Monday, 24 February 2025

TWILIGHT by Sense 'N'

A bottle of the perfume Twilight by Leonie Sherif Sense 'N'
The second perfume that a company releases is often the hardest to truly crack, because you’re riding on the success of the first but trying to stretch your creative horizons. Finding the middle ground in the battle between being too safe and too divergent becomes the scented goal. There have been many examples of the follow-up fragrance not hitting the mark, and so hearing that Leonie Sherif was releasing Twilight, her second fragrance, brought feelings of excitement and trepidation in equal measure. This songbird is no stranger to experimenting with musical chords, but would the perfumed ones be just as accommodating?

Leonie Sherif launched her first perfume, Venus, back in 2024 and it was a strong start for this independent creative. Originally starting as a singer songwriter, she launched her Sense ‘N’ brand with the declaration that “scent and sound has the power to transport us to different worlds, awakening our senses and immersing us into a realm of imagination and wonder”. Now, linking perfume to music was nothing new, companies such as Choreograph, Jusbox and l’Orchestre were already hitting the trend, but Leonie was a little different. She was creating original music to accompany each release, rather than aligning with existing songs.

Her first fragrance was described as “a unisex scent which unlocks the feminine energy within”. Whilst all perfume is genderless, Venus did lean towards a more traditionally feminine palette, and was designed to elicit “a range of emotions and textures which take you on a unique sensory journey”. It was a very bold start to a fragrance range, and I described it as a scent that “definitely challenges expectations”, and so hearing that there was a new arrival immediately had me intrigued. With Venus combining Turkish rose with cherry, and ending on watery vetiver, what would Twilight have in store?

The box for the perfumee Twilight by Leonie Sherif Sense 'N'
As the name suggests, Twilight is inspired by that moment when the sun is below the horizon, and the sunlight that remains takes on a blue shade. Most famously represented by Guerlain’s legendary L’Heure Bleue perfume, and later by their L’Heure de Nuit variant, it’s a brave perfumer that decides to take on that particular time in the evening. When Leonie Sherif approached the blue hour, she wanted to concentrate on “igniting a magical glow”, and so we have a more untamed exploration that definitely celebrates the person who might still be awake and partying at twilight. Are you ready for the blue hour?

The fragrance opens with a fascinating citrus and rum combination that seems to draw on the drink’s aromatic aspects, while still allowing that brightness to radiate through, before revealing a whisper of candied violet. This is immediately followed by the aroma of warmed leather and blackcurrant, and definitely conjures a spilled cocktail on a favourite jacket. The development of Twilight sees the vibrant opening soften to reveal a powdery tonka bean alongside golden saffron, so seemingly referencing a change of light, before an incense and sandalwood pairing adds a dash of resinous mystery. With a final rush of vetiver-infused patchouli melding beautifully with a billowing musk, the evening may be over.. but the day is just beginning.

Twilight is available from the Sense ‘N’ website at sensenbysherif.com priced at £115 for 50ml, £70 for 30ml and £25 for 10ml. There is currently a 20% reduction on those prices. [Sample provided by Leonie Sherif]
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