Things Haven’t Always Smelled So Good In Grasse

"In medieval times, the city had a thriving leather business, but the tanning process made the merchandise pungent, which did not suit the gloved nobility. A tanner from Grasse presented a pair of perfumed leather gloves to Caterina de Medici, the queen of France from 1547 to 1559, and an industry was born. "
Today Grasse has become the kingdom of perfumes, but in the Middle Ages, Grasse's specialty was leather tanning. In and around Grasse, France, a confluence of soil, sun, and temperature nourish the roses, jasmine, and other flowers that make this city a perfume capital. Things haven't always smelled so good in Grasse. Garigue is the bushy and coarse vegetation of Provence. The long, hot, dry summer months are punishing, followed by harsh winters, so the vegetation must be tough to survive. Part of its defense mechanism is to reduce the sun's intensity by producing scented molecules that form an invisible cloud on the plant, helping to deflect some of the harmful UV rays. In short, it is an aromatic sunscreen. These same molecules are why the warm air carries its scent of garigue and permeates the soil on which the vines grow, lending their unique aroma to the flavor of the wines themselves. As for the most cultivated fragrant crops, the Provencal climate has always been perfect for growing roses, jasmine, tuberose, and other floral and aromatic delights.
Here in Grasse, they created the legendary perfume Chanel No. 5. "Aldehydes triggered a revolution in perfumery. Think of them as something like 'rocket fuel,' boosting the 'whoosh' of a fragrance when you first smell it: they're like the fizz of champagne, having the power to make a perfume truly sparkle and effervesce. We may find aldehydes in natural materials—rose, citronella, cinnamon bark, and orange rind, for instance—but are also a family of synthetic chemicals, formed by the partial oxidation of primary alcohols."

Jeanne en Provence is a Groupe Arthes, a Grasse-based family company founded in 1978 in Grasse, to offer affordable—yet high-quality—French perfumes. Thus, in 2012, he created Jeanne en Provence to give consumers a journey of the senses across this fragrant region, throughout traditional perfume products at very reasonable prices. Jeanne en Provence takes its inspiration from the natural beauty of Provence, the fragrant hillsides, flower fields, and orchards, creating authentic Provençal products that deliver all the well-being this region offers. The fragrances are developed by Master perfumers from Grasse and have been reformulated to achieve a minimum of 95% natural origin ingredients. Here you are my take on four of them: Néroli Intense, Lavande & Vétiver, Bois d’Olivier & Cade, and Acqua.

Néroli Intense

There are many fragrances on the market belonging to the citrus family, including neroli, orange blossom, or both, but I doubt. Aren't they the same thing? It would seem not. It rivals Tom Ford Neroli Portofino in its wording and execution. Néroli Intense is a beautiful and very well-made scent, calm, soapy, relaxing, clean, SPA type, laundry, and a prominent floral-musky aspect. It reminds me of the typical creamy Naples pie, the Pastiera Napoletana, which includes orange blossom water, and smells like this gemstone.

Read more Neroli, Orange Blossom, And All That Jazz

Lavande & Vétiver

Moderately dry with a hint of citrus and fiery at the beginning. Herbaceous notes are dark but not scary, instead of green and reasonable. A sort of camphor lavender is the first note I get, followed by a vanilla-like coumarin. I can only feel that a lot of inspiration has been taken from Caron Pour Un Homme and JPG Le Male. Although these scents differ significantly from Lavande and Vétiver, they are all built around vanilla and lavender. In any case, Lavande & Vétiver is very interesting.

Read more Pour Un Homme 2 Le Mâle

Bois d’Olivier & Cade

Juniperus oxycedrus, called vernacular Cade, juniper falls, thorny juniper, thorny cedar, or sharp cedar, is a species of wild juniper. Bois D'Olivier & Cade is a spicy, fougére, woody fragrance with fresh and herbaceous notes, which evokes the arid woods, red earth, and hot stones found in the sunny landscape of the Garriga in the south of France. There is a smokiness, woodsy, piney aroma; masculine and rustic, spotless. It reminds me of many Boss' Hugo, not a clone, but something that shares a similar vibe to Boss' DNA.

Read more Lucida: The Brightest Star In A Constellation

Acqua

If you like the marine accord, you will feel comfortable here. The openness is profoundly unsettling and androgynous. It has nothing to do with Bvlgari Aqva, a pure ocean with amber algae, or CH Chic, an aquatic melon made from calone. Don't think of a tropical beach in the Maldives with exotic mango, papaya, coconut, and guava fruits, but one on the cold Baltic Sea; think about Åland Islands. Acqua represents the rebirth of Kenzo Pour Homme; when I tested it, I got a pleasant fragrant flashback. It gave me the same friendly vibes. Indeed this gets floral with an exquisite rose which makes it playful and less stiff than Kenzo.

Read more In The Middle Of The Åland Islands

So, what are you waiting for?

-Elysium