Jasmine perfumes

Niche perfumery · Jasmine

Jasmine is the most sensual flower in perfumery and also the most ambiguous: it contains indole, the same molecule found in decidedly less noble smells. That slightly dirty facet is what makes it interesting, and divides those who love it from those who cannot stand it.

Sambac, grandiflorum, and why they change everything

Sambac jasmine, from India and Arabia, is greener, almost tea-like, with a citrusy facet. Grandiflorum, cultivated in Egypt and Grasse, is creamier and more indolic: it is the one that gives the sensation of skin. It is harvested at dawn, by hand, because the flower loses its fragrance in the sun - which is why jasmine absolute remains among the most expensive raw materials after rose and oud.

The jasmines we carry

Nasomatto Narcotic Venus places it alongside tuberose and lily: it is the uncompromising white flower, and the name makes the intention clear. Filippo Sorcinelli LAVS uses it in the opposite way, within a composition of incense, black pepper, and labdanum, where jasmine is a presence rather than the protagonist.

Matin Martin Jameela keeps it sunny, with orange blossom and blackcurrant. Matin Martin Illusion pairs it with pear and ginger. For the most unusual interpretation: Orto Parisi Boccanera, where jasmine sits among chili pepper, cocoa, and leather, and Giardini di Toscana Colonia Nobile, where it merely softens the neroli.

When to wear it

White flowers need warmth to open up: in winter they remain closed, while in summer they sometimes burst open. Our advice is to spray them twenty minutes before going out, not at the door, and not to judge them in the first half hour, when the indole is most noticeable.

If you prefer to start with the fragrance family rather than the ingredient: oriental · floral. The entire selection is in the niche perfumery hub.

Other ingredients: vanilla · rose · oud · white musk · sandalwood · patchouli · tuberose · tobacco · lavender · cinnamon.

If the three lines of notes on the product page seem like a list rather than a sequence, we have explained how to read the fragrance pyramid, and how to use it to choose.

Frequently asked questions

Why does jasmine sometimes smell «dirty»?

Because of indole, a molecule naturally present in the flower with an animalic nuance. It gives jasmine its carnal side: in modern compositions it is measured carefully, but it is always perceptible in natural absolutes.

Is jasmine also suitable for men?

Yes, and it is more common than you might think: jasmine appears in almost all fougères and many masculine oriental fragrances, kept beneath the aromatic notes. As a dominant note, it is still perceived as more feminine.

What is the best time of year for a jasmine fragrance?

Spring and summer for sambac, which are greener and fresher; autumn and winter for creamy grandiflorum, which remain more composed in the cold.