For Those In Love With Spring: The Best Fragrances With Mimosa And Daffodil

In an interview, perfumer Olivier Cresp said one important thing: “The world is changeable. We are adjusting. Good or bad, a matter of time. The comfort zone is such a thing that cannot surround you forever, creating ideal conditions for existence. " Now, in our situation with you, this sounds like a prophecy, and a year ago we just talked with him about perfume nostalgia.

The perfumer reflected: “30 years ago and now are two different worlds. Do I miss the times when the fragrances of one brand could be counted on one hand? Yes. Does it piss me off that one perfume now has a million seasonal versions ranging from "fresh" to "intense"? Not. Of course, we, the old-school perfumers, did not come to this right away - withdrawal and all that. But now it's even funny. Works in bulk. Requests change, new ingredients appear, young competitors with a revolution in their bosom are growing up - you have to be on the lookout."

Then he gives an illustrative example: “At a time when only perfumes were produced, the rare appearance of which became a whole event, every second copy necessarily included mimosa or narcissus. Miss Dior by Christian Dior, Amarige by Givenchy, later Chanel No. 19 by Chanel, Climat and Poeme by Lancome, Samsar by Guerlain, Palom Picasso, First by Van Cleef & Arpels, Cinem by YSL, Fleurs d'Hiver by Kenzo … I call these fragrances arrogant. They were worn on special occasions. The women who used them drop by drop did not want to eat them, because they, God forbid, are "sweet"; such women wanted to throw themselves at their feet and whatever she asked. No flirting and omissions - purposefully turn your head and put it on your shoulder blades. Today, mimosa and daffodil are outsiders - such, you know, notes are not for weaklings. For a perfume with them to appear on sale, two conditions are necessary: "god-level independence" among customers and "risk in the name of reputation" among perfume brands."

€ It is believed that the daffodil got its name from a character from the myths of Ancient Greece. There are several legends with their own moments of "who, whom and how", but we insist on the one where the impossibly handsome protagonist fools every nymph's heads and, in the end, falls in love with himself. Incapable of feelings, the saddened young man dies and leaves a certain flower in his memory. Linguists believe that the name "narcissus" means "to be in a daze" and comes from similar words that were once used by the ancient Greeks and Romans. This is probably why the effects of meeting a guy then and meeting a flower are so similar now.

Narcissus, although a flower, but the flower smell in the usual sense is not about him. Yes, the aroma is lush, often inherent in white or yellow flowers, but its green insides always come to the fore with hints of moist hay and tobacco. Perfumer Anne Flipo, who has a special love for the narcissist, describes her feelings: “If you forget about the images, then the flower suffers from a complete loss of gender. He is amazingly handsome - he can pretend to be macho, he can become a complete feminist. He knows how to be charming. Or vulgar."

It is no wonder that the global trend towards simplification has made this note in the general mass too difficult to perceive. For perfumery purposes, daffodil is grown in the Losere department in the south of France. He has lost forever in the ratings to the more versatile jasmine and rose - thereby securing all of us a place in the front row in the event of his next reincarnation (read also: "Grandma's Chest: 5 best" old-fashioned "fragrances for connoisseurs").

Mimosa came to France from Australia in the 19th century. The mayors fulfilled the idle desire of the inhabitants of the Cote d'Azur - to greet spring in any other way. Since then, the third generation of the Vial family has cultivated the gardens of this plant in Grasse in the Tanneron hills, supplying the best quality raw materials for the needs of perfumery.

Galimard perfumer Caroline de Butini says: “I often compare perfumes to fabrics. Mimosa for me will forever remain velvet - dense, tactile, good old-fashioned. I have been in the industry for a long time and I can say with all confidence that we have lived to the time when only an adult client chooses a scent with mimosa. On the one hand, it is a little sad, on the other hand, what is going on in my head when exposed to a smell does not get tired of admiring me. To seduce the mind of the youth, you have to try very hard - to mask the mimosa or to emphasize one of its unexpected facets.

Unlike the narcissist, mimosa does not have such a rich mythological past, but it has a touching trail of nostalgia. After all, since the days of the Soviet Union, giving mimosa twigs has become very symbolic, however, on one single day, March 8. And although all possible flowers are used by men, it is the mimosa, half-forgotten in a year, that causes inevitable delight and with nothing indescribable happiness.

If we talk about flowering, then his age is short: a riot of cheerful and sunny pompoms lasts for a month, barely spring comes into its own. The rest of the time, mimosa is a modest and unremarkable acacia with dusty branches. Mimosa flowers have a subtle sweet floral scent with shades of powder, wood, green bitterness, cucumber peel, almond milk and honey. In order not to anger nerds once again, let us clarify that in addition to mimosa, cassia is also used by perfumers. They are a little different, but still relatives. Therefore, in perfumery, they are often not bred, remembering only that in both cases the set of shading nuances will be the same, except that the cassia will act a little sharper than its friend.