Madagascan Jasmine by Michel Roudnitska for Grandiflora 2015

September 9, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 12 Comments

Post by Portia

Hello Fabulous Fumies,

Can you believe I live in the same city as Grandiflora yet I’ve never set foot in the place? Well, sadly it’s true. Not because I’ve purposely stayed away but I just never seem to be in that part of town without a time budget, or I’m there after hours for work. It is on my bucket list to get there though so hopefully sometime soon I’ll be able to show you some pics of a visit. Till then I’ve finally been to Surrender To Chance and grabbed myself a decant.

Madagascan Jasmine by Grandiflora 2015

Madagascan Jasmine by Michel Roudnitska

Fragrantica

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Jasmine, Green notes, Musk

The first person I knew that had Madagascan Jasmine was Ainslie Walker and I tried it at her place but was woefully under impressed. I’m not sure what my problem was but even then I felt maybe I was missing the point. I was.

Madagascan Jasmine opens green, yes, I know that that term covers a lot of ground. It’s the green of tearing soft, fleshy, succulent leaves. The green of hedging camellias, rubbing your nail down the long thin, dark green leaves of clivia, the metallic green of clean kitchen basins and the extreme yellow green of narcissus. It’s also white, the white of the jasmine growing over the side fence, the white of expensive little bathroom soaps, Lily of the Valley white and the soft plush white of clean flannelette sheets. Laundry musks but done as a binding note rather than a solo performer. Though they are huge and in your face they seem to buoy the rest and keep it floating and radiant.

WikiMedia

Imagine being sandblasted by scent, it’s so full on that it rips away your skin and bones leaving you a sheer, bodiless, cloud of scent. If you close your eyes while wearing Madagascan Jasmine I think it could take you anywhere. The most gorgeously engulfing jasmine and it lasts well too. Almost as adamant as Tawaf by La Via Del Profumi.

Beyond beautiful.

PDI

Further reading: What Men Should Smell Like and Persolaise
Peony Melbourne has Au$185/100ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $5.50/ml

What is your Jasmine?
Portia xx

Magnolia Grandiflora Sandrine and Magnolia Grandiflora Michel 2013

March 17, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 5 Comments

Post by SarahK

Hi APJ,

These are the first fragrances released by Grandiflora, a Sydney-based florist. Magnolia Grandiflora Sandrine was the final fragrance developed by Sandrine Videault before her untimely death last year. Originally scheduled for release in August 2013, its launch was delayed following Sandrine’s sad passing. Instead, it was released in early 2014 together with Magnolia Grandiflora Michel, which was developed by Michel Roudnitska, son of Sandrine Videault’s mentor at the start of her career. Ainslie Walker also reviewed these two fragrances here at APJ, Jordan River did a wonderful lead up on APJ too, but as these two scents were only recently released, and there aren’t many reviews of them yet, I wanted to offer my take too!

Magnolia Grandiflora Sandrine and Magnolia Grandiflora Michel 2013

Magnolia seems to be a popular note in perfumery currently, but these two scents are no bandwagon-jumpers. Do not try them expecting heady floral notes like those found in En Voyage’s homage to the magnolia, Zelda, or Guerlain’s powdery L’Instant. You won’t find anything like that here.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Lemon, grapefruit, white pepper, green notes, woody notes, watery notes and musk

Sandrine: This, to me, is a grapefruit fragrance backed by fresh (not marine) watery notes and some clean musk. Imagine you’re breakfasting on grapefruit and a glass of spring water. You’re sitting at a table covered by a starched white tablecloth on the airy, sunny terrace of a posh hotel somewhere Mediterranean. The grapefruit note feels natural, though the underlying musk has a touch of the functional, starchy ‘laundry musk’ about it. For me, that doesn’t detract from the scent – rather, it adds to the feeling of airy breezes and stiff white linen. That being said, there is definitely an aromachemical in here that gives me a feeling of being smacked across the bridge of the nose, and I wouldn’t be surprised if others found it headache-inducing. The fragrance is not complex, and is pretty linear, but it’s nicely done, aromachemical reactions aside. I am not a fan of 90s-era ‘ocean fresh’ calone/citrus scents, but I would find this very likeable if not for the nose-smacking.

Photo Stoilen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Grapefruit, lemon, bergamot, jasmine, ylang-ylang, rose, magnolia, vetiver, patchouli and musk

Michel: This opens as an aquatic floral and stays that way for a couple of hours. It’s a realistic waxy, green, watery – even slightly milky – magnolia and, like the real thing, smells better from a distance than up close. When I sniff my wrist, I have to confess that, owing to the lactonic note, I don’t love it at this stage, though the sillage is nice. It’s very different to Sandrine’s interpretation of magnolia. Where Sandrine is the evocation of a breezy, sunny and warm day, Michel is a magnolia tree after a cool rain shower. Over time, the milky aspect fades and by hour three I am left with a fresh green floral that I like much more. By hour four we’ve reached the base, where there is an easy-wearing echo of the grapefruit and woods (though none of the starchy aromachemical) found in Sandrine.

Both fragrances are unisex and have moderate-soft sillage, though they last a good 8 hours on my skin (but I have to say most fragrances do).

LuckyScent has both US$185/100ml
Peony Melbourne has both AUD$185/100ml

Have you tried either of the Grandiflora scents? Were they what you expected?

SarahK X

Magnolia Grandiflora by Sandrine Videault for Grandiflora 2013

June 21, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 13 Comments

Guest Post by Jordan River

Magnolia Grandiflora by Grandiflora 2013

A fragrance is about to bloom out of Sydney, Australia.
Floral Artisan, Saskia Havekes and perfumer Sandrine Videault have combined their artistic talents to produce a perfume. First let’s take a look at some of Saskia’s other work or more correctly, heartwork which includes indoor and outdoor arrangements as well as books on floral art.

grandiflora sydney saskia the fragrant man thefragrantman tulips

Flowers by Saskia

Many flowers today are bred to be beautiful but not necessarily fragrant. Saskia has sources for particularly fragrant flowers which she artfully combines with beautifully bred ones for a scented atmosphere with visual delights. Photographing nature is also a passion.

Grandiflora is the name of Saskia’s atelier in Potts Point. Magnolia Grandiflora is the name of her about-to-be-released perfume.

Saskia outside Grandiflora, her atelier in Potts Point, Sydney.

The story of this fragrance begins millions of years ago, before humans or many other creatures we know today existed. The ancient genus Magnolia appeared before bees did, and pollination occurred thanks to the help of beetles. The tree adapted to the strength of its hardworking pollinators, resulting in the longevity of this beautiful, fragrant tree.

The magnolia is a true sight to behold – tall trees mantled with startling blossoms come to life in the springtime, shrouding surrounding areas in a fragrance known to this earth for more than 20 million years. The magnolia’s timber is heavy and robust, and the flower has continued to bloom and burst with lush fragrance across the ages, yet the flowers fade so fast. To hold magnolia’s fragrance is a kind of magical blessing.

Amer who lives in the magnolia-filled country of Greece had this to say just last week:

this tree is very common where I live and now it is blooming. It is too tall to allow picking of the flowers but today while walking casually, a huge petal, as big as my palm landed in front of me. I picked it up and it smelled like lemon, very much different to the other, bush like variety with the flame shaped flowers. The petal was sturdy and somewhat fleshy. I was on my way to meet a friend for coffee so I brought it with me as a gift for her. A gift of one petal instead of a whole flower, stingy one might say but she seemed thrilled to receive it none the less.
– Amer

Magnolia Grandiflora
Perfumer: Sandrine Videault
Release Date: August 2013
Classification: Soliflore
EDP 100ml
Recommended Retail Price: $185 AUD / $168 EUR
Pre-orders: fragrance@grandiflora.net

Notes
Top citrus, grapefruit, pepper
Heart dry woods, fresh garden accord,
Drydown marine, musk

Saskia is currently traveling through Grasse on perfume business before returning to Sydney to launch her perfume.

Waking up in Grasse. View from Saskia’s window.
Photo: Saskia Havekes

A garden in Grasse.
Photo: Saskia Havekes

We managed to track her down and ask her the following questions:

How long did you dream of making your own fragrance?

I have dreamed of creating fragrance for many years. The Magnolia grandiflora trees that line Macleay Street (outside our studio) start flowering in October and have been the inspiration for our identity and many photos by Gary Heery (my partner). As we base the beginning of nearly all our arrangements around this flower and its leaves it seemed the obvious first choice. Along with the unique fragrance and elegance, to capture her was a journey for both Sandrine and myself. The heart was illusive and very transient.

How long from the decision to act to the release date in August 2013?

The journey began three years ago.
In Grasse we were able to combine many personal highs with connecting with our manufacturers and their famous gardens. It was one of my most delightful moments so far when I was rolling in pink rose petals by the truck load on a sunny morning.

I really felt like a bee during the pollination process. On entering Grasse from Nice airport I spotted a Magnolia grandiflora tree loaded with masses of blooms, a welcome that was a sign of good things ahead.

Grandiflora is available August 2013.
Pre-orders: fragrance@grandiflora.net

(Stockist enquiries: http://www.grandiflorafragrance.com )

Guest Post by Jordan River

The Fragrant Man

Further Reading
Magnolia for Men
Magnolia for Everyone
Grandiflora in Potts Point
Grain de Musc – Denyse Beaulieu’s Top 10 Picks for Summer

Grandiflora by Sandrine Videault for Magnolia 2013: New Perfume

June 21, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 1 Comment

Post by Jordan River

Magnolia for Everyone

Sydney floral artisan Saskia Havekes and perfumer Sandrine Videault are preparing Grandiflora’s first perfume which will be a magnolia scent. The juice is macerating as we write. In the meantime you can enjoy Saskia’s aesthetic on the cover of Michael Edwards’s Fragrances of The World 2013.

Photo: Gary Heery
Flowers: Saskia Hevekes for Michael Edwards

When I lived in Sydney I would often walk past Grandiflora in Potts Point just to breathe the fragrant air. The sign of a superlative Sydney restaurant was and still is flower arrangements by Saskia whose signature flower is magnolia. Magnolia is also known as Grandiflora, and is therefore the name of her floral atelier and her upcoming scent. Branches, leaves and flowers are hallmarks of Saskia’s style.

Magnolia is the new white.

Jordan River xx

This is a simultaneous post with The Fragrant Man: New Zealand’s best loved fragrance blog and it’s blogger, APJ contributor and my buddy Jordan River

Australian Perfume Junkies

Olfactory Opinions from Oz

Saskia Hevekes

Madagascan Jasmine by Michel Roudnitska for Grandiflora 2015

Madagascan Jasmine by Grandiflora 2015

Madagascan Jasmine by Michel Roudnitska

Magnolia Grandiflora Sandrine and Magnolia Grandiflora Michel 2013

Magnolia Grandiflora Sandrine and Magnolia Grandiflora Michel 2013

Magnolia Grandiflora by Sandrine Videault for Grandiflora 2013

Grandiflora by Sandrine Videault for Magnolia 2013: New Perfume

Magnolia for Everyone