The most memorable scent I have experienced while travelling is of frangipani and ylang-ylang trees in Mayotte, an island that sits somewhere between Madagascar and Mozambique...I crossed the island in a jeep at 3am so I could smell the trees, which look strange – their branches made me think of witches’ hands. The ylang-ylang flowers are so perfumed – the island women cut them from the trees by hand.
— Perfumer Mathilde Laurent tells the Telegraph about her favorite "fragrant destinations"; read more in Perfumed planet: fragrances around the world.
Ok, so now I’m wondering if ive seen/smelled these in Madagascar and didn’t realize it at the time?
*does an image search*
Don’t recognize the ylang, but definitely saw the frangipani! Never occurred to me to go around at night to sniff stuff, though!
Longwood Gardens brought in some ylang trees when they did that Perfume exhibit a couple years ago. They were amazing.
Hmmm…this is strange. She mentions, “My latest scent, La Treizieme Heure…” La Treizieme Heure was released in 2009! Perhaps an old interview re-published?
Good eye, I didn’t even notice.
I’ve smelled ylang ylang in the jungles of Belize. Going to sleep with the heavy scent in the air and tree frogs making a chorus.
Nice!
I had a friend who lived in Mayotte for a year — it’s still a Département d’Outre-Mer of France and her then-boyfriend (now ex-husband) was doing his national service there. Nice work if you can get it, eh?
I really love me some ylang-ylang. You know what’s a good scent? Demeter YY body/massage oil. I got some on sale for $9 and it couldn’t please me more!
Oh, good to know!