Mimosa, the flower of the Riviera
Mimosa is like a burst of laughter in the middle of winter. It is, along with the hyacinth, one of the rare flowers that grow in the middle of winter.
Mimosa is one of the emblems of the South of France.
Decorative mimosa tree
Botanical name: Acacia Dealbata
Mimosa is associated with the acacia tree. Although acacia is the Latin name of the mimosa tree, it should not be confused with the acacia shrub of the locust family.
The etymology of its name comes from the Latin mimus, which means "stuffing", in reference to the leaf that retracts when touched.
The mimosa is mainly cultivated in the south of France, India, Egypt and Morocco.
We are enchanted by its puffs as fluffy as swan feathers, we are euphoric by its fragrances as graceful as they are nostalgic.
Since 1946, mimosa has been the emblem of Women's Day (March 8) because it hides great strength and energy under its apparent fragility.
Origins of mimosa
Native to Australia, mimosa was introduced to Europe, particularly to the Côte d'Azur, in the 19th century.
Mimosa was introduced to France by the navigator Nicolas Baudin following an expedition to Oceania. It was first planted in the gardens of Joséphine de Beauharnais at the Château de Malmaison, and then mimosa seduced perfumers.
There are about 1200 varieties of mimosa, including the 4-season mimosa, which is quite common in the south of France.
It is a tree that can reach 20 metres in height. Mimosa is a perennial plant that is characterised by its small, sunny, fluffy yellow balls. It blooms from November to March.
Processing and manufacturing of the raw material
In perfumery, mimosa is processed by extraction with volatile solvents, which produces an absolute. Mimosa accord can also be created from natural and synthetic raw materials, which is called a reconstitution or reproduction.
Olfactive description of mimosa
The scent obtained by absolute is quite far from the smell of fresh mimosa when the tree is in bloom.
One can perceive a powdery floral note with a reminiscence of rice powder. Mimosa is also slightly almondy, it has a rather pronounced green facet because the leaves are distilled at the same time as the yellow balls, this is what gives light accents of cucumber or even melon to the absolute. As a result, the pure scent of the mimosa ball is somewhat betrayed. Mimosa has a very powdery, dry and even dusty scent, it is also straw-like and honeyed. It is a heart note, but its rising green notes can already be felt in the top notes.
Use of mimosa in perfumery
Perfumers don't work much with the mimosa as a main theme because it is a difficult flower to tame and also because it has a reputation for having retro or vintage accents.
Perfumers can use mimosa absolute to create floral accords or floral facets, it will then be accompanied for example by a rose, a tuberose or a jasmine.
It can be found treated in majesty in soliflora fragrances with a main theme of mimosa. There were many of them at the beginning of the last century.
Mimosa is often used for its powdery notes. On its own it will bring a lot of naturalness to a composition; associated with notes like iris root, violet or carrot seed, they will accentuate its powdery facet.
Main constituents of mimosa
Anisic aldehyde, coumarin, monadenial, heliotropin, benzaldehyde.
Perfumes containing mimosa
- Aqua Allegoria, Tiaré-Mimosa by Guerlain
- Champs Élysées by Guerlain
- Après l’Ondée by Guerlain
- Paris by YSL
- Amarige by Givenchy
- Poême by Lancôme
- Beige extrait de parfum by Chanel
- Farnésiana by Caron
- Bougie Mimosa by L’Artisan Parfumeur
- Mimosa pour Moi by L’Artisan Parfumeur
- Bulgari pour Femme by Bulgari
- Volupté by Oscar de La Renta
- Summer by Kenzo
- Dahlia Divin Nectar by Givenchy
- Mimosa Cardamome by Joe Malone
- Velvet Mimosa by Dolce & Gabbana
- Infusion de Mimosa by Prada
- Mimosa Indigo by Atelier Cologne
- Florentina by Sylvaine Delacourte Paris
Focus on cassia, the cousin of mimosa
Botanical name: Acacia Farnesiana
It is a flower from the same family as mimosa, the acacia, but there is a difference: you can see thorns on the branches.
Like mimosa, it is a rather difficult flower to work with in perfumery. Its scent is denser and more mysterious than that of mimosa. It has animal notes similar to those of ylang-ylang and also sulphurous effects and metallic accents.
Origin of cassia
This small tree native to India is cultivated around the Mediterranean, mainly in Egypt and in semi-tropical regions.
Olfactory description of cassia
The cassia flower is rare and is rather reserved for fine perfumery.
Cassia has a very faceted scent: herbaceous, powdery, spicy, woody, balsamic, honeyed, aniseed or leathery. It also has a hay-like scent. Cassia blends very well with iris, mimosa and violet notes.
Perfumes containing cassia
- Farnésiana by Caron
- Après L’Ondée by Guerlain
- L’Heure Bleue by Guerlain
- Fleur de Cassie by Frédéric Malle
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.