer possible.
F – If the « Pas Ce Soir Extrait » woman were a famous person, who would she be?
DB – Jennifer Lopez. As for a Parisian woman, I could easily picture Leïla Bekhti.
F – Pear plays a crucial role in the olfactory architecture of both Pas Ce Soir and Pas Ce Soir Extrait. Did it come into the composition early on?
DB – It was there from the very beginning. When I met Violaine Collas, I wanted a fragrance that was somewhat gourmand yet refined—highly balanced—and she suggested this pear, quince, and orange blossom accord. The composition of Pas Ce Soir was built around this trio of ingredients. We then fleshed it out with black pepper, patchouli, and cashmeran.
F – Did it feel like the obvious choice right from the start?
DB – More so for Violaine than for me, as it was truly her proposal. I loved it immediately. I felt that the pear’s juiciness perfectly balanced the quince’s more gourmand, candied quality, creating a beautiful balance in the note. For Pas Ce Soir, a pear accord was created, but the fragrance also features Tropicalole—a synthetic note that plays on fruity nuances, reminiscent of a blend of peach and pear.
F – Did you give Violaine free rein to create these two fragrances, or did you already have specific notes in mind?
DB – For Pas Ce Soir, we really followed her lead. For the Extrait, we worked more closely together, exploring a wide range of facets. I suggested cocoa. We tried it out; it worked well, so we adopted it. Cocoa is a fascinating olfactory ingredient. It smells like cocoa, of course, but it has other qualities too. It adds a full-bodied, powdery character and a touch of mystery. It’s a very interesting material.
F – When can we expect the Rouge Smoking extrait?
DB – That’s the next one. I love working on extraits. I think it’s great to take a fragrance and explore new territory with it. I’m planning to create three extraits: Gris Charnel, Pas Ce Soir, and Rouge Smoking.
