Infusion d'Oeillet

By the editors · 2 min readPrada's Infusions series works by reduction: one essential ingredient, rendered as cleanly as possible. Oeillet — carnation — is both flower and spice; the pink petals contain the same eugenol that gives cloves their warmth, which Prada underscores by writing "clou de girofle" (clove) on the bottle. Mandarin opens the composition briefly, then carnation takes the center: faintly soapy, powdery, spice-forward, with a Victorian-cabinet quality that places it closer to a gentleman's study than a modern boutique.

Patchouli, sandalwood, and styrax form an understated base — patchouli adding soft earthiness, styrax a balsamic smoothness, sandalwood providing clean warmth underneath. The overall effect is quiet and characterful, genuinely unisex in the way that actual powder-and-spice accords tend to be. Not a statement but a considered study in a single floral material — exactly what the Infusions format promises.