I had a romantic view of my visit to Grasse. If Paris is the home to great perfumeries than Grasse is its heart. But various people gave discouraging views. "It's so industrial," said a friend who has a home not far away in the picture perfect town of Valbonne, which if these medieval villages went by hotel star rating systems would definitely be a five star. A hotelier who asked where we were going next wrinkled his nose and said, "You should have been ten years ago. Or twenty. Grasse has changed." Undeterred, myself and my patiently accommodating husband headed east toward Grasse. When we were about two kilometers from the city I bolted upright in my car seat, frantically rolling down the window, my nose quivering like my dog's when she smells a squirrel on her walk.
The air was full of scent of some unknown flower. We were driving into a cloud of scent. We were driving toward a SCENTED CITY! I was beside myself. In my imagination this was due to field after field of flowers, though unseen, out there somewhere. Later when I would find out that this is the scent the perfume factories emit when in production I was only slightly disappointed. It sure beats the smell of hops that used to emit from the Miller Brewery that I had the misfortune to live beside long ago in my very first apartment when I was twenty-one.
Our hotel was a couple of kilometers outside the city and offered beautiful views of the surrounding countryside from the patio, and it was a great place to relax with a wine after a long day of touring.
Hotel La Bellaudiere, Grasse, France
The next morning we were almost the first ones in the parking garage at the Grasse tourist center, as no cars are allowed in the old part of the town and in fact would be unable to maneuver down the narrow lanes. As I set foot on the town square, which has small brass plaques with the Grasse emblem I felt a thrill. This was a big tick off my bucket list!
We found a coffee shop on the town square and as nothing was yet open we perused our options.
Most perfume shops don't open until eleven so the first stop would be the Musee International de la Parfumerie. I expected to spend a quick hour there, but it turned into an almost three hour visit. The exhibits were much more interesting than I had assumed, especially the first floor which highlights the early origins of perfumery, starting with the Greeks and the Egyptians.
Musee International de la Parfumerie de Grasse, www.museedegrasse.com
Museum exhibits traced the journey of perfumes from the earliest known origins to present day. Even my husband, who does not share my fascination with perfume, found much of interest. There was an exhibit on the origins of the perfume industry in Grasse and I learned that originally fragrance was used to scent the leather for gloves, as Grasse was the center for providing quality leather to the ancient glove making industry. It was in the twelfth century Grasse first became known for its tanneries but an unpleasant side effect was the strong and unpleasant stench which was a byproduct associated with the tanning of leather. Grasse traded with its nearby neighbor, Italy, and over time the leather became popular to produce gloves. The wealthy and royal families who could afford fine gloves did not like the bad scent so eventually the practice of perfuming the leather came into being. The popularity of this practice was ensured when the family Galimard, Grasse tanners, presented Catherine de Medici in Italy with a pair of perfumed gloves. She came to France to marry Henry, Duke of Orleans, who would eventually become King of France, and her influence helped spread the popularity of scented gloves. Even Queen Elizabeth in England adopted wearing the gloves. Below is painting where she is clutching her gloves which were a prized possession.
Google image.
Walking the twisted cobbled streets of Grasse led to fragrant shops and quaint restaurants. I was surprised how few name brand perfumeries have a presence in Grasse, and the big name brands are completely absent. The majority of the shops were more tourist oriented with distilled lavender or homemade soaps. It does seem that there is the beginning of a movement in Grasse to bring back more niche perfumeries.
M. Micallef was launched in Grasse in 1996 by co-founders Martine Micallef and Geoffrey Nejman. From humble beginnings, the brand can now be found in over 900 location points. M. Micallef is known for having some beautiful and luxurious bottles, an offering which perhaps coincides with their entry into the Middle Eastern market. Despite their burgeoning popularity and points of sale, the brand has remained true to its beginnings in Grasse and its door is just off the main square. They have numerous offerings but as roses is a flower crop for which Grass is renowned and I happen to quite like one of the brand's rose perfumes, I chose it to review.
The Roses of Heliogabalus, painted by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema in 1888.
This is a painting I saw in the International Perfume Museum de Grasse. I assume I must have seen a replica as Wikipedia says it is owned by a Spanish billionaire. It is reported that artist Alma-Tadema had rose petals sent each week from the south of France for the four months he spent painting this commissioned work. The painting illustrates a (probably fictional) incident in the life of Roman emperor Elagabalus, when he supposedly released a torrent of petals from a false ceiling onto his dinner guests, smothering some who were unable to crawl from beneath the mass of flower petals. It seems unlikely but it's a good story.
I post this picture because this is how M. Micallef Rose Extreme strikes me on first spray. It as if diving head first into a cart of rose petals and being overcome by the opulence of the smell. The rose is accompanied by osmanthus which here smells like a honeyed apricot and is a beautiful partner to the note of peach. These notes, along with what smells like a luscious and high quality rose oil make this a juicy, almost boozy, fragrant treat. It reminds me a little of the rose ice cream I had a couple of times in Provence. The ice cream was yummy and so is this fragrance.
Fragonard Parfumeur has a huge presence in France and particularly in Grasse. They have a simpler and smaller museum related to perfume and one can also tour the factory to see how perfume is produced.
Photo of Fragonard Parumerie in Grasse, www.lemeilleurestavenir-leblog.com
For the most part Fragonard seems to make lighter perfumes, often featuring a single note, that are fresh and easy to wear. The bottles often have appealing and vivid artwork and in their shop they had many cute gift bags that would appeal to the casual tourist who doesn't have a huge interest in perfume but wants a perfumed gift. Every year Fragonard features a note and for 2018 that note is Verveine.
Just down the street from the Fragonard shop is the Musee Fragonard, featuring artwork by Jean-Honore Fragonard, 1732-1806. Jean-Honore's father was a glove maker but he was sent to an art academy when his talent became apparent at a young age. Fragonard would go on to paint in the Rococo style, featuring scenes of fabulously dressed subjects partaking in various manner of flirtation. The French revolution put an end to the popularity of this style of frivolity and it would only be many years after his death that his paintings were once again appreciated. Below is a portrait that hangs in the museum.
Jeune fille deliverant un oiseuau du sa cage, Jean-Honore Fragonard, 1770-1772
If you are visiting Grasse you can also tour museums at Molinard and Gallimard, but unfortunately my time in Grasse ran out before I was able to visit.
I couldn't end a post about Grasse without mentioning a perfume I have worn for years, DSH Perfumes Parfum de Grasse; in fact, it was one of my earliest acquisitions from the talented Dawn Spencer Hurwitz's line. Dawn is an American perfumer, not French, but like many before her she was inspired when she visited the city which is the birthplace of perfumes. Dawn says that her visit to the south of France also happened to be on her honeymoon!
"We visited Grasse in May, during the rose festival, and were lucky enough to get a behind-the-scenes tour of Grasse, which included a trip to the fields of roses and jasmine grown exclusively for Chanel," said Dawn. "The orange blossom trees were in bloom, as were the mimosa and cassia trees. It was the most magical day and that is what I wished to portray in Parfum De Grasse."
Dawn says on her website that Parfums de Grasse is, "A Hymn. A homage to the City of Perfumes." I love when Dawn does vintage and this perfume definitely has that vintage feel of fine French perfume. The opening it a dazzling shaft of light presented in the form of bergamot that smells as if it has been distilled into a rich golden chardonnay wine. The very French note of mimosa flower is in the opening as well, along with neroli. I find the mimosa faint, just adding a honeyed sweetness. Floral notes of carnation, rose, iris, and jasmine slowly creep in, but it is the rose and carnation which will have the biggest presence, at least to my nose. The structure is enveloped in a French beeswax which smells so true to life, with that musky sweetness and honeyed effect. Base notes of Brazilian vetiver, sandalwood, and oakmoss round off the classic feel of this fragrance. The notes in Parfum de Grasse give a nod to typical French-style notes: rose, jasmine, and mimosa. The bergamot opening and the oakmoss finish give the perfume a chypre structure, minus the labdanum. This is a perfume I put on to feel polished to perfection and a little dressy. It's more subtle on me than the notes might sound, but deeply beautiful. This perfume is 98 percent botanical.
A final thought, how cool is this? Walking down a lane towards the Fragonard museum this perfumed mist was dispersing a veil of scent from above.
www.TheSageLifestyle.com
All perfumes my own. All photos my own unless otherwise labeled.
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