FLEUR VERTE by 1000 Flowers

I’ve never been able to pin down a particular season that I love over the others, and I think that’s because each of the four have their own individual appeal. Summer is the time for hot weather and shorts, autumn means watching the leaves turn from green to brown, and winter definitely sees the appearance of Christmas trees and spices. However, spring always feels like it’s the start of something new. The first blossoms on the tree, the daffodils pushing through, but all with a very present touch of crispness in the air. We’re not far off the start of spring now, so what better way to get in the mood than with Fleur Verte from 1000 Flowers.

If you had to pick a town that truly embodies the fragrance industry then it must surely be Grasse. Seen as the spiritual home of the perfume industry, it has managed to attract both large companies and independent perfumers for over three hundred years. Still a popular destination for tourists visiting the South of France, there is just something about the town that seems to inspire the creation of perfumes. It sometimes feels as though the very walls of those old buildings are trying to offer up their secrets, and that is one of the reasons why perfumer Jessica Buchanan chose to settle there.

Having originally trained as a clinical aromatherapist in her native Canada, Jessica decided to delve deeper into the world of scent and enrolled at the prestigious Grasse Institute of Perfumery. It was during her time there that she fell in love with the town and, after graduating, decided to make it her home. 1000 Flowers became the name of her company and a debut collection of three scents (Narcotic Flowers, Réglisse Noire and Ode) was launched. These were joined by a further four fragrances in 2015 known as the Blue Collection, and together they created the core selection.

Fleur Vert began life as part of that second collection, which also included Rose Cassis Paradis, Orange Blossom Petal and Pink Pepper Wood. This quartet of fragrances all took their inspiration from wild and cultivated Mediterranean plants but, in a wonderful nod to the Provençal area, all four also included a dash of damascena rose water as a way of linking the collection together. Jessica wanted Fleur Vert to be “reminiscent of the first white flowers of spring” but also wanted to give the impression of them pushing through the melting snow. So, as the weather begins to get warmer, has she captured the changing season?

Fleur Verte opens with green mandarin, bergamot and a note of piercing galbanum, so you’re already feeling crisp air against your skin, but the central ingredient of lily of the valley is quick to appear. However, Jessica has skilfully wrapped it in whispers of freesia and sweet pea, meaning echoes of hyacinth and iris are also present, but a sappy waxiness hints at the flower’s determined greenery. The rose water adds a delicate touch to the floral notes, and a note of thyme and moss perfectly compliment with a dryness that anchors the scent. An ingredient called lentiscus also provides a piercing woodiness and this, paired with a supporting musk, makes Fleur Verte ideal for those that like their florals with a little more bite.

Fleur Verte is available from the 1000 Flowers website at 1000flowers.ca priced at £12 for 10ml, £51 for 50ml, and also a 5ml splash sample priced at £5. You can also click on the image below to read my “Stephan's Six” interview with Jessica Buchanan from April 2019. [Sample provided by the company]

Posted by Stephan Matthews at 07:00:00

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Labels: 1000 Flowers, Fleur Verte, Grasse Institute of Perfumery, Independent, Jessica Buchanan, Narcotic Flowers, Niche, Ode, Orange Blossom Petal, Pink Pepper Wood, Réglisse Noire, Rose Cassis Paradis