Francesca Bianchi
Insomnia
Extrait de Parfum 100 ml
Mood: Exhilarating, Introspective, Nocturnal.
Olfactory profile: Woody, Floral.
An accord of flowers, dominated by ylang-ylang and jasmine, evokes the feverish, intellectual beauty of nightlife. A sharp mineral facet recalls the strain in the eyes when the body is asking for sleep, but the mind refuses to surrender.
The radiance of the flowers is darkened by deep woods, creating a stark contrast between light and shadow. Finally, a subtle dose of indole introduces an animalic, carnal and ambiguous sensuality, making the accord even more intoxicating and seductive.
Top notes
Bergamot, Black Pepper, Mineral Notes
Heart notes
Ylang-Ylang, Jasmine
Base notes
Sandalwood, Cedarwood, Patchouli, Cypriol, Tonka Bean
Francesca Bianchi's Inspiration
Insomnia is about the suspended time of night, and the sense of freedom that comes with the absence of limits and constraints.
Night is like a dark sheet beneath which everything that weighs on us during the day begins to dissolve: routines, deadlines, urgencies, appointments.
At last, while everyone else is asleep, there is nothing left to check on the phone and no emergency that needs to be solved within the next few hours. Being awake at night offers a moment of grace, a form of release from the pressure of the day. It is a sense of radical freedom, embraced by a welcoming darkness.
Insomnia speaks of the excitement produced by that narcotic, exhilarating sense of freedom that only wakefulness in the stillness of the night can create. It is the kind of excitement that allows you to develop an artistic project, write a book, or finally dedicate yourself to something personal that has been neglected. Perhaps even an apology that requires a couple of hours of uninterrupted concentration.
Insomnia is the nocturnal time devoted to a conversation with a friend, philosophical or deeply personal, without limits or restrictions. Fatigue begins to set in, but the conversation is far too compelling to end. Insomnia is also the freedom of spending the night with friends, moving between a laid table and a pub, unconcerned with the passing of time, trying to overcome exhaustion because those moments cannot be repeated and somehow take on the dimension of something infinite.
Nothing banal ever seems to happen in that precious space. Thoughts become sharper and more defined, even as fatigue begins to torment the mind and the eyes. Without the pressure of the clock, the night does not chase you. It envelops you, somewhere between the ecstasy of freedom and the muffled haze of exhaustion. For me, there is something magical about being awake at night, especially when I am alone. That suspended nocturnal time has an almost sacred quality. The connection with oneself becomes stronger, and the suspension of time creates the feeling of living in a parallel universe.
Insomnia comes from my own experience as a nocturnal creature, particularly during the years when I was working on the first creations of the brand. At the time, I had another job during the day, and the night was the only space left in which I could fully immerse myself in my creative process, in complete freedom and without temporal constraints.
Another reference that enriched the imagery behind this creation is a particular eye makeup that has always fascinated me: a slightly shimmering smoky blue-black look.
To me, it conveys the idea of a glamorous Insomnia - a dark-glam nocturnal creature, tired yet still radiating energy.