Aqua Celestia

Its bright yellow pom-poms are the first to bloom in January on the Tanneron massif, near Grasse. If the plant is native to Australia, its Acacia dealbata variety used for perfumery has been grown in southern France since the 19th century. Its scent is obtained by extraction with volatile solvents of the flowering branches. The absolute thus obtained exudes comfortable sunny, powdery notes, with many facets: almondy floral, violet-leaf green, honeyed, sweet spicy. Mimosa is a heart and base note.

Initially extracted from Tibetan musk deers, natural musk has been banned in perfumery since 1973. Synthetic molecules designed to replace it appeared at the end of the 19th century, so today there is a wide selection of musky notes with an olfactory palette ranging from fruity, to woody to animal facets. Musks are very persistent and relatively non-volatile base notes. They have been extensively used in detergents and fabric softeners, and are commonly referred to as white musks because they evoke the scent of soft, fluffy clean linen, and conjure up a feeling of tenderness and comfort suitable for all kinds of fragrances. With their inimitable mellowness highly appreciated by the general public, today musky notes are present in the vast majority of women's and men's perfumes.

This is an expensive ingredient but one of the rare naturally-obtained fruity scents. Its use is relatively recent, since the olfactory properties of blackcurrant buds were only discovered around the 1980s. The Burgundy region, which specializes in growing blackcurrants (Ribes nigrum) to make blackcurrant liqueur, is the sole supplier. The buds are harvested in winter before extraction with volatile solvents to give a multi-faceted absolute - green, sparkling, tangy, fruity - that blends perfectly with flowers; as well as woody, sulphurous with an unpleasant animalic effect, reminiscent of boxwood. It is used in the top and heart notes of a fragrance.

This Citrus aurantifolia variety of lime was acclimatized to America by Spanish and Portuguese settlers in the 16th century. Mexico is one of the main producers. It is used in the composition of many tropical cocktails such as Margarita or Mojito. Along with cinnamon, it forms one of the basic ingredients of Coca-Cola. As with all citrus fruits, its fragrant principles are contained in the peel and are extracted by cold expression to obtain the oil. Its scent is fresh, tangy and sparkling, a touch "fluorescent" compared to the classic lemon.

For a long time, peppermint was cultivated in Mitcham, south London, hence its name. This variety Mentha Piperata has a very fresh, rising scent, with an almost "frosty" effect due to its high concentration of menthol. Everyone has already tasted it in a candy or mint syrup. Its oil is obtained by steam distillation of its leaves. It develops a great aromatic freshness which explodes in the top and heart of a perfume. Francis Kurkdjian uses it to recreate impressions of crisp greenery and crumpled leaves.