Insomnia is a 2026 release from luxury niche perfumer Francesca Bianchi, who treats perfumery as "an intellectual process," inspired by "the power of what it means to be human, by the wish to connect with people’s inner life, the desire to spark an emotion in them and make them feel at home in their own bodies, offer solace, or just a quick fix for a bad day."
Bergamot, Black Pepper, Mineral Notes
Heart Notes
Ylang-Ylang, Jasmine, Narcotic Flowers
Base Notes
Sandalwood, Cedarwood, Patchouli, Cypriol, Tonka Bean
From Francesca Bianchi:
"Mood: Exhilarating, introspective, nocturnal
Olfactory profile: Woody, Floral
"INSOMNIA is about the suspended time of night, and the sense of freedom that comes with the absence of limits and constraints.
Night is like a dark sheet beneath which everything that weighs on us during the day begins to dissolve: routines, deadlines, urgencies, appointments.
At last, while everyone else is asleep, there is nothing left to check on the phone and no emergency that needs to be solved within the next few hours. Being awake at night offers a moment of grace, a form of release from the pressure of the day.
It is a sense of radical freedom, embraced by a welcoming darkness.
INSOMNIA speaks of the excitement produced by that narcotic, exhilarating sense of freedom that only wakefulness in the stillness of the night can create.
It is the kind of excitement that allows you to develop an artistic project, write a book, or finally dedicate yourself to something personal that has been neglected. Perhaps even an apology that requires a couple of hours of uninterrupted concentration.
INSOMNIA is the nocturnal time devoted to a conversation with a friend, philosophical or deeply personal, without limits or restrictions. Fatigue begins to set in, but the conversation is far too compelling to end.
INSOMNIA is also the freedom of spending the night with friends, moving between a laid table and a pub, unconcerned with the passing of time, trying to overcome exhaustion because those moments cannot be repeated and somehow take on the dimension of something infinite.
Nothing banal ever seems to happen in that precious space. Thoughts become sharper and more defined, even as fatigue begins to torment the mind and the eyes. Without the pressure of the clock, the night does not chase you. It envelops you, somewhere between the ecstasy of freedom and the muffled haze of exhaustion.
For me, there is something magical about being awake at night, especially when I am alone. That suspended nocturnal time has an almost sacred quality. The connection with oneself becomes stronger, and the suspension of time creates the feeling of living in a parallel universe.
INSOMNIA comes from my own experience as a nocturnal creature, particularly during the years when I was working on the first creations of the brand. At the time, I had another job during the day, and the night was the only space left in which I could fully immerse myself in my creative process, in complete freedom and without temporal constraints.
Another reference that enriched the imagery behind this creation is a particular eye makeup that has always fascinated me: a slightly shimmering smoky blue-black look.
To me, it conveys the idea of a glamorous insomnia — a dark-glam nocturnal creature, tired yet still radiating energy."
Note: Samples are sold by the 1ml. You may purchase up to 2ml. Samples of 1ml or less will come in a glass vial with a dabber. Samples larger than 1ml will come in small glass spray bottles. All samples will be consolidated unless expressly requested otherwise.
Fragrance Vault is an official stockist of Francesca Bianchi.
