Parisian Perfumer Ex Nihilo Bottles Golden Hour Haze for its New L.A.-Inspired Fragrance

Golden hour is the greatest hour in L.A. — just ask Ex Nihilo. The Parisian perfumer's latest triumph, Idle Hour, is a poetic ode to the way smell transports us to places forgotten by our peepers. Exclusively available to shop at Ex Nihilo's Hollywood flagship store, the limited edition fragrance was dreamed up by L.A.-based artist and photographer Amanda Charchian and inspired by her daily life here, particularly the dusty, hazy magic hour just before nightfall.

Subtle, sensual, and singular in its effect, Idle Hour sweeps the senses off its feet with warm woody ambers of pink pepper, ylang-ylang, and cedarwood. "To me, it is abstract, mesmerizing, hypnotic, and a bit nostalgic. As a Parisian and great Californian lover, it transports me automatically in L.A.!" is how Ex Nihilo creative director Benoit Verdier described it to UncoverLA.

From the packaging to the bottle to the photos, Charchian had full creative freedom to bring Idle Hour to life. Her winning recipe for wonder-inducing imagery? Equal parts reverence for the female body and the feeling of a fleeting moment of reflection. The multidisciplinary artist, who earned a BFA from Otis College of Art and Design with a focus on painting and sculpture, loves to play with a feminine sensuality that is simultaneously epic and intimate.

In an Instagram post announcing her collab, Charchian mused on the making of her olfactory masterpiece: "They say that the nose makes the eyes remember. Idle Hour's concept was created in response to LA's short-term memory and how this allows the city to constantly reinvent itself. Smell lives on nostalgia."

Charchian's fragrance marks yet another original collaboration from Ex Nihilo, whose past creations include an L.A.-inspired iteration of Lust In Paradise with French Californian photographer Reine Paradis and perfumer Louis Turner, and Cuir Celeste, a heady leather scent, with French contemporary photographer Mathieu César.

"It is a subtle alchemy; we try to collaborate with personalities who share the same aesthetics of course but also the same influences and inspirations. The most challenging part is to start from just an idea and finally materialize it both visually and in terms of olfaction but generally, it is very organic, very fluid," Verdier told UncoverLA.

Last month, Ex Nihilo celebrated Idle Hour's launch at its L.A. store, where Charchian revealed a limited edition series of photographs that evoke the inspiration of the new scent. Among the guests were actress Laura Harrier, Ghia founder and CEO Melanie Masarie, Éclat creative director Hanane El Moutii, and influencer Annabelle Fleur.

Scroll through the gallery at the top of the page to experience the night and stop by the address below to snag Idle Hour. Once it's gone, it's gone for good.

Ex Nihilo, 926 N. Sycamore Ave., Suite 103, L.A. 90038; (323) 645-7243