Atypical flowers (part one)
First chapter on less known flowers, some of them offer us their perfume, others cannot deliver their soul. They are then reproduced by the talent of a perfumer (mixture of natural and synthetic products, about 10 products).
Reseda
A bi-annual plant with clusters of small star-shaped flowers, it blooms in summer and grows very quickly.
Olfactory description: its fragrance is rather nocturnal, sweet, fresh, pinkish, with green accents; the perfume is no longer used in perfumery: too little yield, so only exists in reproduction. Spreads a light cloud of honey, lily of the valley and narcissus around it.
Buddleia or butterfly tree
Origin: tree native to South Africa and China, 3 to 5 m high, blooms in summer and attracts thousands of butterflies. Its fragrant blossom is adorned with a palette of blue-violet and sometimes red.
Olfactory description: soft and round fragrance, its scent resembles that of the lilac, but more honeyed, with a hint of carnation, only available in reproduction, present in the perfume Champs Elysées.
Wallflower
Origin: perennial, evergreen with velvety flowers, yellow-orange or purple, sometimes blue and purple, it resows itself in the wind.
Flowering: May, June.
Olfactory description: very spicy carnation fragrance with vanilla accents, musky, only available in reproduction. I discovered wallflowers in Brittany, on the island of Ouessant: a delight.
Privet
Origin: this is the only flower that can practically be found in the city, it is native to Europe and Asia. There are about fifty species, most of which are deciduous bushes that form hedges and are fast growing.
Flowering: May, June or September, October.
Olfactory description: either you love the smell or you hate it. I'm one of those who love it, for me it smells like fresh and pure air, with very green and honeyed accents, even powdery. It exists only in reproduction.
Seringat or poet's jasmine
Deciduous tree with white flowers.
Flowering: May, June.
Olfactory description: delicious scent of lilac, orange blossom, slightly aniseed, with some strawberry accents; only available in reproduction. Flower that will be the centrepiece of the next Aqua Allegoria: Flora Nymphéa.
Champaca
The Michelia Champaca is a very fragrant white flower that is highly prized by Hindus who consider it a sacred flower. In India, many flowers are given as offerings to God and Champaca has a special place among them. Champaca is the flower of a tree that can grow up to 8 to 10 metres high. The flower is yellow-orange, red or white in colour and develops a strong, fine white flower fragrance. The champaca thrives in moderately warm and dry climates.
Origin: It is produced in India in the regions of Mysore and Bangalore.
Harvesting: There are 2 harvesting seasons: one in March-April and one in October-November. The flowers are picked in the early morning hours so that they can be transported for extraction during the coolest hours as they degrade quickly in the sun.
Processing: the flower is processed by extraction with volatile solvents, which produces a concrete that is washed with alcohol to produce the absolute. The yields are relatively low.
Olfactory description: very ambery white flower, hay, dewy and honeyed, ylang-ylang effect, heady jasmine, spicy and animalic in the base notes. This absolute is notably used in Luxe / Champaca by Comme Des Garçons.
Cassia
Cassia is extracted from the flowers of the acacia farnesiana. Cassia is therefore a cousin of the mimosa.
Origin: This small tree originating from India is cultivated around the Mediterranean, mainly in Egypt and in semi-tropical regions. The tree produces flowers after 6 years of cultivation. Harvesting takes place from October to November by "shaking" the branches to remove the flowers.
Processing: extracting the flower with volatile solvents produces a concrete, which in turn produces an absolute. 250 kg of flowers produces 1 kg of concrete and 0.450 kg of absolute. The cassia flower is rare and rather reserved for fine perfumery.
Olfactory description: floral (rose, narcissus, ylang-ylang), herbaceous, powdery, spicy, woody, balsamic, honeyed, aniseed, and leathery. Cassia blends very well with iris, mimosa and violet notes. Used in Après l'Ondée by Guerlain and in Cassia Flower by Frédéric Malle.
Narcissus
History: A member of the Amaryllidaceae family, narcissus has been known since antiquity for medicinal use. It was said to weigh down the mind and make one stupid. In Greek mythology, Narcissus, proud of his beauty, paid no attention to the young nymphs who adored him. One of them, Echo, was hurt by his coldness and gradually disappeared until only her voice could be heard. The gods were angry and condemned Narcissus to fall in love with his reflection in the clear water of a pool. When he died, he was changed into a flower, the narcissus. Narcissus then became a symbol of selfishness.
Origins: Central Europe, North Africa and Asia. Main producing countries are France (Auvergne), Morocco and Egypt. There are different varieties of narcissus, about a dozen, some of which grow spontaneously in France. One say it is the flower of freedom because you never know where it will grow. However, it can be found in certain places such as the meadows of the Jura, the Alps and the Massif Central. Among these varieties, the daffodil is very well known. The narcissus used to produce narcissus absolute is Narcissus poeticus (the poet's narcissus). It is found naturally in the Mediterranean mountains, but the most important production is now in the Auvergne. Its single white flower is edged with bright red. It is highly sought after by perfumers who use it in prestige perfumes, in certain floral and chypre fragrances. Main supplier: LMR/IFF.
Harvesting: Spring after the daffodil. The collectors pick the flower heads with special combs, a kind of large rake. Narcissus absolute is obtained by extracting the flowers with volatile solvents, then washing the concrete with alcohol. For perfumes, we never use narcissus concrete because it is too rich in wax. 3 tons of flowers give 1kg of absolute.
Olfactory description: strong, earthy, aromatic smell like hay. The scent of narcissus absolute is reminiscent of the flower itself, but it has a greener note, due to the fact that the stem is also treated during the solvent extraction process. Narcissus Flower from L'Artisan Parfumeur by Anne Flipo (2006).
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.