Lemon blossom

Lemon blossom: the citrus flower that lends powerful floral facets to our fragrances. Lemon, and its magnificent fragrant lemon tree blossoms, has been known since the dawn of time for its unique taste and its many health benefits. Although the lemon note has been used since the earliest eaux de Cologne for its citrus facet, the delicate and powdery lemon blossom, at once green and fresh, has only offered its fragrances in fine perfumery for a relatively short time.

The rare and precious lemon blossom note nonetheless releases its scents in lovely floral, oriental or woody bottles.

Lemon and lemon blossom

Born in the south of the Asian continent, lemon and its venerable tree the lemon tree have been known to the Mesopotamians for at least 4000 years. Reputed moreover to be an effective antidote to poison, lemon is said to have protected two prisoners in ancient times from the venom of a viper bite. It is perhaps for this reason that Hindus adorn the necks of their sacred representations with garlands of lemons.

The lemon tree was brought to Europe by Alexander the Great, and its many properties, notably antiseptic, were soon discovered and put to use against the terrible scurvy that afflicted long-haul sailors. From an olfactory standpoint, lemon, or rather its zest, was among the favored raw materials of the earliest eaux de Cologne. The citrus family, born from these eaux de Cologne, was created around these citrus notes made from lemon zest.

As for lemon blossom, it is used in perfumery for its floral and green facets which, although they may be confused with the lemon note, do not resemble it except of course for the citrus facet.

The lemon blossom note in our perfumes

One of the very first creators to use the lemon blossom note in his fragrances was Serge Lutens, with his two perfumes Datura Noir Collection Beige Eau de Parfum and then Fleurs de citronnier.

In the first perfume, an original fruity floral, the lemon blossom note is paired with neroli, petitgrain and nutmeg in the top notes. In Fleurs de citronnier, released in 2004, this ode to the flower, with its sun-kissed and warm lemon tree notes, blends the same raw materials in the top notes while replacing the flower with the lemon tree leaf, so as to present the lemon blossom note in the heart, accompanied by white honey and tuberose. It should be noted, however, that this magnificent ode to the oriental, floral lemon blossom must have suffered from being confused with the lemon note, which led Serge Lutens to assert his stance as an “anti eau de Cologne”.

The lemon blossom note was then often paired with fruity notes to create lovely fruity florals evoking freshness and flower, as with Aquazun and Aquazur by Lancaster, where lemon blossom, used in summery fragrances, appears in the top notes paired with other citrus fruits or with orange blossom.

Although the lemon blossom note is typically associated with floral and feminine fragrances, it can also form beautiful accords in masculine perfumes that showcase its various facets. Thus Bogart Homme paired it with rosemary, while BlackSoul by Ted Lapidus blended it with orange blossom, spices and aromatic notes for a fine aromatic oriental fragrance.