Which flower fragrances are most liked/preferred by Perfumists?
Flowers might be the most beautiful treat for our senses. The most contrasting of colors, their distinct textures, and the quality that makes them the one thing that everybody wants in their homes - their exquisite fragrance!
There are almost 400 thousand species of flowers, many of which are endangered and are on the brink of extinction but there are still many others that are yet to be discovered. Many of the species are poisonous, some are not even the flowering types, some of them do not have an appealing scent, but some of the varieties are such that they are used extensively in perfume production and are loved by perfumers all around the world.
So, let’s have a look at the notes that we have all come to love.
TUBEROSE
Considered as one of the most powerful floral scents in perfumery, tuberose is a night-bloomer and it adds expensiveness and flavor to the overall floral scent. It is also deemed a sacred flower in India and is widely used in making wedding garlands. It is a bulbous perennial plant that is cultivated in tropical spring and summer and was originally native to only Mexico.
The fragrance is reminiscent of Gardenia but is more carnal and voluptuous with hints of earthiness. Distilled since the 17th Century to be used in perfumery it remains one of the most popular floral notes in perfumes, may it be in a stand-alone tuberose fragrance or even when it is being mixed with other floral scents. The only thing is that it is to be used in moderation as the essence is a little overpowering.
JASMINE
Known as the ‘King of Flowers’, its immersive fragrance is best described as heady, spicy, fruity, and slightly sweet. It is also one of the most expensive raw materials to extract as it takes around 750 kgs of flowers to obtain just 1kg of solvent absolute and this is the reason why it is nowadays recreated synthetically.
The Jasmine fragrance acts as a relaxing agent making it a popular option in aromatherapy as it helps fight the symptoms of anxiety and depression. With almost 200 varieties of the plant, Jasmine is widely used in perfumes particularly the Jasmine Glandiforum and Sambac Jasmine variants. It is mostly found in tropical regions of the world, like India and its blooming season is Spring and Summer and it only blooms at night. Not only used in perfumes and aromatherapy, but Jasmine extract is also a core element in cosmetics and tea.
ROSES
Being synonymous with romance and loved by all, roses are considered as the ‘Queen of Flowers’ and with over 300 species of the plant that comes in various shapes, sizes and colors have acquired cultural significance in many societies making Rose oil an absolute cornerstone of perfumery. 75% of all female fragrances and at least 10% of all male fragrances feature roses making it a worldwide favorite as it helps you relax and makes you feel rejuvenated.
Rosa damascene and rosa centifolia are the top two species that are preferred in making the rose extract (70% of the total of which comes from Bulgaria) and are carefully harvested at night as the fragrance becomes stronger after sunset.
LAVENDER
Lavandin Lavender is one of the most fragrant and famous varieties out of 47 species of the plant and it is not only used in making perfumes but also used as an ornamental plant, a culinary herb, and also has its medicinal uses. It has a very unique fragrance which makes it a popular choice of perfumers to add it as a top or a middle note.
YLANG-YLANG
It is a wonderful flower that has a heady, spicy, and sweet fruity fragrance which not only makes it the perfect choice for use in aromatherapy as it relieves high blood pressure, fights skin problems, and is also considered as an aphrodisiac but also is widely used in perfumery as it is recognized as the ‘flower of flowers and has an exotic and a mild balsamic scent.
As it is very difficult to recreate the true nature of the ylang-ylang flower synthetically (even with the best extracts and molecules), it is preferred to extract the essential oil the old-fashioned way because only 400kg of flowers give 1kg of pure absolute extract which makes it an affordable choice.
DAFFODILS (NARCISSUS)
The derivation of both the names has a Greek origin and it is probably the only wildflower that is used in commercial fragrances. The species is native to Southern Europe and North Africa and it is the National flower of Wales.
The fragrance of the flower is intoxicating and it stays true to its Greek word ‘narcotic’ as it has heady, spicy, honey, and hay-like notes making it notably sweeter than other flower fragrances. However, the raw material comes with a hefty price tag as it takes around 500kgs of flowers to obtain just 1kg of absolute extract but because of the very powerful scent, only a little touch of it is required to not overwhelm and shadow other scents.
FRANGIPANI (PLUMERIA)
Native to tropical regions of South-East Asia, the Caribbean, and Brazil and the National flower of Laos, plumeria is also a night-bloomer so that it can con pollinators into pollinating them as the flower does not produce any nectar and still, it has the strongest smell among all floral fragrances.
The scent of this flower is at its height during the night and comes in many different colors and varieties making it a top choice in making essential oils for perfumes and aromatherapy. The fragrance can be best described as having an exotic, tropical, heady, sweet scent with hints of lemon and apricot.
There are many other flower scents like - Lilac, Freesia, Gardenia, Magnolia, Geranium Rosat, Sweet Pea, Peony, Iris, Violet, and many more that perfumes adore and are the first choice of many people when picking out a fragrance for themselves. Although, not just one scent is used and a more complex combination of fragrances goes into a perfume keeping the intricate details in mind to evoke beautiful memories for the wearer and anybody who smells it.
