Vol de Nuit by Guerlain, launched in 1933 and created by Jacques Guerlain, was inspired by the second novel of famed French aviator and author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, titled Night Flight (Vol de Nuit in French). The perfume’s name encapsulates the romance, danger, and adventure of the early years of aviation. Saint-Exupéry’s novel is a poignant exploration of the human spirit set against the backdrop of the fledgling airline industry. The book follows the lives of pilots and their courageous night flights through perilous skies, managing the fear of the unknown and the isolation of the skies while navigating the emotional toll of separation from loved ones. It is a meditation on bravery, duty, and love, perfectly mirroring the feelings of soaring through the night, risking life, and reaching for the unreachable. The novel's deep emotional core made it a fitting inspiration for Guerlain to transform into a fragrance.
The word "Vol de Nuit" is French and translates to "Night Flight." Pronounced VOL-DUH-NEWEE, the name evokes images of dark skies, stars glimmering like jewels above a silent earth, and the hum of a plane cutting through the stillness. There is an undeniable sense of intrigue, elegance, and danger—qualities that speak to the allure of nighttime adventures in the early days of aviation. Women wearing this scent could imagine themselves part of this high-flying world, filled with mystery and anticipation. The name alone conjures emotions of excitement, longing, and the rush of exploration, feelings magnified by the glamour and exclusivity of air travel during that era.
As an oriental chypre fragrance, Vol de Nuit captures the essence of the novel’s atmosphere in scent. The fragrance opens with the bright, sharp hesperidic notes of citrus peel oils, reminiscent of the fresh, cool air as a plane ascends into the night sky. Blending seamlessly with these are dry mountain herbs like bay, marjoram, basil, rosemary, mint, and thyme, evoking the rugged landscapes of the world seen from above. The presence of lyre sage and mountain flowers like laurel and lavender lends an air of both untamed nature and tranquil beauty, balancing the more intense elements.
As the fragrance develops, it reveals a heart of florals such as jasmine, orange blossom, violets, narcissus, and roses. These flowers, potent and hypnotic, mirror the novel’s themes of love and tenderness amidst the harshness of flight. Dusty orris root and spices like nutmeg, coriander, and cinnamon add a warmth and richness, reminiscent of the heat of an aircraft’s cabin juxtaposed with the cold night air outside. Finally, the base notes—moss-covered oaks, exotic woods, myrrh, vanilla, and animalic notes of civet, musk, ambergris, and castoreum—are deeply grounding, evoking the earth far below and the primal pull of adventure.
