Collection: Floral perfumes

Which floral perfumes last the longest?

White flowers do. Tuberose, jasmine and gardenia are the most persistent florals because their molecules are heavier and evaporate more slowly. Light green florals like freesia and lily of the valley are the most volatile and often fade within a few hours. Concentration makes a real difference too. Our long-lasting perfumes collection filters for staying power.

Are floral perfumes made from real flowers?

Some are, some can't be. Rose, jasmine, tuberose and orange blossom can all be extracted from the real flower. Many others can't. Lily of the valley, lilac, gardenia, freesia, honeysuckle and peony are known as mute flowers. They smell wonderful in a garden but give up almost nothing when distilled, because they produce their scent continuously while alive rather than storing it in the petals. Once picked, there's nothing left to extract. So perfumers rebuild those scents from combining different materials.

What's the difference between a floral gourmand and a floral oriental?

Both add warmth beneath the flowers, but from opposite directions. A floral gourmand fragrance adds something edible: vanilla, caramel, honey, praline or almond. The flowers stay, but they smell sweeter and softer. Floral oriental fragrances add resins and spice instead, so the depth comes from amber, incense and balsams rather than sugar. If the sweeter direction appeals, our gourmand perfumes collection takes it further.