The story of this fragrance begins millions of years ago. Magnolias are so ancient their pollination required beetles. Bees, like humans, did not exist at the dawn of the flower’s existence. Perfumer Michel Roudnitska was drawn to the ancient enigma, the Magnolia grandiflora trees of his childhood summers planted a seed: “I was so fascinated by this unusual scent I decided that one day I would reproduce it. It took forty years to fulfill this dream and the right person to launch it.”
This fragrance was made not only as a nostalgic ode to Michel’s childhood, but as a gift to Saskia in remembrance of their dear friend Sandrine Videault, who sadly and suddenly passed away. It was she who created Grandiflora’s original Magnolia scent, Grandiflora Magnolia – Sandrine.
In contrast to Sandrine’s version, this magnolia is rich and creamy with a hint of green freshness on the top. The nostalgic scent of magnolias at dusk a summer day, the floral notes become headier as the sun begins to set. There is a creamy and delicate floral tone that comes alive in that moment between light and dark. A beautiful ode to complete the magnolia story that Sandrine began.
NOTES
Top: Lemon, Bergamot, Grapefruit
Middle: Magnolia, Jasmine, Ylang Ylang
Base: Patchouli, Vetiver, Musk
PERFUMER
Michel Roudnitska
HOW IT WEARS
The opening of this fragrance is bursting with citrus potency, but after a few minutes it sinks into a slightly powdery, fresh white floral. The creaminess of jasmine and the warmth of ylang ylang compliment the magnolia perfectly, the citrus notes helping to ensure the floral notes don’t become too heady or overwhelming. The dry down reveals some greener, earthier notes, with a little spice from some vetiver. This fragrance is an Eau de Parfum with a longevity of about 6 – 8 hours, however we really get around 6 hours with this particular scent.
LORE LOVES
We love how this fragrance is an olfactory ode to Saskia’s friend, Sandrine. It’s the fragrance of the last moments of the life of the magnolia flower, when the sun is setting, and light is fading. It takes its last breath before it throws itself apart and its thick, yellowed petals cascade onto the ground. The transient, compelling beauty of the magnolia, and of life.
ABOUT THE BRAND
“I cannot do without flowers. They are my muse, my passion, my world.”
– Grandiflora founder, Saskia Havekes.
In 1995, Saskia opened her flower shop, Grandiflora, in Potts Point, Sydney. The name draws its inspiration from the Magnolia grandiflora, Saskia’s favourite flower. Magnolias have existed for tens of millions of years, making them representative of the immense beauty and power of nature. The Grandiflora fragrance collection is born from Saskia’s love for flowers and want to capture and distil the rarity of transient scented flowers. Complex, subtle and vivid, the enigma of these flowers has yielded six distinct and original fragrances.
Saskia’s first fragrance mission was to create an ode to her beloved Magnolia grandiflora. This resulted in the birth of Magnolia Grandiflora – Sandrine and Magnolia Grandiflora – Michel, the former inspired by a magnolia at the beginning of its life cycle, the latter at the end.
Then came Madagascan Jasmine, a fragrance with great subtlety and a spiritual integrity that captures the glory and intensity of the stunning white flower. Next was Boronia, an elegy to Australian native flowers, inspired by Saskia’s bush childhood. Using another “impossible” flower, Grandiflora then developed the mystical Queen of the Night, an homage to the enigmatic cactus flower that blooms only once a year in the heart of the night.
Finally, in celebration of 25 years of Grandiflora, Saskia launched her namesake fragrance. Saskia is an ambitious evocation; its layered beauty of contrasts reaches for both the scents and the sensibility of one of the world’s most intriguing little flower shops. This fragrance was the 2022 Art and Olfaction Awards winner for an Independent fragrance.
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