The one fragrance that has always mesmerised generations is jasmine. Let’s delve into this fragrance’s aromatic journey over the years! 
Have you ever had the feeling of walking through a department store, catching a whiff of a fragrance and being immediately transported back to a specific time or place? Maybe a romantic encounter in college, or a summer vacation or when you were falling in love? Such scents, that you just love to smell over and over again, is what we call a signature scent.
With an overload of fragrances used in perfumery, and with each fighting for the top spot in our list, we give you a lowdown on each scent. We commence with the fragrance we simply adore – Jasmine!
A little time travel
Derived from the Persian word ‘yasmin’ meaning a fragrant flower, jasmines are one of the widely cultivated flowers owing to their characteristic sweet narcotic fragrance. These evergreen flowers are intensely refreshing with star-like petals, typically white and yellow in colour.
Although indigenous to the tropical regions of Asia and Africa, a number of jasmine species have also become naturalized in Mediterranean Europe. Loved in China as the main ingredient in making jasmine tea; in Hawaii to make beautiful fragrant leis; in India and Middle East to make thick garlands used as hair adornments; in Cambodia as an offering to the Buddha; in Philippines, Indonesia and Pakistan to make it the national flower – jasmine sure has a long and admirable history to its credit. In native India, jasmine is also referred to as the ‘Queen of
the Night’ because its scent is most
potent at night.
Confess your love for joy…
Primarily enjoyed in gardens to decorate and adorn a home, the fragrance has now become an important element in leading perfumes today. Jasmine absolutes – the concentrated and aromatic oily mixtures extracted from the plant – have been used repeatedly over years. Be it perfumery or tea-making, jasmines are loved by one and all!
The topic of love would be incomplete without the mention of the ever-popular vintage perfume sure to mesmerize your senses – Joy by Jean Patou. 
The top notes are Bulgarian rose oil, ylang ylang and tuberose. The middle notes are rose and jasmine while the base notes are sandalwood, musk and civet. So while the initial result will be lush and mature, it will soon develop into a more complex and surprisingly spicy fragrance.
As we said, not mentioning Joy would do no justice – to the little less than ten thousand jasmine flowers and twenty-eight dozens roses blended deliciously toward making 30ml of the most splendid perfume ever!
…And yet more exotica
While you try out the scent of luxury and wild possibilities, there are various other options to explore in the floral family of perfumes. Serge Lutens A La Nuit, with notes of Indian and Egyptian jasmines, honey clove, benzoin and musk, is an elegant and refined composition with a sensual edge. With jasmine in the center of the composition, A La Nuit is ‘the’ signature scent for those who adore jasmine. 
On the other hand, Lust by Lush explodes with ferocity. This isn’t the regular soft, white jasmine. It’s the ‘unashamedly carnal jasmine’, as the tagline goes. With jasmine’s indolic character in full bloom, Lush’s powerful composition is accented by additional notes of ylang-ylang, sandalwood, rose and vanilla giving it a woody base.
For a more classic taste, try Chanel No.5. Popularized by Marilyn Monroe, the perfume’s top notes include aldehydes, lemon and ylang-ylang. With middle notes of jasmine, rose, lily and base notes of sandalwood, amber, vanilla and patchouli, Chanel No. 5 is the now and forever of fragrances.
An equally captivating alternative would be Bvlgari’s Jasmin Noir. With refreshing aromas of green plant juice with gardenia flowers, the base introduces dark notes of precious wood and accords of tonka. Wrapped in a mysterious and attractive black bottle, each drop of Jasmin Noir oozes a sweet and sophisticated fragrance.
Ultimate in feminity
If jasmine bombs are your taste, then try Jasmine White Moss by Estee Lauder or Blush by Marc Jacobs. If you are looking for a more airy jasmine, then Molinard de Molinard or Coco Mademoiselle by Chanel definitely suit your choice.
A thing to note is that jasmine usually appears as a middle note in the perfume surrounded by other scents. Its oriental and exotic fragrance bridges the distance between the somber base notes and the sharper top notes. Ultimately, choose the right jasmine perfume for yourself based on the blend of the notes and the perfume’s percent composition.
So ladies, put on your best outfit. Bring on the smashing accessories along with the gorgeous make-up. And don’t forget to complete it all with the right fragrance. Because C. Joybell C. rightly quoted “You are never fully dressed without perfume!”
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