Grasse, France, lures perfume lovers
When I became a perfume devotee, I felt as if I had discovered the most underrated of the five senses.
Ready to take a deeper look into the fragrance industry, I learned there was no better place than Grasse, France, a medieval town in Provence.
Here a confluence of soil, sun and temperature nurtured the rose, jasmine, lavender, myrtle, wild mimosa and other flowers that were the genesis of the French perfume industry in the 17th century.
To this day, Dior, Hermes and Chanel grow May roses and jasmine in protected fields in and around Grasse. The town celebrates both blossoms with annual festivals.
Grasse is so associated with perfume that industry locals have applied for a place on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list, an inventory of traditions that could be considered fragile in a globalized world.
Traveling alone and with only a little understanding of French, I set off for Grasse a few months ago.
Amid the spring air, cafes mixed with colorful villas. Gift shops selling pastel soaps, sachets and perfume lured customers.
One of the town’s most beautiful perfumeries, Molinard, was established in 1849. It offers free tours, but I had another endeavor in mind: creating my own fragrance.
In a small-group workshop, I was seated in front of small bottles of essential oils and a 100-milliliter beaker.
Our facilitator explained the functions of the top note, the heart note (the dominant character) and the base note, the stages of a perfume across time.
Two hours later, after I made what seemed like life-threatening decisions, “Lark” was born, and it was far better than I had any right to imagine, at once light and dark. The notes included lotus, bergamot, gardenia and bamboo.
When I wear the fragrance, I am transported back to this lovely town and its magical alchemy.