l'Homme
À la rose

The real name of the variety that floods market stalls with sunshine is the pomelo. Botanists prefer to talk about Citrus x paradisi. As with other citrus fruits, its oil is extracted by cold expression of the rind. Its scent differs from the orange by a slightly green bitterness. In a perfume, it conveys a similar very fresh, fruity, juicy sensation, with tart and slightly sulphurous undertones. With its high volatility, it fuses and adds vibrancy to any composition.

Native to southern Europe and western Asia, this herb has been known since the dawn of time and was used by the Romans to cure many ailments. Hence its name, derived from the Latin salvare - to heal. Among the multitude of varieties, the sage used in perfumery is Salvia sclarea. Francis Kurkdjian gets his supplies from the Drôme region, an important producer of excellent qualities known as "pays". Obtained by distillation, the oil is complex and multi-faceted: fresh, zesty, green, but also floral, similar to lavender, with camphorated nuances. This heart note is also slightly warm amber.

Also called the May rose - because that is the month of its flowering - the Centifolia rose Pays blooms in Grasse, in the south of France. It is the other variety used in perfumery, along with the Damascena rose. Its name, "one hundred leaves" in Latin, is explained by its numerous overlapping petals. Particularly delicate, it flowers only once a year which explains its rarity and its high cost. The roses are picked by hand, early in the morning. Too delicate to be distilled, the harvested rosa Centifolia blooms are extracted with volatile solvents to obtain an absolute. This rose absolute is used in the heart and base notes of a perfume. Its generous and complex rose floral notes stand out by their beautiful petal-like effect and honeyed facet.

While there is a multitude of amber woods, their common denominator is the strength they bring to a fragrance. The range of possible tonalities is as vast as with musks. Some of them replace the animal effects once used, namely ambergris, a sperm whale excreta. Each major supplier of raw materials offers its own amber wood developed by synthesis. They are called Ambroxan, Ambrocenide, Cetalox or Cashmeran. Francis Kurkdjian's amber wood accord combines these synthetic notes with natural ingredients such as patchouli, sandalwood, cedar and vetiver. It contains multiple facets, powerful, dry, enveloping and rising. Its ingredients amplify the scent's sillage and hold.

In perfumery, only two varieties of rose are used for their fragrant properties: rosa damascena and rosa centifolia. The Damascena rose or Damask rose's appeal lies in its highly distinctive honeyed accents and slightly spicy scent. Originally from Persia, this very old variety is the most used in perfumery. It is now cultivated in Bulgaria, Turkey or Iran. Different perfumed products, such as rose water, rose oil and rose absolute, are obtained by using various methods of extraction, each with their distinctive olfactory characteristics. Rose oil is obtained by steam distillation. The Bulgarian rose has fruity facets with hints of pear, lychee and raspberry.