Thursday 27 May 2021

FLEUR DE LAVANDE by 1000 Flowers

As we slowly begin to exit the rules that have governed us for over a year, we do it in the knowledge that there are others who are not so lucky. Their lives are still restricted and many don’t have the freedoms that we now do in Britain. It’s because of this uncertainty, and also because we’ve all been on a long voyage of self-discovery, that many of us are now reaching for “simpler” products. Overly blended fragrances are being glossed over in favour of a purer style, and none embodies this more than
Fleur de Lavande from 1000 Flowers. The archetypal soliflore, it’s time to take a scented journey to the town of Grasse.

Lavender fragrances are definitely nothing new in the world of perfumery, and every company has at one time or another tried their hand at creating their own. The most famous has to be Yardley, the gift given by every child to their mother, but the list certainly doesn’t stop there. Guerlain played with the idea many times from 1828 onwards, as did Atkinson with their timeless English Lavender that famously relaunched in 1910 and is still in production today. Most of these skilfully dressed lavender up with other ingredients, and so the true honesty of the scent wasn’t allowed to come through.

When Jessica September Buchanan launched 1000 Flowers, her perfume company that is now based in the centre of Grasse, it came from an original background in aromatherapy. She took this grounding one stage further by studying at the Grasse Institute of Perfumery, and subsequent internships at Robertet and Mane cemented her love of fragrance creation. She always retained her deep appreciation of natural ingredients though, but expanded her palette to include exciting synthetics and isolates. However, the pull of a single natural proved too tempting to resist when she opened her first boutique in the centre of Grasse in 2017.

Alongside her fantastic original range of perfumes, which were subsequently joined by the incredible Blue Collection, Jessica knew that she also needed to offer some simplicity to those who came to the Côte d’Azur for relaxation. She settled on one the oldest fragrances associated with the region, pure lavender. The difference was that she decided to use an organic variety that came from a farmer in the Drome region of France, and which was grown at high altitude. The reason that this is important is because the variety and growing conditions have a dramatic effect on the scent, and this is why Jessica’s is so beautiful.

Fleur de Lavande, which is solely the essential oil in alcohol, immediately transports to one of the expansive Provençal fields. The overall aromatic aroma of the lavender is wonderfully smooth, without any of the roughness usually associated with the ingredient, and the apricot nuances are delicious. There is a peppered bergamot quality alongside floral notes, which to me conjure up jasmine, along with a biscuity powderyness that brings the dry soil to mind. You still have the traditional camphorous quality, but the naturally present coumarin gives a tonka bean effect that delicately sweetens the scent. Fleur de Lavande is a great example of how a single ingredient can be a perfume on its own, and it’s making me long to be back in France.

Fleur de Lavande is available from the 1000 Flowers website at 1000flowers.ca priced at £20 for 50ml and £14 for 10ml. You can also click on the image below to read my interview with Jessica Buchanan from April 2019. [Product was purchased]

2 comments:

  1. It really does sound perfect. Lavender is amazing without adding anything to it.

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    1. Hello Barry, it's such a beautiful lavender that Jessica uses. I definitely recommend it. Best, Stephan

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