Nissaba Brings Labdanum Forward in Andevalo, in Three Forms

Labdanum usually serves as a dependable foundation in perfumery, adding ambery depth, resinous warmth and sometimes a leathery shadow. With Andevalo, Nissaba brings it to the foreground and makes it the composition’s central subject.

Coralie Spicher and Fabrice Pellegrin created the fragrance around three natural labdanum extracts: cistus CO₂ extract, labdanum absolute and pyrogenated labdanum. This is more than a technical display: different extraction and processing methods allow the material to unfold in dimension, from dry, herbaceous resin to dark balsamic and gently smoky facets.

The name Andevalo refers to western Andalusia. Nissaba connects the composition to local cistus, the plant from which labdanum is obtained, continuing its focus on the geographical origins of raw materials. The region is not merely decorative here: it explains why labdanum, rather than an abstract amber accord, takes centre stage.

To keep the resin from becoming heavy or monotonous, the perfumers introduce contrast. The listed top notes are strawberry CO₂ extract, black cherry, mandarin and pink pepper; the heart features a leather accord, cistus, raspberry, rose and saffron. Judging by the announced structure, the fruits are intended less as dessert-like sweetness than as light and juiciness against the dense resin.

In the base, labdanum is supported by dark woody notes and patchouli. This combination defines Andevalo’s character: not a sunlit postcard from Andalusia, but a rich leathery-resinous extrait in which the warmth of earth and red fruit meets smoky depth.

For collectors, the most compelling aspect is the approach itself. Nissaba invites us to see labdanum not as a supporting building block, but as a material with its own texture and place of origin. Whether its three forms remain distinct on skin will only be clear through personal experience, but the compositional idea is articulated with real precision.

Andevalo is released in a 100 ml bottle. The brand states that more than 90% of its ingredients are of natural origin and positions the fragrance as an extrait de parfum.