Spring Flowers Make Creativity Bloom
Françoise Rapp is a teacher at the French Natural Perfumery Teacher’s Academy and she helps those who want to become successful perfumers to learn how to compose niche natural perfumes and how to master noble ingredients
Spring flowers are messengers of renewal, and you can see their beautiful shimmering colors of yellow, purple, or white brighten up gardens, meadows, and the edge of the woods. Moreover, these pretty spring flowers have rich, fresh, and delicate fragrances. From the green floral scent of narcissus to the sweet one of daffodils and the dizzying greener one of Hyacinth,
Nature deploys its olfactory treasures from Spring onwards. This season is synonymous with a floral olfactory explosion that delights the senses during walks and in the gardens: lily of the valley, violet, orange blossom, honeysuckle, magnolia, gardenia, and tuberose, to name the better known. In this article, you will discover three flowers' natural fragrance, aromachology virtues, story, and more.
The Messenger: The Daffodil heralds spring
From March, the meadows are dotted with magnificent yellow flowers: daffodils. Narcissus (Narcissus spp.) or daffodils are perennial plants forming large bulbs native to Europe and North Africa, where they grow in meadows, woods, and riverbanks. This pretty flower with such a shimmering color is a harbinger that Spring is here.
The daffodil is not only popular with gardeners; it is also one of the perfumers and incredibly natural perfumers so much its absolute delivers a soft, sweet, particularly floral smell. Moreover, its tenacity is quite powerful, which makes it a raw material of choice for an exclusive and exceptional perfume with an original olfactory identity.
Used in perfumery, daffodil absolute brings a soft and vaporous heart note to perfumes. Its extract is also an excellent fixer; it helps to deepen the base scents. Finally, a volatile solvent extracts its essence as an absolute.
In aromachology, the daffodil perfume promotes self-esteem; it allows you to refocus and affirm your identity with the freedom to be yourself and follow your path. Besides, when this yellow flower appears, isn't it the first of the spring flowers that turns out to be bright yellow?
A flower with character : Narcissus
The narcissus appears almost at the same time as the daffodil. It comes from Central Europe, North Africa, and Asia. France (in Auvergne), Morocco, and Egypt are the major producing countries. Known since Antiquity for its medicinal virtues, this is why this flower has its name attached to mythology. It is a plant that illuminates the fields in Provence, from the Haut Var to the Verdon. It is very popular with perfumers; some varieties were even grown in the Grasse region. From now on, its picking is done on the plateaus of Aubrac and Auvergne.
The perfume of the narcissus is extracted by enfleurage or by CO2 extraction. There is indeed an olfactory difference between these two types of extractions. The absolute is a viscous product with a heady, tobacco, green jasmine scent. Narcissus Absolute is mainly used in luxury perfumes to bring volume to floral and oriental accords. You can combine it with jasmine, tuberose, and solar accords with frangipani or ylang ylang Extra. CO2 extract is a premium and rare raw material. Its olfactory portrait is a green floral with a richer and more complex facet. It is closer to the complexity of the perfume of the fresh flower because many olfactory characteristics are present: from spring green to honeyed and peppery opulence, between a creamy and tobacco facet.
In aromachology, breathing its perfume allows you to find hope, see the light at the end of the tunnel, and let joy shine.
All or Nothing : Hyacinth, the uncompromising flower
Another early spring flower that beautifully perfumes the undergrowth is the Hyacinth. It is a bulbous plant of the Liliaceae family. Native to Western and Middle Eastern Asia: Turkey, Baghdad, and Aleppo region, it grows from sea level up to 2,000 m altitude. It is found close to France in the southwest and southeast regions.
In Greek mythology, Apollo, God of the sun, and Zephyr, God of the west wind, compete for the affection of a young boy. At one point, Apollo teaches Hyakinthos how to throw the disc, and Zephyr becomes so angry that he blows in Apollo's direction, thus sending the disc violently back toward Hyakinthos, which hits him and kills him. Heartbroken, Apollo notices a flower sprouting from the spilled blood and names it Hyacinth in honor of the boy.
Its starry flowers are gathered in a dense and very fragrant cluster; their scent differs according to the color of the flower. Perfumers highly prize Hyacinth. The extraction is done by enfleurage, and this absolute remains a rare and precious product (which is worth it!). A flower composed of multiple flowers and in various colors is almost unclassifiable. Its absolute is rare and unique. That's why you will need help finding this
holy grail.
In aromachology, its fragrance harmonizes body and soul. It promotes creativity and self-expression with courage and determination.
Other flowers reveal their beautiful scents to us in nature, in the garden, to better delight our compositions, but these three are genuinely exceptional flowers that offer extraordinary richness and olfactory complexity.
