I was 16 when I started work at the Mane perfume factory in Grasse to earn pocket money. I worked as a warehouseman on Thursdays so I could go out and have fun on the weekend! After Mane, I went to work at Chiris and then at Charabot, which were also perfume distillation companies. At the time Grasse was a town awash with fragrances. In certain seasons, the streets were bathed in the scents of lavender or rose. I can still remember the smell of fresh jasmine in the early morning as I was on my way home from the nightclub where I had spent the evening. It was fantastic.
— François Demachy, Senior Vice President for Olfactive Development at Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy, talks to ShinyGloss about the early days.
That is beautifully evocative…
Isn't it? Love that quote.
What a pleasant memory experience. I like jasmine, Grasse Jasmine is among the most wonderful I've ever smelled.
A customer of mine once brought a bottle in after she had returned from France. She needed help transferring the juice from her bottle (a very large bottle, I might add…) to a smaller purse atomizer. The smell was heaven!!
I'm glad you mentioned this, because I've been wanting to ask for a long time about tips on finding a true jasmine scent. When I lived in China, one of the party leaders at my university used to wear a perfume that was an EXACT copy of jasmine blossoms, not the sickly sweet, slightly fecal smell of jasmine oil, but exactly like the way the live flower smells. It took me months to realize that it was a perfume – I thought the scent was wafting from the hot green tea that was served at every banquet. When I finally figured out that the fragrance was coming from one particular individual, I begged her to tell me where she got the perfume, but all she would tell me was that it was from Paris.
I don't even know where to begin looking for a scent like that – do I just need to fly to France and sniff my way around the country?
I really believe that the 2007 Jasmine Organza from Givenchy captures jasmine with heartachingly beautiful perfection. It may be available through swappers or perhaps eBay, as it was an LE and, of course, only used Grasse jasmine from that “vintage” so can't be reproduced. Hopefully there will be a 2008 release. Good luck.
I can give you a sample; please email me at rrazzell@telus.net if you are interested.
Chardondelait, start by telling me some jasmine perfumes you've tried that didn't work for you? That might help me narrow down what you might like.
That's an excellent question – truth be told, I don't think I've ever smelled a jasmine soliflore (if that's the right term) other than pure jasmine oil, which makes me gag. I've only smelled it as a part of a larger floral bouquet. So I suppose I won't really be able to narrow it down at all.
Hi, Robin,
I adored the 2008 Mimosa Organza, but really, none of the Givenchy scents smell like actual jasmine to me – more like jasmine oil. You know how so much of a floral scent disappears in the pressing? That's what all jasmine perfumes are to me – super sweet, but with none of the nose-tingling depth that real jasmine blossoms provide.
I think a green jasmine is what I'm looking for, if that helps at all. The indoles bug me. I mean, a bit is necessary, but too much and I feel nauseated.
This is wonderful…oh, to go home from a night out and smell jasmine breezes. Why can't modern day life be filled with more sensuality? Tasting, touch, scent—society shouldn't remove us from our humanity. It's no wonder every design house,candle company and celebrity is punching out new scents like mayflies laying eggs; people are longing to reconnect with their memories and surroundings. This was lovely to read.
Agree w/ all of that — it sounds like a lost world, doesn't it?
You might want to try Chantecaille Le Jasmin, Miller Harris Jasmin Vert, Les Bain du Marais Jasmin, Annick Goutal Le Jasmin, L'Occitane Notre Flore Jasmin. If you manage to find any of those, let me know what you thought and we'll see if we can't narrow down what you want.
I'm filled with both hope & longing — I live in Connecticut & it's really too far North for jasmine… but I planted a vine this spring just outside my dining room window. Could it be that it might survive the winter?! This post & this quote has my heart in my throat.
I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!
thanks so much!
Thanks so much for the suggestions. Will start a search right away.