SEDUCTIVE, CREAMY & DANGEROUS
The heady tuberose, once called the femme fatale of flowers, takes centre stage in Dior Parfums’ new J’Adore Infinissime.
The heady tuberose takes centre stage in Dior Parfums’ new J’Adore Infinissime.
When Francois Demachy, Dior Parfums’ master perfumer, envisioned J’Adore Infinissime, he had a single flower in mind – the tuberose.
The unassuming small white flower grows in many parts of the world, including Mexico, North America, China, India and France, and only blooms at dusk. But it was the French varietal from Grasse, where Demachy hails from, that piqued his interest.
Grasse’s unique location between the land and sea gives the rich and creamy, almost heady tuberose scent a distinctive character. Demachy says the Grasse version is “less coconut-y”.
To keep as close to the tuberose’s actual scent as possible, Demachy chose a method of scent extraction called enfleurage, which uses fat as a solvent. After the flowers are collected, they are pressed onto a frame that has 100 per cent vegetable-based purified fat, which the scent molecules stick to.
Demachy adds: “The scent is extracted completely on the fat. Using alcohol, we wipe off the scent from the fat. This process is soft and natural.”
The vision for Infinissime (which means “infinite, and then some”, and is inspired by the original J’Adore bouquet from 1999) started several years ago in partnership with Carole Biancalana, the fourth-generation owner of Le Domaine de Manon, the Grasse farm that produces flowers exclusively for Dior.
Biancalana, a horticulturist, has worked with Demachy for over a decade. She says: “Several years passed between the idea for this scent and growing the flowers, to the final result of collection and extraction. Growing this tuberose requires a lot of patience – for one, the flower is
harvested at night. We call it ‘the gift of the year’.” The tuberose is also fragile – the flowers die after 24 to 48 hours.
“The cultivation is expensive in Grasse, but it is free from harsh solvents, or petrol. We don’t use high heat, and there is no water wastage as we use recycled water. Transport from harvesting of flowers to where we extract them is a 10-minute drive. Overall, it is a respectful process of extraction to get the most out of this flower,” Demachy says.
The resulting J’Adore Infinissime is a sensual and all-encompassing amber scent with top notes of bergamot and blood orange. At its heart is a sensual blend of centifolia rose, jasmine sambac, lily of the valley, ylang-ylang and the Grasse tuberose. Its base is a warm and earthy sandalwood.
Demachy, who has been a perfumer for over 40 years, says: “This scent is an expression of femininity and (represents) a woman who is audacious. It reflects a woman who has evolved over the past years.
“We encourage women to leave their mark in the world. This fragrance celebrates that femininity.”