ROSE GERANIUM & PETITGRAIN by 1000 Flowers

Over the past twelve months the main thing that I've learned about myself and my surroundings is how refreshing simplicity can be. Having the metaphorical rug pulled out from under us all threw our preconceived ideas and entrenched habits out of the window as well. What we were left with was almost the essence of what we all individually needed, and personal lessons have been learned that shouldn’t be forgotten. Perfume has a habit of being complicated and shrouded in mystery, and so finding a scent that revels in this idea of simplicity is rare. That is until you discover the exquisite Rose Geranium & Petitgrain from 1000 Flowers.

1000 Flowers is a niche perfume company based in Grasse, and it’s one that I’ve featured before. Every time that I get the chance to discover a new fragrance from this brand I’m always struck by the versatility of the founder, and perfumer, Jessica Buchanan. You can tell that she creates from the heart, and every ingredient that goes into her scents is carefully chosen for its character alongside its performance. Each oil must earn its place in the blend because there’s no room in a 1000 Flowers perfume for aromas that don’t play their part.

When Jessica joined the Grasse Institute of Perfumery in 2006 she came from an aromatherapy background. Already proficient at blending mood enhancing scents, she wanted to delve deeper into the creative process and ultimately have the skills, and the knowledge, to release fully formed fragrances. With the opening of the 1000 Flowers boutique in Grasse in 2017 she very quickly gained a reputation for having returned high quality niche scents to the spiritual home of perfumery, and her original collection of three perfumes increased to twelve.

When the pandemic began sweeping across the world it became clear that we were going to need a large dose of positivity. Jessica thought about how she could help and settled on the idea of creating a cologne style fragrance that could invigorate and uplift. She’d previously played with the idea of stripped back scent in her Fleur de Lavande, but this new fragrance really would be a labour of love. She would eventually release two colognes, Blue Chamomile & Eucalyptus and Rose Geranium & Petitgrain, but it was the latter that also provided that much needed feeling of sunshine and travel. So, are you ready to be inspired?

The fragrance opens with the unmistakable pairing of those key ingredients; the rose geranium gives an earthy rose-like aroma but it’s cut through by the green, and woody, petitgrain. However, alongside both of these, you also have an expansive touch thanks to the bitter orange, and it’s this that provides that feeling of much needed positivity. Within the cologne you’re also treated to rosewater, which has almost become Jessica’s olfactory signature, and this gives a delicacy to all of the floral nuances without being intrusive. With a whisper of “old father” thyme, a musk-like ambrette support, and perhaps even a touch of metallic rose oxide, this is an absolute joy to spritz with abandon and definitely transports you to sunnier climes.

Rose Geranium & Petitgrain Eau de Cologne is available from the 1000 Flowers website at 1000flowers.ca priced at £17 for 100ml. You can also click on the image below to read my interview with Jessica Buchanan from April 2019. [Product was purchased]

Posted by Stephan Matthews at 07:00:00

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Labels: 1000 Flowers, Aromatherapy, Blue Chamomile & Eucalyptus, Cologne, Grasse, Grasse Institute of Perfumery, Independent, Jessica Buchanan, Niche, Rose Geranium & Petitgrain