Ex Nihilo: a guide to the house and its perfumes
Ex Nihilo is a Paris fragrance house, founded in 2013, that gives emerging perfumers total creative freedom. This guide covers the nine Ex Nihilo perfumes we list, with their notes, perfumers and the idea behind each.
Ex Nihilo is a French fragrance house founded in Paris in 2013 by Sylvie Loday, Olivier Royère and Benoît Verdier. The name is the Latin expression ex nihilo, which the brand glosses as created out of the blue. You will find every Ex Nihilo we list in the Ex Nihilo collection. If the term is new to you, what niche perfume is is a good first read.
What the house stands for
The house works with emerging perfumery talents and gives them carte blanche, total creative freedom. It says it uses natural and synthetic raw materials without cost constraints, including new-generation natural extracts and biotechnology actives. Its design language echoes French avant-garde art, design and architecture of the 1970s and 1980s. In its flagship stores the Osmologue blending system lets customers have a personalised Signature fragrance made on demand. The fragrances are grouped into collections such as Initiale, Interdite, Iconoclaste, Visionnaire, Babylone and Quintessence, and into four olfactive universes: Floral, Ambery, Woody and Citrus.
What the perfumes have in common
Eight of the nine we list are Eau de Parfum, in 50 or 100 ml. The ninth is the Extrait de Parfum of Blue Talisman, which has notes of its own. The product pages credit a named perfumer for each one. Several pyramids use ingredient names the house writes with trademark signs, such as Ambrofix™, Akigalawood™ and Petalia™. For what the concentration names mean, see our guide to perfume concentrations.
The perfumes we list
Most reviewed on Fragrantica first, as counted in early October 2026. My Sweetest Morphine comes last because we have no Fragrantica count for it.
Blue Talisman Eau de Parfum
Introduced as a hypnotic jewel and a lucky charm for the skin, with a nod to Place Vendôme, near where the house was born. Pear, bergamot, ginger and mandarin open it, orange blossom and Georgywood form the heart, and Ambrofix, Akigalawood and musks the base. Jordi Fernández composed it. With more than 700 reviews, it is the most reviewed Ex Nihilo on Fragrantica.
Fleur Narcotique
A floral overdose: a sensual, slightly transgressive bouquet with a Parisian edge. Bergamot, lychee and peach open it, Petalia, orange blossom and jasmine form the heart, and musk, transparent wood and moss linger. Composed by Quentin Bisch.
Lust in Paradise
The brand's portrait of the French Riviera: sun-drenched afternoons, the Mediterranean close by and a lazy, artful mood. Pink pepper and Rosyfolia open it, Petalia and rose absolute form the heart, and musk, white cedarwood and Ambrofix leave the feeling of sun-warmed skin. Louise Turner is the perfumer.
Blue Talisman Extrait de Parfum
The brand presents the Extrait as an immersive trip into a precious jewel, intensifying the original with deeper, more powerful notes. Pear and bergamot open it, jasmine sambac meets orange blossom in a warm, sunlit heart, and vanilla, sandalwood, musks and ambery woods add a more compelling pull. Jordi Fernández again.
Santal Calling
Antoine Maisondieu built it around Australian sandalwood, which the brand ties to a mystical energy, for a scent that is bright, soothing and compelling. A milky accord and nutmeg open it, iris, rose and cashmeran form the heart, and sandalwood, vanilla and musk finish it.
The Hedonist
A trip with no set destination through wild, untamed nature, in the brand's words: dramatic landscapes, black stones, extreme temperatures. Bergamot and ginger open it, cedarwood and Akigalawood form the heart, and vetiver, musks and tonka bean hold the base. By Jordi Fernández.
Spiky Muse
A portrait of a powerful, creative femininity, a muse turned artist. Upcycled natural strawberry, bergamot and pink pepper open it, rose absolutes and a pistachio accord form the heart, and cedarwood, Akigalawood, Ambrofix and tonka bean make a deep ambery canvas. Composed by Louise Turner.
Iris Porcelana
A contemporary take on Iris Pallida, which the brand calls the most precious and graceful flower of high perfumery, shaped by the craft of French porcelain. Violet leaves open it, iris and rose form the heart, and sandalwood, musks and cedarwood close it. Dalia Izem composed it.
My Sweetest Morphine
The brand's floral obsession: a bold, sensual bouquet in which lilac and mimosa are rounded by rose. Lilac, bergamot and an ozonic accord open it, mimosa, rose and a solar accord form the heart, and musks, vetiver and patchouli close it. Natalie Cetto is the perfumer.
Where to start
- Sunlit florals: Blue Talisman, Fleur Narcotique, Lust in Paradise and My Sweetest Morphine.
- Woody and ambery: The Hedonist for cedarwood and vetiver, Santal Calling for sandalwood with a milky accord.
- Powdery iris: Iris Porcelana.
- Rose with a sweet twist: Spiky Muse, with strawberry and pistachio.
Other houses are on our brands page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between the Blue Talisman Eau de Parfum and the Extrait?
They have different notes. The Eau de Parfum is built on pear, ginger and ambered woods. The Extrait adds jasmine, vanilla and sandalwood and intensifies the original, in the brand's words.
Who composes the Ex Nihilo perfumes?
The house works with emerging perfumers and gives them carte blanche. For the perfumes we list, the product pages credit Jordi Fernández, Louise Turner, Quentin Bisch, Antoine Maisondieu, Dalia Izem and Natalie Cetto.
What is the Osmologue?
A blending system in the house's flagship stores that lets customers have a personalised Signature fragrance made on demand.
