Saffron perfume is built around safranal, the molecule that forms when the stigma of Crocus sativus dries. It is not a sweet spice on skin. The first impression is metallic and leathery, almost iodine, and only after an hour does it warm into hay, tobacco and something close to honey. Roughly 150,000 flowers are picked by hand for one kilogram, which is why saffron absolute is dosed in traces and almost always at extrait concentration.

Premiere Peau's saffron perfume is Insuline Safrine, a 20 percent extrait de parfum by Claire Liegent. Greek saffron is wound into Moroccan bitter almond and Madagascar clove, and spun sugar candies the heat without softening the spice. It is a gourmand that bites back.

Expect eight hours or more on skin. The 2 ml vial in the discovery set is the way to meet it before the 45 ml or 90 ml flacon.