Basics of Perfumery

Fragrance ingredients that transport you to the Mediterranean

Fields of lavender in bloom, pine forests in the sun, white flowers, ripe figs, and the sea on the horizon. The Mediterranean summer has its own olfactory language. Leisurely afternoons, naps in the shade, and a calm rhythm: summer turned into perfume.

A culture marked by perfume

In the Mediterranean basin, perfume has been a symbol of power, connection with the gods and sensory pleasure since Ancient Egypt. The Greeks integrated it into their rituals, and later, Arab expansion consolidated a perfumery culture based on baths (hammam) and aromatic gardens.

In the 16th century, the expansion of leather craftsmanship in Grasse encouraged the cultivation of flowers to scent gloves, giving rise to a perfumery tradition that is still alive today. In Spain, the familiar use of eau de cologne reflects this everyday legacy of joie de vivre.

In the Mediterranean basin, perfume has been a symbol of power, connection with the gods and sensory pleasure since ancient times.

Fragrances with a marine soul

Echoes of the Mediterranean Sea inspire saline, ozonic and dry woody accords:

- Sel d'Argent, by BDK Parfums, evokes the coast at dusk with bergamot, grapefruit and orange blossom in a warm, comforting scent.

- Costarella by Carner Barcelona blends citrus, saffron and marine accords with sand to convey a sense of freedom by the sea.

- Eden-Roc by Dior pays homage to the luxury of the Côte d'Azur with sea salt, pine and white flowers.

The brightness of orange blossom and citrus fruits

Orange blossom, the blossom of the orange tree, shines with its luminous aroma. Depending on how it is combined, it can be clean and sparkling with citrus or enveloping and addictive with musks and spices.

- Neroli Portofino by Tom Ford reinterprets the classic cologne with neroli, bergamot and hints of amber.

- Italian Citrus by D.S. & Durga blends citron, bitter orange, mandarin and petit grain (obtained from the leaves and young twigs of the bitter orange tree), and brings a green, slightly dry and herbal character to the perfume.

- Fleurs d'Oranger by Serge Lutens takes orange blossom to a narcotic level.

- Sur L'Herbe, by L'Artisan Parfumeur, portrays it with a clean, herbaceous touch over a base of white mosses and amber.

- Palermo by Byredo intertwines bitter orange, bergamot and musk to evoke this historic city.

Lavender and the French Riviera

While it doesn't grow near the coast, lavender permeates the dry air of the Provençal hills and the perfumery of Grasse:

- Lavande Blanche by L'Occitane offers a delicate, summery version with bergamot, rose and white musk. A soft and luminous lavender, like a sheet in the sun.

- Lavender by Demeter reveals a pure, botanical and almost medicinal lavender: like rubbing fresh flowers between your fingers.

- Lavanda Imperiale, by Santa Maria Novella, presents a fresh lavender with citrus and amber, true to Florentine tradition.

Under the shade of the pines

Mediterranean pine forests, resinous, dry, aromatic, blend the freshness of the vegetation with the warmth of the earth. Their scent is a familiar presence along the coasts of Italy, Greece and Spain.

- Salina, by Laboratorio Olfattivo, captures the sea, the green of the pine forest and the warmth of the sun on the aeolian island that gives it its name.

- French Riviera by Mancera invites you to "dolce far niente" (enjoy doing nothing) with a fragrance that blends citrus, marine and mineral accords, with a note of pine.

- La Isla Blanca, by Ramon Monegal, combines pine, marine heliotrope and salty leather on a resinous base with musk, reflecting the hedonism of Ibiza.

The sweetness of figs

Few smells evoke summer like that of the fig tree. Fruit, leaves, wood and sap in the sun give off an intense aroma, a symbol of pause and silence, broken only by the buzzing of cicadas.

- Diptyque's Philosykos combines green leaves, sap and fig wood to take us to a secluded Greek cove.

- Un Jardin en Méditerranée by Hermès recreates a secret garden in Tunisia with a fig tree bathed in citrus peel.

- Fico di Amalfi by Acqua di Parma blends fig sweetness and aquatic freshness in a citrusy trail reminiscent of a coastal breeze.

- A Grove by the Sea by Arquiste captures the minerality of the Adriatic coast with notes of olive, fig and salty air.