Der Duft Grasse photo by perfumer and founder Anselm Skogstad
“Odors have a power of persuasion stronger than that of words, appearances, emotions, or will. The persuasive power of an odor cannot be fended off, it enters into us like breath into our lungs, it fills us up, imbues us totally. There is no remedy for it.” ~ Patrick Süskind, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
Still from Ridley Scott “A Good Year” (2006) Russell Crowe and Marion Cotillard
One need only breathe a mere mention of the city of Grasse – the Grande Dame -, and I am wash in fragrant memory. My intimacy with Provence and Grasse in particular goes back to 1971, when I sought them with a pilgrim’s fervor at 17 on my own terms, with my own hard-earned income. The renowned usines of Molinard, Fragonard and Gallimard rang in my blood like an anthem not to be denied. When I sampled Anselm Skogstad’s fragrances, I saw one vial labeled Der Duft Grasse and gravitated towards it like a bee. After all, I’m always curious about how other people perceive this venerable city.
Vintage travel poster via all posters
To visit Grasse is to be surrounded by abundant floral aromas: in hilly areas, lavender is plentiful and can be trodden upon along with a variety of wild herbs. For me, this is happiest done in bare feet – with resins clinging stubbornly to the skin as one climbs, the crunch of twigs and stems underfoot releasing immediately gratifying perfume. One such image which lingers over time is that of goats grazing amid this savage beauty from my window in an old pension, clotheslines blowing in the wind heavily laden with fresh laundry. I love the wildly disordered array of gardens far more than carefully-manicured, stylized ones. Both can be found without effort here.
Gustave Boulanger: “The Flower Girl”, 1888, Private collection.
It comes as no surprise then, that large companies such as Dior and Chanel cultivate their own roses and jasmine around the environs of Grasse, which is favorably geographically situated: inland, protected from sea air, abundant water sources and irrigation. Roses were native, but jasmines were brought to southern France in the 16thC. by the Moors, and are now an integral cultivar. Anselm Skogstad makes ample use of these mainstays of perfumery, first employing dizzying aldehydes and brilliant bergamot to cleanse the olfactory palate. Our roses and jasmine (such legendary lovers) commingle with the ripe, fleshy sweetness of magnolia, coolly silvered iris, honeyed lotus blossom and a green/woody fig note. This melange feels like classical French perfumery – elegant, well-balanced and extremely pleasurable to wear. The patchouli and vanilla snuggled into the base reveal themselves as delicately earthy, a liberal dusting of dressing table powder – quite expensive – which is quite different from Grasse’s initial impression. Its drydown feels more resinous, vanillic and whispery soft. At this stage in its development the flowers of Der Duft Grasse fade, and what remains is the dust of aromatic memory: the grande dame slumbers. Notes: bergamot, lotus, rose, lavender, jasmin, magnolia, aldehyde, fig, patchouli, iris, vanilla
Please enjoy our reviews of other Der Duft fragrances: Bubble, Monopteros, and Cinematic.
Samples generously provided by Anselm Skogstad – many thanks! My nose is my own…
Thanks to the generosity of Anselm Skogstad we have a 50 ml bottle of Der Duft Grasse (a limited edition) for one registered reader Worldwide. You must register here. To be eligible, please leave a comment with what sparks your interest based on Ida’s review of Grasse and where you live. Draw closes 3/28/2021
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