Green perfumes, green notes
Definition of green notes
The green note is defined by the smell of a crumpled leaf, a cut stem, fresh wet grass with dew. It is a facet that gives a lot of dynamism, cheerfulness and naturalness to the perfume. It is a symbol of renewal and spring.
It is more and more present in the novelties. For memory, for the first time it was used in overdose and in a very intense form in Vent Vert by Balmain (1947), which was revised in 1991 and 1999 with the use of a daring and character note, the galbanum note.
Green notes in new products
We found this galbanum note that had been shunned for many years. Now it is treated in a softer and more contemporary way in Martin Margiela's Untitled, in Chanel's new №19 (powdery that I find very successful), in Issey Myake's Scent (very close to the universe of Chanel's №19), as well as in Serge Lutens's Bas de Soie and also in Bel Respiro in Chanel's exclusive.
London (ex collection une ville un parfum) has a green start with the rhubarb note. Like the English, I love rhubarb in all its forms! It is not a natural note, it is a composition. In this fragrance, it is combined with a fresh, slightly fruity rose. To be discovered in Guerlain boutiques, London is now renamed to Imagine.
Galbanum
Galbanum is a plant of the umbelliferous family that grows in Iran and Afghanistan. The gum is harvested by cutting the roots of the plant. It is then distilled to obtain an essence or treated with a solvent to obtain the resinoid.
Olfactory description
A dark green, earthy, crunchy, intense undergrowth note, reminiscent of pea, potato, nasturtium flower, damp and peppery. It is a very difficult note to work with, it marks the top note very quickly and can be raspy.
Some perfumes with a green galbanum tone
- Miss Dior by Dior
- Virgilio by Diptyque
- Must by Cartier (1981)
- №19 by Chanel (1971)
- Silence by Jacomo (1978)
- Chamade by Guerlain (1969)
- Alliage by Estée Lauder (1972)
- Vol de Nuit by Guerlain (1933)
- Eau de Lierre by Diptyque (2006)
- Eau de Campagne by Sisley (1974)
- Splash grass by Marc Jacobs (2006)
- Private Collection by Estée Lauder (1973)
- Premier Figuier by L'Artisan Parfumeur (1994)
- French Lover and En Passant by Frédéric Malle
Some other green perfumes associated with an oriental note:
- Obsession by Calvin Klein (1985)
- Dune by Dior (1991)
- Dior Addict by Dior (2002)
- Pleasures by Estee Lauder (1995)
- Envy by Gucci
- DKNY by Donna Karan (1999)
- Les Belles by Ricci (1996)
- Angélique Noire by Guerlain (2005)
Angelica is not classified as a green note, but I find that it gives a very pleasant and sweet green crunch to the fragrance.
More floral perfumes with green notes:
- Champs Elysées by Guerlain
- Flora Nymphéa in the range and Herba Fresca Aqua Allegoria by Guerlain (very minty)
- Anaïs by Cacharel (1979)
- Daisy by Marc Jacobs
Narcissus, daffodil and mimosa naturally have quite pronounced green notes.
Perfumes with green notes in the freshness register:
- Chrome Legend by Azzaro
- Boss pure by Hugo Boss
- Guerlain homme by Guerlain
Other natural green notes
- Blackcurrant buds
Blackcurrant is mainly produced in France, in the Burgundy region. The young buds are harvested at the beginning of the year and the absolute is obtained by extraction with volatile solvents. Its smell is both green and fruity, it can smell like boxwood. Badly worn blackcurrant buds can interfere with the skin and sometimes give an unpleasant note. Now there are blackcurrant bud qualities that are free of this annoying smell.
The absolute is quite expensive and therefore mainly used in luxury perfumery: Guerlain's Pamplelune in the Aqua Allégoria range, Guerlain's Chamade, Van Cleef's First, etc.
- Violet leaf
The violet is native to Europe, Asia and North Africa. It is now naturalized in temperate regions. Flowers from April to October. Many species are odorless. Viola odorata is the most fragrant, its color varies from incarnate, mauve, magenta to pink.
The violet flower does not give off its secret, 100 years ago its perfume was worth 10 times the price of gold and moreover the essence obtained did not reflect the delicious smell of the flower. Fortunately, the ionones came to the perfumer's rescue to reproduce this subtle smell. On the other hand, we use the product of the violet leaf, which is harvested before flowering.
Its smell is quite particular: green, cucumber, green bean, slightly sulfurous, earthy, leathery, harsh and raspy.
Here are some perfumes with this raw material, sometimes combined with ionones: Grey Flannel by Geoffrey Been, Farenheit by Dior, Chamade pour Homme by Guerlain.
- Mastic
Mastic is the last natural green note that is not often used in perfumery.
Synthetic green notes
You may have noticed that there are few natural green notes, synthesis has brought us many notes in this green facet, here are some essential notes:
- Cis 3 hexenol, Cis 3 hexenyl acetate, Triplal. Specialities from IFF: Vivaldie, Cortex and Gabascone.
- With a fruity side: liffarome, stemone (necessary to create a fig) blackcurrant base.
- With a vegetable side: asparagus and also gardenia, sytrallyl acetate.
- Cucumber side: Nonadienal.
Some other perfumes with green tones
- Cologne du Parfumeur by Guerlain
- Un Dimanche à la Campagne by Guerlain
- Jardins en Méditerranée by Hermès
- Un Jardin Après La Mousson by Hermès
- L'ombre dans l'eau by Dytique
- Iris by Prada
- Smeraldo by Sylvaine Delacourte
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.