Fragrance notes Jasmine

If the rose is the queen of flowers, then jasmine is the king. Aromatherapists consider jasmine oil to be one of the most precious and undoubtedly the most costly essential oils in the world, and it is used in almost all high-end perfumes. It was simply dubbed “Flower” in the middle of the sixteenth century because of its sensual, rich, warm, narcotic, and animalistic scent.

jasmine

Jasmine is a member of the Oleaceae family and hails from the Himalayas. Buddhist monks utilize this fragrant flower to decorate temples, as well as to prepare scented tea and fragrant beverages. It is quite common in India, China, and the Middle East, from where it has spread to France, Italy, and the United Kingdom. The jasmine from Grasse, on the other hand, is the most coveted. The peculiar microclimate gives Grasse jasmine a unique scent that distinguishes it from other jasmine flowers. Because its cultivation is both costly and difficult, a less refined variant known as sambac jasmine is now used in perfumery.

The history of jasmine

The scent of jasmine has perhaps received more superlatives in world literature than any other scent. Its exotic and seductive quality has a long and illustrious history in countless ancient cultures, dating back to the Chinese Sung dynasty (960-1279 AD), when it was regarded as a symbol of female tenderness, and in India, it was regarded as a symbol of heavenly hope. Jasmine is treasured as a fragrance of love in Hindu and Muslim traditions.

The name jasmine is of Persian origin and means fragrant flower. According to Xenophon, the Persians planted it in their gardens of unsurpassed beauty. Hedges made of roses, jasmine, and lilac, imbued with violets, were made only for the gods and their representatives on earth. In Eastern culture, female children are often given the name Jasmine, which means: a gift from God.

The flower of love

According to Indian mythology, the god of love Kama would stab jasmine flower petals on the tips of his arrows in order to enrich the piercing hearts and permeate them with this fragrance of love. In China, jasmine was poured around for the New Year, added to tea to improve the taste, and put in girls’ hair.

kama

Cleopatra, the great Egyptian queen, bathed the sails of her ships in jasmine oil so that the wind would smell wonderful and attract the military leader Mark Antony even before they sailed into the port of Rome. Jasmine will arrive in Europe via the Egyptian oasis of Fayoum, where it was passed down by the Maori.

This plant, by the way, may grow up to 2 meters tall, with dense leaves, and white star-shaped flowers. It blooms from June through October, and in milder climates, it can even blossom in November.

Why is jasmine so expensive?

Flowers are only gathered twice a year, between the hours of 4:15 a.m. and 7:30 a.m.  It is believed that the oil’s potency and fragrant qualities are at their peak during this time. The amount gathered represents the full annual harvest from which precious oil – absolute – was extracted using a unique enfleurage technique. A kilogram of precious absolute requires approximately five million blooms or 1,200 kg.

The glass frames are greased and sprinkled with flowers, which are replaced until the base is saturated with the scent. The fat is then removed using a special solvent, leaving only pure essential oil, which costs around 60,000 dollars per liter. Because of its high price, jasmine has become a status symbol, a mark of luxury and mild decadence.

Where can you smell it?

If you want to feel the magnificence of jasmine, try the anthological Chanel 5. There are exactly 10,600 flowers in one milliliter of this perfume. The fact that this oil smells different on every skin, encouraged Coco Chanel to choose jasmine as the main note of her perfume and utter the famous sentence that every woman should smell, not of flowers, but of herself.

jasmine enfleurage

Perfumes without a note of jasmine in their composition are quite rare in the perfume industry. However, not all jasmines are created equal, and there is fierce competition among perfume manufacturers over the quality of this flower. Jasmin absolute pays off even in the smallest quantities because, despite the peppery price, it gives incredible fullness and quality to the perfume.

Although there are over 200 species, two members of the beautiful jasmine family are desired the most.

The most desirable jasmine of all

The first is Jasminum grandiflorum, translated as “jasmine with large flowers”, which is grown on the plantations of the famous Grasse in France. As the plantations are controlled by Chanel, this flower is sometimes called simply “Grasse jasmine”. By the way, the Grasse region is one of the few geographical areas where jasmine can be grown outdoors, so it is not surprising that this flower has been present there since the 17th century. Once upon a time, tanners in Grasse used fragrant jasmin oils when making gloves intended for the nobility, over time, this technique brought the Grasse region to the rank of the world capital of perfume.

jasmine

Another valuable member of the family is Sambak jasmine, also known as Tuscan or Arabic jasmin. In India, Jasmin Sambac is considered the flower of love, and its sweet, intoxicating scent is said to turn off the brain and open the heart.

Is jasmine an aphrodisiac?

The extraordinary effects of jasmin on the brain are attributed to a molecule called Indole, which is found in huge amounts in animal notes. It sends messages to the area of the brain that regulates emotions, erasing dark moods and releasing subconscious desires. That is why it was first known as the oil of optimism, joy, and ecstasy.

The best jasmin perfumes are:

  • Serge Lutens A la Nuit
  • Jean Patou Joy
  • Chanel no 5
  • Donna Karan Essence Jasmin
  • Kilian Love and Tears
  • Ormonde Jayne Sampaquita
  • Tom Ford Jasmin Rouge
  • Lush Rush
  • Yves Rocher Tendre Jasmin
  • Mugler Alien
  • Etat Libre d’Orange Jasmin et Cigarette
  • Guerlain Mahora
  • Goutal Songes
  • The Different Company Jasmin de Nuit
  • Chanel no 19
  • Bulgari Jasmin Noir
  • Keiko Mecheri Jasmin
  • Santa Maria Novella Gelsomino
  • Montale Jasmin Full
  • Floris Night Scented Jasmin
  • Jo Malone Jasmin Sambac and Marigold
  • Memo Granada
  • L’Artisan Le Chasse Aux Papillons
  • Guerlain Samsara
  • Guerlain Jasminora
  • April Aromatics Jasmina