The Green facet

We often talk about the soul of a perfume when we talk about its main accord. Many components, from 5 to 10, build up the architecture of a perfume. The assembly of these different components defines the main theme of a perfume. This accord is enriched by other notes, which are the facets of the perfume. Thanks to them, the more complex perfume arouses a wider range of emotions. 

6 olfactory families defined by the Comité Français du Parfum (CFP) allow to classify perfumes according to categories: 

Each main theme or accord can be dressed in one or more facets. The green facet can be used to dress each of these 6 families.

Definition of green notes 

Green notes: a breath of dynamism and nature

The green note is defined by the recognisable smell of crumpled leaves, cut stems, fresh grass wetted with dew. It is therefore a facet that gives a lot of dynamism, cheerfulness and naturalness to the perfume. Moreover, this facet is also called vegetal notes or detox notes. They are the symbol of renewal and spring. 

Nowadays, green notes are more and more present in the new products on the market. In 1947 in Balmain's Vent Vert, the green facet was used for the first time in a very intense form. The formula of Vent Vert was revised in 1991 and again in 1999, the green note was combined with another bold note with a character: the galbanum note.

 

 

Galbanum 

Galbanum is a plant of the umbelliferous family which grows in Iran or Afghanistan and whose gum is harvested by incising the roots of the plant. It is then distilled to obtain an essence or treated with a solvent to obtain the resinoid. 

Olfactively, galbanum is a very dark and crisp green note, like an intense scent of undergrowth. This note also evokes the scent of peas, reminiscent of potatoes and nasturtium flowers with its wet, peppery note. 

The galbanum note is difficult to work with because it very quickly marks the top note and can be raspy. It goes perfectly with the hesperidia family, mint and basil notes. You can find galbanum note in Valkyrie from Sylvaine Delacourte’s Vanilla Collection.

Natural green notes

  • Pronounced green notes: narcissus, daffodil, mimosa

Narcissus, daffodil and mimosa naturally have quite pronounced green notes.

  • Fruity green notes: blackcurrant buds

Blackcurrant production takes place mainly in France, in the Burgundy region. The young buds are harvested in the beginning of the year. The absolute, which is quite expensive, is obtained by extraction with volatile solvents. It is used in the compositions of Pamplona by Brocard, Aqua Allegoria and Chamade by Guerlain, First by Van Cleef. 

The smell of blackcurrant buds is both green and fruity. It can sometimes smell like boxwood. When the alchemy with the skin in not good, the blackcurrant bud can then give an unpleasant note (cf. Testing a perfume, Choosing a perfume). From now on, there are blackcurrant bud qualities that are free of this annoying smell.

Oscarine from Sylvaine Delacourte's Orange Blossom Collection contains this fruity and green note.

  • Amazing green note : violet leaf

The violet is blooming from April to October, it is native to Europe, Asia and North Africa, now it is found in temperate regions. Many species are odourless, the most fragrant is the viola odorata, whose colour varies from incarnat to mauve or from magenta to pink. 

In perfumery, you can't get the scent from flowers, only the violet leaf delivers a natural note. Also, its smell is quite peculiar. Indeed, it has a green note of cucumber, green bean, or a slightly sulphurous, earthy smell and even a leathery, harsh and raspy note.

  • Mediterranean green note: lentisque

Lentisque is a shrub growing in the Mediterranean, in Corsica and Morocco. It has a raw, deep and slightly spicy green note. The latter is increasingly used in recently launched fragrances. Moroccan mastic grass is present in Smeraldo, a green musk, from Sylvaine Delacourte's Musc Collection.

  • Green note "with angels" : angelica, seeds and stems

Angelica or angelica grass is an umbelliferous plant with a fluted stem, native to Europe and North Asia. The scents of angelica are quite different, sometimes aromatic, sometimes herbaceous or woody, depending on whether you consider the seed or the stem. These notes respond wonderfully to each other. The angelica of France is also present in Smeraldo from Sylvaine Delacourte's Musc Collection.

There are only a few natural green notes, less than ten. This is why the perfumers have to use synthesis.

 

Synthetic green notes

The synthesis allows to bring many notes in the green facet, for example : 

  • Cis 3- hexenol, Cis 3- hexenyl acetate, triplal.
  • Vivaldie, cortex and gabascone, the IFF specialities.
  • The liffarome, the stemone, are necessary to create a fig note.
  • Blackcurrant base.
  • Sytrallyl acetate has an asparagus and gardenia effect.
  • Nonadienal has a cucumber effect.
  • Veticol acetate has a rhubarb effect.

Cinquième sens à Paris offers inexpensive day-long training sessions in their co-working space, where you can smell the raw materials and discover classic and new fragrances. 

Green perfumes

Fragrances with a green galbanum tonality:

  • Vol de Nuit Guerlain (1933)  
  • Chamade Guerlain (1969) 
  • N°19 Chanel (1971) 
  • N°19 poudré Chanel (2011)
  • Alliage Estée Lauder (1972) 
  • Private Collection Estée Lauder (1973)
  • Eau de Campagne Sisley (1974)
  • Silence Jacomo (1978) 
  • Miss Dior Dior (1947 et 1996)
  • Premier Figuier L’Artisan Parfumeur (1994)
  • Virgilio Diptyque (1990)
  • French Lover Frédéric Malle (2007)
  • En Passant Frédéric Malle (2007)
  • Bel Respiro Chanel (2007)
  • A scent Issey Miyaké (2009) 
  • Bas de soie Serge Lutens (2010)
  • Untitled Maison Margiela (2010)
  • Corsica furiosa Parfum d’Empire (2014)
  • Eau de Rhubarbe écarlate Hermès (2016)
  • Les Parisiennes Guerlain (2019) 

Green fragrances with an oriental note: 

  • Must Cartier (1981)
  • Obsession Calvin Klein (1985)
  • Dune Dior 1991) 
  • Dior Addict Dior (2002) 
  • Joy Dior (2018) 
  • Allure Chanel (1996)
  • Angélique Noire Guerlain (2005)

Perfumes with more floral notes:

  • Anaïs Anaïs Cacharel (1979) 
  • Pleasures Estée Lauder (1996)
  • Les Belles de Ricci Nina Ricci  (1996)
  • Champs Elysées Guerlain (1996)
  • Donna Karan DKNY (1999)
  • Envy Gucci (2004)
  • Daisy Marc Jacobs (2007)

More “eaux fraîches” perfumes:

  • Herba Fresca Guerlain (1999) 
  • L’ombre dans l’eau Diptyque (1983)
  • Jardin en Méditerranée Hermès (2003)
  • Eau de Narcisse bleue Hermès (2014) 
  • Splash grass Marc Jacobs (2006) 
  • Eau de Lierre Diptyque (2006)
  • Infusion d’Iris Prada (2007) 
  • Jardin Après la Mousson Hermès (2008)
  • La Cologne du Parfumeur Guerlain (2010)
  • Un dimanche à la campagne Guerlain (2016) 
  • Smeraldo Sylvaine Delacourte (2016)

Perfumes for men:

  • Polo Ralph Lauren (1978) 
  • Grey Flannel Geoffrey Been (1975)
  • Fahrenheit Christian Dior (1988)
  • Chrome Legend Azzaro (2007)
  • Guerlain homme Guerlain (2008) 



Sylvaine Delacourte fragrances

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.