What kind of plant is ylang-ylang? How does it look and how does it smell? And in what spirits is ylang-ylang? Who was the first to use the essential oil of these flowers in perfumery? About this and not only our article will tell. We will reveal the secret of the effect of this flower and smell on the human mind and body. After all, this tropical plant is used both in medical cosmetology and in aromatherapy. But first of all, we want to talk about what are the perfumes with notes of this plant and what famous brands deal with it.
Amazing Cananga Odorata
A small evergreen tree does not seem to be anything interesting. It is widespread in the wild in flat rain forests and thickets of vines from Southeast Asia to Northern Australia. But scientists have discovered that fragrant kananga is the first of the flowering trees on the planet. It gives nondescript green fruits. But his flowers are amazing. Again, not in appearance. They look like wilted flowers or yellow leaves. But the smell! It is because of the aroma that the Tagalogs (inhabitants of the Philippines) called the plant ylang-ylang. Tautologies cannot be avoided: in translation this means "a flower of all colors." The smell of these greenish-yellow or faded pinkish petals is simply divine. And this opinion is shared by all residents of countries where fragrant kananga grows.
Much earlier than the first perfumes with ylang-ylang were released, the inhabitants of Southeast Asia began to cultivate this plant for their needs. True, they did not make perfumes, but used fresh flowers. In Indonesia, for example, even today no wedding is complete without ylang-ylang garlands. In the Philippines, fragrant smoke from dried flowers is used in religious and magical rites. It is widely believed that fragrant kananga is a strong aphrodisiac. Therefore, garlands of flowers are laid at the head of the newlyweds.
The smell of ylang-ylang: description
Specialists define this fragrance as deep, rich, rich, characteristic. Ylang-ylang perfumes are usually unique. Even if they consist of only one ingredient - essential oil of fragrant kananga flowers - an entire orchestra of aromas sounds in them. Perfumers believe that kananga combines the smells of neroli, jasmine, gardenia and orchids. Only the "flower of all colors" sounds much more tender, sweeter, more delightful. Naturally, the tree began to be cultivated in a long era. Flowers were picked at dawn and essential oil was extracted from them by steam distillation. This plant is cultivated now. Madagascar, Reunion, Java and Sumatra, Indonesia and the Philippines are planted with fragrant cananga plantations. But the leader in world supply of flowers is the Comoros. They account for thirty percent of all essential oil exports.
Introducing Europeans to Ylang Ylang
The women of Southeast Asia were the first to experience the divine aroma. Along the Great Silk Road, oil, known as an aphrodisiac, penetrated the countries of the Middle East, where it was widely used in harems. Europeans became acquainted with kananga much later. In Victorian England, it was used as lipstick for hair. A little more time passed, and there was a demand for oil perfumes with ylang-ylang. The high-quality oil from the flowers of this plant was first made by the German pharmacist F. Steck, who owned the Botica Boye pharmacy on Luzon Island, Philippines. He presented his creation at the Paris World Exhibition of 1878. In the capital of world perfumery, a new fragrance caused a sensation. He was so unlike the already known flowers. But the fashion for kananga came only in the twentieth century.
"Chanel number 5"
The first ever alcoholic (non-oil) perfumes with ylang-ylang were born in Paris in 1921. Gabriel (Coco) Chanel instructed leading perfumer Ernest Bo to make “the perfect fragrance for a woman” for her. He introduced her to several samples, simply named by number. Chanel chose No. 5. It was a composition in which the aromas of ylang-ylang, rose and jasmine were organically interwoven. When the perfumer asked the customer what she would call the new perfumes, she replied that they would go on sale on the fifth of the fifth month. So, let them remain number 5. With a light hand, Coco Chanel ylang-ylang has become widely used in European perfumes. Not all perfumes with him automatically fall into the category of oriental sweets. The kananga is very complex. At the tip of the perfume, it sounds airy and light. And if it is used in the database, then it creates a delightful, sweet, powdery trail. Ylang-ylang is very "livable" with other colors. Perfumers often combine it with orange blossom, tuberose, jasmine, mimosa, bergamot, sandalwood and rosewood.
Sensory Impact
The tree gives small fruits that taste like juniper berries. But, despite the fact that they are edible, not for this cultivate kananga. Women's perfumes with ylang-ylang (there is such an opinion) have a magical gift to turn the head of any man and kindle love in his heart - to the owner of the fragrance, of course. The inhabitants of the Philippines used the essential oil obtained from these flowers for medical purposes. It calms the nervous system, relieves anxiety, tension, tunes to an optimistic mood. It is used both for insomnia and depression, and for the treatment of migraines. Ylang-ylang oil has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the heart and normalizes blood pressure. In medical cosmetology, it is used for hair loss and weakening, to strengthen nails, to combat excessive skin greasy. And in Southeast Asia, the fragrant kanga is widely used in the food industry. It is added as a flavoring to creams, pastries and even chewing gum. But since this substance has a strong aroma, its high concentration can cause allergies or dizziness.
Precious Elixir
Perfumes with the scent of ylang-ylang (if real essential oil is used, rather than synthetic material) are quite expensive. This is due to the exotic tree and the difficulty of collecting flowers. Only fragrant cananga is grown from seeds. Despite the fact that the trunk grows very quickly, the first flowers appear only in the fifth year of life of the tree. It is carefully trimmed, because the lower the crown, the more delightful the flowers smell. In the jungle, their aroma is heard over many hundreds of meters, and in the wind even further. The flower itself blooms within three weeks. It reaches the highest concentration of oil when it acquires a saturated yellow color. They are collected at dawn and immediately processed. To create one gram of aromatic liquid, you need 500 g of flowers.
Less precious elixir
Through the efforts of breeders, a cultivar of fruticosis was created, which can replace ylang-ylang in perfumes. This dwarf tree, rather even a shrub, is interesting in that it gives fragrant flowers in the first year of life, when the sprout reaches a height of only 25 centimeters. And the small size of the plant (in adulthood it is only one and a half to two meters) allows you to grow it in greenhouses. The smell of fruticose flowers resembles ylang-ylang. However, its aroma is not so strong and heady. Nevertheless, the dwarf cultivar has gained popularity among gardeners from northern latitudes. To have a fragrant tree that fills the whole house with a tropical scent - isn't that a miracle? In addition, fruticose flowers are more beautiful than ylang-ylang. They have the tips of the petals twisted inside, which makes the buds resemble exotic octopuses.
Famous perfumes with notes of ylang-ylang. Estie Lauder
After the success of Chanel No. 5, European perfumers took up the development of this tropical ingredient. Ylang-ylang began to actively include leading perfume brands in the compositions. Here we list only a few. “Esti Lauder” in its private collection released the fragrance “Amber Ylang-Ylang”. The two main ingredients - sunny amber and kananga flowers - dominate the pyramid, creating a warm and sweet composition. Complement it, but tactfully, creating only the background, notes of vanilla and sandalwood. This perfume is best revealed in the cold season. Fashion house Estee Lauder was not limited to just one use of ylang-ylang in his perfume. He soon released Sensuous. In this fragrance, the flower cananga flower of the organically combined with jasmine, black pepper, lily and sandalwood.
Dior
The illustrious fashion house incorporated a tropical fragrance by making J Adore L'Absolu (perfume). Ylang-ylang is particularly evident in the version of the perfume, released in 2007 through the efforts of François Demachy. It sounds exciting, gentle, airy. Probably, this impression is formed because the ylang-ylang begins to play the “first violin” already in an overture. At the heart of the fragrance, its powerful solos are complemented by rose, tuberose and jasmine. The base is woven from warm and sweet oriental notes of sandalwood and white musk. But no, no, and mischievous fruity notes slip in this loop.
The aroma of ylang-ylang is clearly felt in another creation of Dior, Poison, produced in 1985 (purple bottle). The composition is positioned as sweet, oriental, floral. In it, perfumer Eduard Fleshier combined ylang-ylang with a whole chorus of components with which the tropical flower coexists very organically.
"Clinics", "Givenchy" and "Elizabeth Arden"
Clinique's Aromatics Elixir is a classic in floral chypre. Ylang-ylang in these modern women's perfumes sounds along with a rose, jasmine, vetiver, sandalwood, chamomile, lily of the valley, amber and patchouli. Fifth Avenue by Elizabeth Arden is considered a symbol of success and luxury. In this vibrant urban flavor, ylang-ylang is in the heart, along with tuberose and jasmine. The tip of the pyramid are notes of lilac, bergamot, linden and lily of the valley. A warm plume is supported by sandalwood, vanilla, Tibetan musk and ambergris. Another women's perfume with patchouli and ylang-ylang is Ysatis from Zhivensha. This rich chypre floral aroma was created for an evening appearance. The sweetness of the ylang idang is beautifully balanced by orange blossom, mandarin, jasmine and honey.
Ylang Ylang Perfume: reviews
This flower exudes a fragrance that just takes you to a dreamland. It seems to aggravate all feelings, making the heart beat faster. Despite the fact that all users define the fragrance of ylang-ylang as “sweet,” perfumes with its participation are liked by lovers of aldehyde and aquatic aromas. By the way, Kananga flowers were used in another Chanel - No. 22. And these perfumes were a huge success, as was Chanel No. 5, the oldest perfume for a year. Ylang-ylang - at the tip of the pyramid, in the heart of the composition or in its base - use and modern fragrance creators. Suffice it to recall the Jean Paul Gaultier Classique, “Chamade” by “Guerlain” or “Shiseido Murasaki”, beloved by consumers.