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Fragrance

Charismatic Florals Exist (and should be a fragrance subgenre)

Ten creative compositions that will convince you to make a floral pick.

Text  Başak Ulubilgen

March 31, 2022

In the fragrance world, there used to be a stigma around florals: Once you get yourself a bottle with floral notes, it’s going to smell heavy and old-school. Well, not anymore. And for that, we have ingénue perfumers and experimental yet mainstream brands like Le Labo, Byredo, and that have started to come up with creative pairings to thank for, for shining a refreshing light on the floral category. With this perennial olfactory renaissance, we now have many characteristic, charismatic, and light compositions to choose from. You, too, can switch to the floral side with one of these genderless perfumes below.

Le Labo Jasmin 17

Even though Le Labo chooses jasmine as the leading role for this perfume, it’s the neroli combined with musk, sandalwood, and vanilla making it a modernized alternative. This one could be a great choice for jasmine fans who also are looking for a fresh and zesty touch.

Byredo Flowerhead

For Flowerhead, Byredo takes inspiration from Indian weddings where the bride and groom exchange flower heads that are hung from giant leis. This gesture is to show they have mutual respect for one another. In this interpretation, Byredo sandwiches dewy tuberose, rose petals, wild jasmine between angelica seeds, lingonberry, Sicilian lemon, and fresh amber with a touch of suede to recreate this romantic moment between two lovers.

Régime des Fleurs Batsheva

Régime des Fleurs’ collaboration with lawyer-turned-designer Batsheva Hay, appropriately titled Batsheva, combines smoked water lilies, violet leaf, Somalian frankincense, geranium, and cade with Haitian vetiver, patchouli oil, burnt cedar, and lapsang souchong tea. There are only 250 bottles made of this perfume and it embodies a signature floral print from Batsheva herself around its bottle.

Buly 1803 Eau Triple Damask Rose

This water-based, alcohol and ethanol-free perfume’s star ingredient is rose, accompanied by traces of ginger, cedar and vetiver notes. Eau Triple Damask Rose makes one feel like they’re walking amongst an actual rose garden. No fuss, only a simple sillage of rose.

Diptyque Do Son EDT

Do Son pays tribute to co-founder Yves Coueslant’s childhood summers spent in Do Son in Ha Long Bay. The tuberose, orange blossom, and jasmine blend are spiced with a touch of pink pepper, musk, and benzoin, which creates an olfactory feeling that is similar to a light sea breeze in the heat of summer.

Heretic Parfum Florgasm

Heretic Parfum brings together freshly cut stems, rumpled leaves, crushed flower petals, and milky white sap in this non-toxic and natural Eau de parfum. This floral arrangement asks the question, “What if a flower had an orgasm?” Starting with pink pepper, bergamot, and orange blossom, it carries on to tuberose milk, orange blossom, and jasmine laced with ylang-ylang in its heart notes. Florgasm then makes its grand finale with ambrette seed and musk, with a hint of hibiscus seed coming from its heart.

Ellis Brooklyn Fable

Ellis Brooklyn takes us on a journey through the forests of Arcadia, where the Androcles and the lion first meet. Taking inspiration from this introduction from George Bernard Shaw's iconic play, dewy violet, petitgrain, and honeysuckle are added into the initial note, orange blossom. Then comes a touch of amber and cedarwood. Gentle is the word, just how Androcles removes the thorn from the lion’s paw.

Maison Margiela Replica Bubble Bath

Quite possibly one of the better things that came out of 2020 is this floral composition by Maison Margiela REPLICA. Bubble Bath’s top note consists of aromatic soap bubble accord that is emphasized by rose super essence, jasmine, and lavender. With the addition of white musk, the clean and fresh scent ends with coconut milk accord that creates a relaxing bath time ambiance wherever you go.

Hermès Un Jardin Sur La Lagune

Un Jardin Sur La Lagune, is the result of a dream where a secret flower garden covered in magnolias, pittosporum (which is Japanese cheesewood) and Madonna lillies hide behind a stone wall in the middle of Venice. Sea notes are added by perfumer Christine Nagel to keep the mystery going.

Frederic Malle En Passant

Even though En Passant was released in 2000, it is still one of the trailblazing floral fragrances of our time to this day. Starting off with lilac, the addition of cucumber absolute as a top note is the wow factor in this revolutionary millennium composition. White musk, cedar and wait for it, wheat, comes next. For those who like surprises.

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