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Flowers Made Simple

In the world of perfume, there is sometimes talk about "white florals." White florals are scents derived from flowers that are typically white: jasmine, gardenia, freesia, and so on. White florals tend to be light, ultra-feminine, and are frequently associated with brides.

Sometimes there is talk about "pink fragrances," which include flowers that could commonly be pink, such as roses and peonies. However, "pinks" are not so much specific flowers as more of a mindset. Pink scents are florals, feminine, and sometimes perceived as being girlish rather than mature.

"Soft florals" are scents that use roses, white florals, and blend them with other softer notes.

"Fruity florals" is a relatively new term to describe mixing floral scents with fruit elements that can range from fig to guava to watermelon to peach and so on. Fruity floral and soft floral can sometimes be used interchangeably. However, "fruity floral" tends to have stronger fruit notes than "soft florals."

Floral scents mix well with just about anything. You'll find floral components in most scents, even the most spicy. "Woody florals" are scents that use a lot of botanicals with florals. "Floral Orientals" tend to use vanilla, spices (including pepper), and maybe some citrus.

Citrus is used frequently in perfumes but merely adding citrus to a floral does not necessarily create a "fruity floral." When it comes to fragrance, citrus is in a class by itself and not lumped together with other fruits. Scents that use citrus and floral components are sometimes called "citrus" and sometimes called "fresh" but neither term is particulary official. You just hear them sometimes.

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Flowers and Florals

by Joanna McLaughlin

Exclusive to thePerfume-Reporter.com

During the renaissance of perfumery--that is, by the time Marie Antoinette was ready to dab some scent behind her ears--perfume makers had discovered flowers. Flowers were, strangely, not the first perfume ingredient. The ancients tended to use more incense-like substances to scent themselves. They relied on things like myrrh or sandalwood or even spices. The Egyptians and other Middle Eastern cultures would burn a fragrant substance and then stand over it, draping a cloth to hold in the smoke, and let the fragrance seep into their skin. In fact, the very word perfume means "through the smoke."

But when Marie Antoinette started playing dress-up at Versailles, perfume science had advanced to the point that fragrance could be processed out of natural substances.

Catherine de Medici lived in Florence, Italy, long before Marie Antionette was born. Patron of Nostradamus and the last heir of the Medici dynasty, Catherine was born the richest woman in the world, although not the prettiest. Her family arranged a marriage for her to Henri II of France (the guy who built he Louvre) which infused royal blood to the Medici family (technically commoners) and gave Henri II access to a lot of much-needed cash.

Catherine arrived in France for her marriage and brought with her a perfumer. The guy actually had two jobs: he was the royal perfumer but he was also the official poison-maker. Renaissance Florence was a tough neighborhood. Legend has it that the perfume abandoned his more sinister trade in favor of the pursuit of flowers. While he had certain floral elements to work with in Italy, France offered new types of flowers, trees, and herbs.

By the time Marie Antoinette came to town from her native Vienna, floral perfumes were the rage. Some scents were based on a single type of flower, others blended different flowers into bouquet-like combinations.

The biggest problem with such natural scents is that natural things can deviate widely in quality. Roses from one bush might smell differently than roses from another, even if the rose variety was exactly the same. The same lilies might smell different year over year.

It also contributed to making perfumes unspeakably expensive. Thousands of flowers might have to be picked to make a single bottle, which required the expert oversight of a master perfumer. In Catherine de Medici's day, a person who knew the art of perfumery had to find work with people of incredible wealth. Generations later, in Marie Antoinette's day, perfume was so expensive only royalty could afford it.

The flowers used back then in perfumery tended to be local ones. Roses are in widespread use in perfumes not only because they smell good, but because roses grow in most places.

Today, synthetic substances are mainly used to re-create the odor molecules of flowers. And thanks to global communications and travel, we know (and smell) flowers from around the globe: frangipanis, gardenia, hibiscus, tulips, peonies, tuberose, lily, and iris. There is no place on earth where all of these flowers would naturally grow side by side (you could possibly make it happen in a green house, today), but they're all on our shelves today.

What do these flowers smell like? The best way to sample a pure scent like that would be to obtain some essential oil, that is, a substance that concentrates the aroma of that one element. Otherwise, you can slowly learn to sort of floral notes by smelling perfumes.

You probably already know what roses smell like, but try one of the world's great rose perfumes: Very Irresistable by Givenchy. It's actually a blend of different types or roses. If you can fine-tune your nose to sort out roses, try Stella by Stella McCartney, which mixes roses with another floral favorite, peony. Bvlgari's Pour Femme is a mixture of rose and jasmine.

Honeysuckle is a Southern favorite; in fact, there are places in the south where the summer night is infused with the scent of wild honeysuckle. Find it in perfume in Beyond Paradise by Estee Lauder.

Every wonder what more obscure flowers are like? Calvin Klein's Euphoria uses black orchid and lotus along with some fruity notes. Envy by Gucci is a blend of hyacinth, magnolia, and lily. Britney Spear's Curious has magnolia notes, too. Donna Karan's Gold uses Casablanca lily. Incanto by Salvatore Ferragamo uses freesia (a tropical flower) along with fruity notes of passion fruit and peach.

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Floral Perfumes

Floral perfumes are the classics: feminine, luxurious, rich, sensual, romantic, and sweet. Here are some classic and new floral scents:

Chelsea Flowers by Bond No. 9
Euphoria by Calvin Klein
Very Iressistable by Givenchy
Stella by Stella McCartney
Pour Femme by Bvlgari
Gold by Donna Karan
Beyond Paradise by Estee Lauder
Incanto by Salvatore Ferragamo
F by Salvatore Ferragamo
Pleasures by Estee Lauder
L'Air du Temps by Nina Ricci
Midnight Flowers by Niel Morris

Interested in a floral Oriental? A great introduction to this unusual combination is Burberry Brit.

For a white floral, try to the classic Eternity by Calvin Klein.

Woody floral is not a generally accepted designation (that is, you won't see it on a lot of lists of perfume types) but Safari by Ralph Lauren would go here.

Fruity florals are everywhere these days. Try Groove by Carol's Daughter, Feminine by Dolce and Gabbana, SummerbyKenzo by Kenzo (that's not a typo, he writes it without spaces), and Pink Jasmine by Fresh.

The original cologne from the city of Cologne, a scent named 4711 (named for the address where it was first manufactured) used floral and citrus notes. You can still buy the scent today (go to 4711.com It's a great summer time scent (you can keep it in the refrigerator and spritz it on to cool you down).

Many young Europeans tend to regard 4711 as old-fashioned because the scent has been around for centuries. But take a whiff! It smells pretty modern to me.