With its hypnotizing beauty and heady perfume, narcissus symbolizes renewal and rebirth. Heralding springtime, it ends the reign of winter frost. Adorned with crystal-white flowers, it bedecks damp meadows with a scattering of snowy blooms. There are many varieties of narcissus, the most famous of which are the “poet’s narcissus” (Narcissus poeticus) and daffodil (Narcissus jonquilla). Poet’s narcissus is the variety most frequently used in perfumery, in particular for its sweet, heady fragrance, resembling jasmine.
 

- NARCISSE -

FLOWER OF THE YEAR 2023


THE WHITE GOLD

Narcissus grows in the wild at 1,000 meters above sea level or higher, preferably on fertile, well-drained and slightly acidic or neutral soil. The flowers bloom from March to June, but the beginning and end of the harvest can never be predicted precisely: nature decides.


THE HARVEST

Narcissus picking on Aubrac plateau (a volcanic and granitic plateau located in the south-central part of the Massif Central) is an ancient springtime tradition that continues to unite the local population. The flowers were gathered by hand in the 1950s, but the task became easier with the advent of various tools. Today, the « trolley » technique is favored by independent pickers as the trolley is easy to manufacture and can significantly increase yields, up to 100 to 200 kilos per day. The weighing technique is rustic yet resolutely here to stay - it is performed using Roman scales which “have never broken down and are never wrong”.

EXTRACTION

The flowers must, if possible, be processed within 24 hours of the harvest
so that they retain their freshness and fragrant properties.

1. 
The bags filled with flowers are emptied onto the floor and the flowers are aired using
wooden forks.

2. 
The liquid extract is heated to 60°C in order to evaporate the solvents and obtain a waxy absolute known as « concrete ».

3. 
The flowers are placed in an extractor containing
volatile solvent.

4. 
1,000 Kg of flowers are required to obtain 2 Kg of « concrete ».

- WORKSHOPS -

WORKSHOP - PERFUMERS APPRENTICE -

 Length 2 ½ hours. Guided tour in main. international languages included.

Push open the door to the world of perfume! Discover the perfumer’s ancient know-how and secrets and create your own Eau de Cologne. Led by a perfumery specialist, the workshop promises an unforgettable sensory experience for individuals and professionals alike

- NARCISSE - A NOSE FOR PERFUME

Discover the NARCISSE 2023 perfume organ at our factories and museums.

Master perfumer’s – also referred to as “noses” – are capable of identifying literally thousands of smells. Their imagination and creativity allow them to assemble an infinite variety of perfumes. Karine Dubreuil, the perfumer-creator behind our Narcisse eau de toilette, has broken down her formula into an olfactory pyramid of head, heart and base notes, to create three gorgeous mix-and-match compositions. Learn how to work with these three notes to create your own interpretation of Narcisse.
A not-to-be-missed olfactory experience!