The 82nd Annual Menton Lemon Festival in in full flow so talking about citrus in perfumery seems timely. The festival has been officially marking (we hope) the farewell to winter since the end of the 19th century. For two weeks, the Biovès Garden in the centre of town is filled with large statues and figurines, all made from citrus fruit. Our Luxe Provence Fragrance Consultant, Rebecca Amer, offers us this round up inspired by the season.

Citrus is always an important and a key ingredient in masculines, colognes and chypres. That the rise of perfume in Europe from the 17th century dovetails with the discovery and use of citrus oils, is no coincidence.

Here are my top five lemon-centric fragrances:

1. Dior’s Eau de Sauvage. Indisputably classy and crisp with a mossy base. This masterpiece can be worn by a man or a woman but preferably with a white shirt on a hot day.

2. L’Artisan Parfumeur Thé Pour Un Eté, an icy glass of jasmin tea with ice and a slice…. very very light, more of a cologne than an Eau de toilette. Refreshing and pretty.

3. Annick Goutal Eau d’Hadrien, a citrus that takes you to the Mediterranean (wherever you may really be). Sparkling, dry and gives an icy cool effect. The soap is amazing too, if you indulge in luxury soaps, this one is worth it.

4. Atelier Cologne Cédrat Enivrant. I am cheating slightly as cédrat is a variant of lemon; it’s a bitter lemon. This niche line specializes in cologne so you’d expect excellence and it does not disappoint. Crushed lemons and a dash of lime, a few basil leaves and a hint of mint. This would be my top pick for a morning after the night before. Too much rosé last night? A jolt of Cédrat Enivrant and all in the world is well again. Very suave and may appeal to men more than women, I would wear it happily though.

5. Chanel Cristalle… I can’t leave this one off my list. She is a cool customer and a classically elegant, floral citrus that can be worn all year round. The Eau de Parfum is rounder and softer, fruity even, the sparkling and vibrant Eau de Toilette is my favourite of the two. Try them both! Somebody in the blogosphere described Cristalle as “an uptown girl” and I would say that’s quite right.

Rebecca Amer of Irridessence
Fragrance Consultant & Personalized Perfume Tours in Aix-en-Provence
rebecca@irridessence.com

www.facebook.com/irridessence
+33 (0)672 680 051

We are so thrilled to have our very own, fabulous and passionate, Perfume Consultant here at Luxe Provence to share her expertise and tips with our readers and clients. Rebecca Amer, of Irridessence, hit the road with the Luxe Provence team last week to assist us in performing some seriously fun research here in Provence.  From Rebecca:

Inspired by our recent Luxe outing along the Mimosa Route I would like to speak a little about the actual scent of the mimosa flower and give a couple of recommendations for fragrances I admire that carry this note.

These vivid yellow mini pompoms of blossom have a distinctive olfactory footprint. To me they conjure up sweetness, powder, almonds and a hint of honey. A joyous, delectable smell that matches the look of them.

In perfumery the greenery is used along with the blossoms which gives a “green” facet and this balances the sweetness. Mimosa extraction is incredibly expensive and the absolute adds a luxurious touch to a composition.

If you have a sweet tooth, try Cinema (1) by Yves Saint Laurent. It is a sophisticated and elegant gourmand perfume which has the mimosa note. I love it and it’s been on my “to buy” list for a long while. The bottle is pretty too.

For an easy to wear, more casually elegant scent try l’Eau d’Hiver (2) by Frederic Malle. It’s light and pretty and was created by Jean Claude Ellena. Need I say more? I’m a fan.

Both of these perfumes are quite abstract, for something more literal you must try Mimosaique (3) by Patricia de Nicolaï. Stunningly pretty and realistic mimosa for those wanting a scent souvenir.

In closing here is advice for keeping cut mimosa that I found on Bois de Jasmin, one of my favourite perfume blogs:

Florist’s Tip: when you bring cut mimosa home, trim the ends and put the branches into boiling water. It’s best to do it in a heat-resistant container, and once the water cools, you can transfer the bouquet to a glass vase. My florist recommends repeating this hot water treatment every day while the mimosa is fresh; it forces the flowers to open up and release a strong burst of perfume. It really works!

– Rebecca

Rebecca of Irridessence offers personalized perfume tours in Aix en Provence for groups of 3-6 people.
Learn more about Rebecca or contact her at: https://www.facebook.com/irridessence
Phone: +33 (0)672 680 051