Fantasy Floral Perfumes

Many flowers don’t have a smell that we can detect, or cannot be extracted naturally. That does not stop perfumers from using their skill and creativity to offer us fantasy floral fragrances. Whether from the perfumer’s imagination or from advanced 21^st century “headspace” technology used to analyze the aromas of flowers, fruit, and plants, perfumers will combine “imaginary” and “real” notes to achieve fanciful perfumes.

Poppy

The poppy flower doesn’t have a smell so it is a true fantasy flower. Kenzo Flower’s deliciously rich and deep floral notes of violet and rose with a flourish of fruits at the heart and white musk at the dry down, debuted in 2000 and was Master Perfumer’s Alberto Morillas’ idea of what a poppy would smell like…sleek and contemporary without being fussy. With its iconic single red poppy stem adorning the bottle, it is one of the best-selling perfumes for women of all time.

Jo Malone Poppy and Barley is created by using violet’s sweet, blue and powdery scent with a poppy accord created by Mathilde Bijaoui of MANE. In order to convey the bright red colors of poppy the perfumer uses facets of deep red rose, spicy carnation and green leaves. This initial floral bouquet is zipped up and colored with fruity blackcurrant. Jo Malone Poppy & Barley t floral bouquet never fades but after an hour on the skin the petals unfurl and are wrapped in layers of green barley stalks, grains and the yeasty warmth of barley malt and bran.

Orchids

Composed by David Arpel in 2006, Tom Ford Black Orchid is loved by women (and men) around the world and is the brand’s best seller 17 years later. A floral gourmand fantasy of imaginary black orchids, chocolate and a rare black truffle note. Opulent, chic and complex it is a true luxury classic that is sensual and mysterious.

Space Flowers

Thierry Mugler was known for his space-age fashion and sci-fi sensibility and Thierry Mugler Alien reflects that. It is an olfactive landscape of gargantuan jasmine blooming amongst ancient gnarled trees on murky shores beneath a amber sun on a far-off world. Composed with only three notes, jasmine, wood and amber and housed in a flacon that looks more like a spaceship than a perfume bottle, it is the epitome of other worldly beauty.

Thierry Mugler once dreamt he would create a fragrance named Aura. He is the visionary behind Aura, and stated in 2016 that it was the genesis of all his other fragrances. The brilliantly faceted green flacon is the universal symbol common to all living things – the heart. The name starts with an “A” just as Mugler predecessors Angel, A*men, and Alien. Now the path diverges. It took four perfumers to create Aura which uses two unusual ingredients Tiger Liana© and Wolf Wood©. With its narcotic scent of tropical flowers, Aura transports you to another world where a humid jungle where creatures lurk under a canopy of green woods and orange blossom.

Tulips

The first tulips in the garden is a sign that spring has arrived. The scent of a tulip is faint but a bit green and spicy. Byredo La Tulipe captures all the facets of this fantasy floral perfume from the fresh sappy stems, powdery scent of pollen, and colorful velvety petals of airy freesia, crisp pear and ripe strawberry.

Lily of The Valley

Lily of the valley, muguet des bois –is a difficult floral note to replicate faithfully. Yet it is a beloved soliflore. Its bell shaped flowers cluster against green leaves and has a unique scent that is unlike any other flower, Edmond Roudnitska’s Dior Diorissimo in 1955, a tribute to Christian Dior’s favorite flower… muguet (lily of the valley) is the standard that all lily of the valley perfumes are measured by. Sheer and green, the aroma of muguet flowers open and surround you. There is the perfect balance of ephemeral beauty and gentle power.

Please read our recent article on best soliflores here.

Now that we have taken you through fantasy floral perfumes, head over to Perfume.com to choose your favorite.