In This Article
The small yellow shrub, Genet, has thrived in the wild for centuries, inspiring legends and captivating perfumers with its slightly bitter honey notes. Today, Genet absolute is a preferred raw material, enabling the creation of magnificent floral and fresh fragrances.
Genet: The Enchanting Scented Flower with a Hint of Legends
Genet has long been a wild plant, growing wherever it pleases, while occasionally crossing paths with historical figures. Celtic legend tells of the enchanting woman with a face of flowers, Blodeuwedd, who was created by King Math, a magician, using Genet flowers, along with those from the queen of the meadow and oak.
Fun Fact: Genet was believed to have hallucinogenic properties. In 1128, during a ride near Le Mans, Geoffroy V, known as the Beautiful, encountered a unicorn with a woman's head in a field of Genet. This encounter led him to adopt Genet as the emblem of his dynasty, giving rise to the Plantagenet dynasty's nickname, which reigned supreme throughout much of the Middle Ages.
As a symbolically significant flower, Genet's unique fragrance captivates and enchants its admirers. The perfume industry has naturally embraced Genet absolute, using it in floral and fruity fragrances.
Genet Absolute: Crafting Floral and Fruity Scents
Genet perfectly balances between citrus and floral essences. Its bitter notes harmonize with citrus, while its honeyed side complements floral notes.
In 1984, Genet made its first notable appearance in Christian Dior's Eau Sauvage Extrême, which featured Genet as a heart note, paired with top citrus and chypre base notes. Despite this fragrance's success, it would be some time before Genet appeared in another exclusively masculine scent.
Fun Fact: Genet flowers are typically hand-picked during the blossoming season to ensure the highest quality of the absolute extracted from the plant.
From Christian Dior's Dune to Annick Goutal's Grand Amour and Nina Ricci's Premier Jour, Genet enhances exquisite feminine floral fragrances with white flowers, fruity notes, or even woody notes. Genet's subtle scents delicately emphasize the heart of these beautiful perfumes.
Perfumery adores Genet, and Genet reciprocates the love. As a quintessential flower in the tradition of Grasse's perfumed blooms, Genet expresses its beauty through various fragrance combinations. Though no longer hallucinogenic, Genet remains as delicate and intoxicating as ever!
