Gorse Leaves Perfume

Gorse, a golden yellow bloom

Gorse flowers are grouped in dense clusters at the axil of the upper leaves of the branches. They display a bilateral symmetry. The calyx consists of two broad, pale yellow lips, slightly veined and also covered on their outer face with rather spread-out hairs. Gorse blooms early, starting in February. It is nevertheless in spring that gorse reaches its peak bloom, recognizable by its golden yellow color. Gorse then gives off a sweet, exotic scent reminiscent of coconut. Gorse leaves are few in number. Photosynthesis is therefore carried out, for the most part, by the thorns, which are in fact modified leaves.

Gorse leaves, highly odorous scents

Gorse leaf is still little used in perfumery, as its odor is very potent. Nevertheless, gorse leaf gives off a fresh, sweet, but above all exotic tonality resembling the odor of coconut. Some perfumers have had the audacity to incorporate gorse leaf into their compositions. Gorse leaf can therefore be found within the unisex fragrance Granville by Christian Dior. Of course, Granville echoes the creator's childhood home, the villa Les Rumbs, and François Demachy sought to recreate the whole atmosphere found in Christian Dior's favorite garden. Here, gorse leaves are positioned as a heart note combined with Tyrol pine, and the marine effluvia pair marvelously well with the gorse leaves. Gorse leaves can also be found in the fragrance Burberry Summer for Men released in 2011. In this citrus-aquatic perfume, gorse leaves are found as a heart note mixed with notes of thyme, mint and juniper, bringing both a woody and sweet facet. In 2003, L'Artisan Parfumeur also imagined a fragrance with gorse leaves. Premier Figuier Extrême wonderfully combines fruity notes with green notes and sweet, gourmand notes.

Golden yellow in color, gorse is a very hardy shrub. Gorse leaves, few in number, which transform into thorns, are used in perfumery. They offer soft, fruity and exotic tonalities, reminiscent of coconut scents.