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Solar notes

It's hard for me to go back home after having spent a good holiday in the sun. Nostalgic for these smells, I'm sending you sunshine in this article.

A history of olfactory references
In Europe, the olfactory reference associated with sunny notes is L'Oréal's solar amber built around benzyl salicylates, while in the United States the reference is the Hawaiian Tropic suncare product, whose very opulent fragrance is built around coconut notes.

 

The secret of the sunny note: benzyl salicylates

L'Oréal used benzyl salicylate as a sunscreen in its solar amber. In the course of its research, the company eventually developed much more effective sunscreens and removed this old filter. The result was a significant drop in sales of Sun Amber. The formula was then reworked to include the famous benzyl salicylate, no longer as a sun filter but for its olfactory effect, which had become a sun reference for the consumer. In a word, it had to smell like sand and sun-warmed skin.

 

 

Solar notes

There are natural and synthetic materials that can be used to create the sunny effect in a perfume. 

  • Salicylates 

These are synthetic molecules: benzyl amyl and cis 3 hexenyl.

  • Bergamot, mandarin

Bergamot, mandarin and citrus fruits, in general, are reminiscent of the sun and freshness of Mediterranean countries, particularly Calabria.

  • Marine notes

These are synthetic notes that are also called aqueous notes. They are obtained thanks to calone or helium. There are now natural products made from algae.

 

White flowers 

  • Jasmine
  1. Jasmine grandiflora that come from Grasse, Egypt, India or Italy 
  2. Sambac jasmine from India with its orange and sunny scent

To harvest this natural raw material, the pickers have to get up very early. The most skilful pickers collect 500 to 700 kg of flowers per hour. To obtain 1 kg of concrete, 10.000 flowers are needed.

  • Tuberose 

Tuberose is exotic and narcotic flower. It is found in southern India and Egypt. There are also very small quantities in Grasse. In India, it is harvested every morning from May to December. The name of this flower means "night perfume" in Hindi. Indeed, it decorates the windows and the bridal chamber during the wedding ceremony period. For the first three days, the bride and groom do not see each other. They have to wait until the fourth day before they can get closer. Then tuberose enters the scene to calm the anxiety of the newlyweds and stimulate pleasure. Officially erotic, tuberose is the flower of love along with jasmine. Tuberose is available as a natural product, but is rarely used in this form due to its high price. Some suppliers still perform enfleurage on a confidential basis.

  • Ylang-ylang 

Ylang-ylang flower (cananga) comes from a tree and is shaped like a large, disheveled star. For the Indonesians, it is the flower of flowers, which is also the meaning of its name. It is very exotic and has an exuberant and outgoing nature. From the volcanoes in Madagascar or Mayotte, it has inherited an explosive floral side that gives a lot of color to the fragrances. It is harvested when the soft green flower has turned yellow, a sign that it has reached its olfactory maturity. Its scent is halfway between jasmine and tuberose. Ylang-ylang with its creamy, fleshy notes is reminiscent of solar monoi. It has a sensual, lascivious and intoxicating dimension at the same time as it is wild and narcotic. Thanks to the distillation process, ylang-ylang can give several fractions with their own olfactory characteristics: extra, first, second and third.

  • Frangipani flower

Frangipani flower is a sacred flower in India, whose abundant blossoming is called for by ardent prayers. Like the jasmine sambac, the whiteness of the flower symbolizes the purity of the soul. This sacred and delicate flower does not give off its fragrance. Perfumers have to use a "laboratory flower", a reconstitution (a formula with about ten components). 

  • Tiare flower and Monoï

Tiare tree is a tropical shrub on which grows the white tiare flower, the national symbol of Tahiti. It is now available as a natural product, by extraction. It is used sparingly, as its scent is ultimately rather disappointing and far from being faithful to the flower's original sweet and intoxicating smell. Monoï de Tahiti is obtained by maceration of at least 10 tiare flowers per liter of refined coconut oil, the product is then purified by filtration. The tiare flowers can also be processed in an artisanal way by a process similar to enfleurage. Copra: this is an oil extracted from the coconut. It is therefore completely natural and is one of the two ingredients needed to make monoi. The raw oil is then refined.

  • Pittosporum flower

This little-known flower from a shrub, also known as the "Australian laurel", is native to southern China, Korea and Japan. It is also found around the Mediterranean including Croatia. This shrub with dark green, shiny foliage can grow up to 4 to 5 meters. Pittosporum flowers in May-June. The flowers are white to yellow. Its scent is somewhere between orange blossom and jasmine. Once again, the perfumer has to reproduce the fragrance with an accord.

  • Gardenia

This white flower does not give off its soul, just like frangipani and pittosporum. Its creamy, delicious scent has a very slight facet of fresh mushroom, with just a hint of coconut. The perfumer will therefore make a reconstitution with natural and synthetic raw material.

  • Foul flower

Foul is a flower very close to the gardenia and is very popular in the Middle East. It must also be reconstituted in the laboratory by the perfumer.

  • Magnolia

Native to China, magnolia has an interesting and very unique scent. This flower is not widely used in perfumery because its extract does not have the same scent as the flower. It can help to create a solar effect, but it will not be the determining element. Magnolia leaf and flower are available in natural products, however with quite different scents.

 

Other solar notes

  • Mimosa 

Mimosa absolute is a natural product obtained by extraction with volatile solvents from the yellow balls of the mimosa. However, these golden flowers are often treated with mimosa leaves. This is why mimosa absolute, despite its powdery, floral and rich scent, also has a green tone due to the presence of the leaves. More and more, mimosa suppliers are trying to keep only the downy balls in order to obtain the wonderful scent: the one you smell under a mimosa in bloom.

  • Everlasting flower

Everlasting flower also evokes the sun, the beach, the sea, the scents of the Corsican maquis. Its smell is natural. It is a spicy, racy flower that is rarely used in perfumery because this flower is difficult to tame.

  • Coconut

It also evokes holidays in the tropics through memories of exotic cocktails, such as the pina colada. In perfumery, it is worked from a molecule, the aldehyde C18. Nowadays, this note exists is natural raw materials.

Exotic fruity scents such as mango, pineapple and banana can be reproduced thanks to synthesis.

 

Some examples of solar fragrances

  • Mayotte (Mahora) Guerlain (disappeared)
  • Quand vient l’été Guerlain (disappeared)
  • Ylang vanille Guerlain (disappeared)
  • Embruns d’Ylang Guerlain
  • Mimosa Tiaré Aqua Allegoria Guerlain (disappeared)
  • Coco Fizz, Aqua Allegoria Guerlain
  • Parfum Terracotta Guerlain
  • L’Instant Guerlain 
  • Cruel Gardénia Guerlain
  • Dune Dior
  • Ombre bleue Jean-Charles Brosseau
  • L’eau ensoleillante Clarins
  • Beyond Paradise Estée Lauder
  • Sable Annick Goutal 
  • Vanille Galante Hermès
  • L Lolita Lempicka
  • Moheli Dityque
  • Songes Annick Goutal
  • Bronze Goddess Estée Lauder
  • Replica (beach walk) Martin Margiela
  • Ylang Le Labo
  • Sabbia Bianca Profumun Roma
  • Soleil Blanc Tom Ford
  • Embruns d’ylang Guerlain

 

Sylvaine Delacourte solar fragrances

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.