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Magnolia: flower of China

The essence or essential oil of magnolia used in perfumery comes from China, more precisely from the provinces of Guanxi and also Fujian, and is marketed by the company Floral Concept. The trees are 10 to 15 metres high. The harvesting is done by hand. The harvesters climb the trees using bamboo scaffolding and the flowers are picked one by one. They are smaller than those we know in Europe. The name given by the Chinese is Michelia Alba (botanical family Magnoliacea).

 

Description of the magnolia tree

The magnolia is a tree with thick-petalled, pink, cream or white flowers that have a delicate tulip or star shape pointing to the sky.

The magnolia Grandiflora is one of many fragrant varieties in this family of flowering trees. The name magnolia comes from the name that was a tribute to the renowned botanist of the late 17th century, Pierre Magnol.

The essence is distilled on site in a rather artisanal way and is sold by tradition on the local market for aromatic consumption.

Only a part of the production has been exported for the perfume industry since the 90s.

Magnolia is a flower that is not used in perfumery. Maurice Roucel made me discover it during the creation of l'Instant by Guerlain.

It goes very well with sunny flowers, such as ylang-ylang, jasmine Sambac, frangipani flower, etc.

Magnolia is a very pretty white flower that blooms in spring. In perfumery it is classified as a white flower that is at once extroverted, luminous and sensual, with a very feminine aura. Many white flowers contain Indol, a molecule with an animal scent and therefore considered sensual. This molecule can be isolated and used alone to enhance the naturalness of a floral bouquet. Even though magnolia is classified as white flower in the floral family, it does not have powerful indol notes. The floral note is used in the heart notes; magnolia is used in both the top and heart notes.

 

 

Let's recall what the olfactory pyramid is

For educational purposes, the architecture of a fragrance is visually represented in the form of an olfactory pyramid with the top notes at the top, the heart notes at the middle and the base notes at the bottom. This is a tryptic scheme that is often used by brands to describe a fragrance. In reality, each part of this pyramid represents notes that interlock and respond to each other. Thus, when a fragrance is well constructed, you can smell the base notes right from the start. It is then said that the flight prepares its conclusion.

So this is a conceptual representation of the reality of the fragrance, in fact, everything evaporates at about the same time in a happy mess.

Definition of the heart notes

Heart notes escape after the flight of top notes, they are the middle part of the pyramid. They are also called the curves, the roundnesses of the perfume. These notes of medium tenacity are driven by the top notes. You will have to wait at least 15 to 20 minutes to really discover them on the paper strip called olfactory touch or on the skin. Knowing that through the top notes you may have been able to smell them. These notes will not have the same effect depending on the medium.

 

Back to the magnolia and its harvest

The harvest is done in two periods: 

  • from May to June: the main period when the flowering is most abundant
  • from September to November: the second harvest and distillation period is less abundant

 

Olfactory description of magnolia

There are two essences with very different scents:

Olfactory family is floral.

This essential oil of the flower has a facet that is almost more citrus than floral, both light and voluptuous. It has a great lemon freshness, with a slight accent of pear and rose, tinged with green notes. Then a soft solar floral facet with vanilla accents gradually reveals itself.

The leaves are also used in perfumery, although the fragrance is a little more difficult to use than that of the flowers.

The Malays use the leaves, not the petals, to perfume their homes, baths and clothes, while the wood of this tree is often used in furniture making.

 

Some perfumes containing Magnolia

  • L'instant by Guerlain
  • Eau De Magnolia by Frédéric Male
  • Bronze Goddess by Estée Lauder
  • Sensual by Bulgari
  • Marry Me by Lanvin
  • Magnolia Nobile by Acqua di Parma

 

Sylvaine Delacourte perfumes

Discover Sylvaine Delacourte's brand with her Orange Blossom, Musk and Vanilla Collections. You can try them thanks to the Discovery Boxes (5 Eaux de Parfum x 2 ml) and rediscover these raw materials as you have never smelled them before.