Marc-Antoine Barrois Aldebaran Review
Almost a year ago, in April 2025, Marc-Antoine Barrois launched Aldebaran, a new addition to the “stellar” series of fragrances inspired by distant stars. Created by perfumer Quentin Bisch [the nose behind the viral Amouage Guidance], this unisex fragrance is an ode to tuberose, imagined in this unique soliflore composition along with tonka beans, mate, and paprika.
“It’s a white light piercing the darkness. A mysterious radiance emanating from a moonlit clearing.
The gentle caress of moonbeams on a field of tuberoses, their immaculate petals reflecting starlight like mirrors.
Like a guiding star in the night, Aldebaran embodies hope and optimism.”
Aldebaran has generated some buzz online and I decided to share my thoughts on it as well. I only had a small sample vial to try but it was enough for multiple sprays, so I was able to wear it for a few days prior to making a conclusion. Not gonna lie, it’s a weird one. I don’t own anything like it, maybe because I never considered tuberose-heavy fragrances in the past.
To me Aldebaran smells like a country club library. When I take a really deep whiff, I’m getting old paper books, wooden shelves, creaky floors polished by decades of shoes, a weathered leather sofa, and a cup of bitter black tea steaming on the table. It smells like oil paintings still in their original wooden frames, floral wallpaper, and thick velvet curtains that are open just enough to let some sun in, but not too much. You can see the dust dancing in the streak of light and landing on overgrown potted ferns. Imagine all of it, and that’s what I get when I smell Aldebaran. It’s not an old lady perfume, but rather old money perfume, and it smells fresh and preppy but in a very low key, subdued way – a mysterious IYKYK type scent.
- Top notes: tuberose
- Heart: paprika, mate
- Base notes: tonka bean
I don’t recommend Aldebaran as a blind buy, it’s definitely a scent for a specific taste and person. The composition may only have four notes, but trust me, this smells very unique – perhaps, too unique for an average consumer. This scent is a true unisex and doesn’t lean heavily toward feminine or masculine.
On my skin, Aldebaran can last several hours, fading ever so slightly faster in areas that rub against the clothing, and turning into more of a clean and soapy tuberose. As for the hair and clothes, I need to literally wash them to remove the scent – it’s really long-lasting on surfaces!
This wasn’t love at first sight, and I don’t see myself getting a full bottle, but something about Aldebaran is just so captivating – it’s what Quentin Bisch does best. I swear, the guy is a genius when it comes to weird combos that somehow work.
Marc-Antoine Barrois Aldebaran ($300) is available at Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, and online at Marc-Antoine Barrois.
