Anisha Riggs
Chanel is a renowned fashion house that has been creating perfumes for decades. Chanel No. 5, one of its most iconic fragrances, is crafted from a unique blend of flowers. The perfume is produced using a specific process that involves transforming raw flower petals into a waxy solid, known as concrete, and then into an absolute, a highly concentrated oil. This oil is extracted from flowers grown in fifty acres of land in Pégomas, France, where the Mul family has an exclusive partnership with Chanel to grow jasmine and roses for this purpose. Each bottle of Chanel No. 5 contains the essence of a thousand jasmine flowers and twelve roses, carefully picked and processed to create a luxurious and distinctive scent. The result is a powdery floral fragrance with notes of neroli, jasmine, and sandalwood, offering an extravagant and feminine appeal with a hint of mystery.
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What You'll Learn
Chanel No. 5 contains Pégomas jasmine flowers and roses
Chanel No. 5 is an iconic perfume with a rich history. Created in 1921 by perfumer Ernest Beaux, the fragrance has become synonymous with luxury and elegance. At the heart of this perfume are the delicate and exquisite Pégomas jasmine flowers and roses.
The jasmine flowers used in Chanel No. 5 are not just any ordinary blooms. They are the Jasminum grandiflorum, a variety known for its rare and unique olfactive qualities. With star-shaped, snow-white petals, the jasmine flowers offer a voluptuous, melodious, and heavenly fragrance. The jasmine used in Chanel No. 5 is sourced from the Grasse region in the south of France, specifically from the fields of the Mul family.
The Mul family has been farming in Grasse for generations, and their partnership with Chanel began in 1987. Joseph Mul, who inherited the family farms, continues the legacy of growing the finest flowers across 30 hectares of land. Ninety percent of the jasmine in Grasse is grown on the Mul family farm for exclusive use in Chanel No. 5. The family also grows roses and iris on their fields, which are used in the perfume as well.
The process of harvesting the jasmine and rose flowers is an art in itself. Each gatherer picks 350 grams of flowers per hour, and one kilogram of jasmine represents an astonishing 8,000 flowers. The delicate nature of the flowers requires a specific technique for picking, with Joseph Mul advising, "Pick with both hands at the same time." The flowers are then placed in wicker baskets to allow for air circulation and kept fresh with a damp cloth.
The creation of Chanel No. 5 is a testament to the artistry of perfumery. Olivier Polge, Chanel's head perfumer, describes the process as "la fleur au flacon," capturing the essence of flowers in a bottle. The result is a scent that is complex and expressive, a true signature of Chanel's style and craftsmanship.
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Chanel sources flowers from the Mul family in France
Chanel has been sourcing flowers from the Mul family in France since 1987. The Mul family has an exclusive partnership with Chanel to grow jasmine and roses for their perfumes. The farm, located in Grasse, is spread across fifty acres of land and is known for its unique Mediterranean weather conditions, which make it ideal for growing key perfume ingredients like May rose, geranium, iris, tuberose, and jasmine.
The Muls' farm is home to the largest tuberose field in Europe. The tuberose bulbs are removed from the soil and carefully stored during the winter months of November and December. They are then replanted in April but do not flower for another year or two. When they finally bloom, they are hand-picked early in the morning and placed in burlap bags before being sent for weighing and extraction.
The jasmine harvest at the Mul farm takes place from August to October each year. Around seventy pickers work in the fields, gently plucking individual flowers from the bushes. The fragrance of the jasmine flowers is potent, and the pickers must finish their work by 1 pm before the sun gets too intense and the delicate scent evaporates. Each harvester picks about 350 grams of flowers per hour, and it takes 8,000 jasmine flowers to make one kilogram.
The roses grown on the Mul farm are of the Rosa centifolia variety, also known as "hundred-petal" or "cabbage" roses. These roses are used in Chanel's iconic No. 5 perfume, with twelve roses going into each thirty-millilitre bottle. The partnership between the Mul family and Chanel has allowed the brand to create unique fragrances that showcase the beauty of the flowers grown in this special region of France.
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Chanel's head perfumer is Olivier Polge
Chanel's head perfumer, Olivier Polge, is the fourth nose in Chanel's history. Polge is known for his unique approach to fragrance creation, impressive portfolio of achievements, and unwavering dedication to the art of scent. He is the son of legendary perfumer Jacques Polge, who served as Chanel's in-house perfumer for 37 years. Olivier Polge was born in Grasse, France, and grew up immersed in the world of fragrance. Initially aspiring to become a classical music pianist, his passion for art and scents eventually led him to the world of perfumery.
Polge studied art history and later trained at the prestigious Charabot and ACM fragrance institutions. His journey in perfumery began as an intern at Chanel before he joined International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) as a trainee perfumer in 1998. At IFF, he co-created iconic fragrances such as Dior Homme and Viktor & Rolf's Flowerbomb, earning him widespread recognition and acclaim. In 2009, he received the International Fragrance Prize/Prix International du Parfum for his artistic achievements in perfumery.
In 2013, Chanel announced that Olivier would succeed his father as the house perfumer upon Jacques' retirement. Since then, Olivier has continued to create captivating fragrances for Chanel, including Misia, Boy, Chanel's No. 5 L’eau, and the 2022 men's fragrance Bleu de Chanel. He is known for his minimalist approach to perfume creation, relying on few ingredients, a keen instinct, and disciplined craftsmanship. This abstract methodology allows him to create sophisticated fragrances that evoke the essence of a single raw material or a simple note.
Polge's work on the N°5 L’Eau, released in 2016, showcases his commitment to creating and transforming rather than simply reproducing an existing fragrance. He revisited the foundational elements of the original N°5 but reimagined them with a modern twist. It was fresher and lighter, speaking to contemporary sensibilities while retaining the N°5’s signature complexity. Polge has created over 20 new scents for Chanel, including the latest addition to the Les Exclusif range, Comete.
Chanel's No. 5 perfume is made with jasmine and roses. Each thirty-millilitre bottle of Chanel No. 5 represents the afterlife of a thousand Pégomas jasmine flowers and twelve Pégomas roses.
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Chanel No. 5 is made from Rosa centifolia or hundred petal roses
Chanel No. 5 is made from Rosa centifolia, also known as "hundred petal" roses or cabbage roses. The flower is a delicate pink with light, roundish leaves and fine prickles. Chanel sources these roses from the Mul family estate in Pegomas, France, which has been growing flowers exclusively for Chanel since 1987. The roses are harvested from fifty acres of land, which is difficult to find for non-pollinators. The Muls also grow jasmine, which is another key ingredient in Chanel No. 5.
Rosa centifolia blooms only once a year for about five weeks in May and early June, with prime picking between May 15 and 25. The aroma is described as fragrant and voluptuous, but with an edge. Chanel's head perfumer, Olivier Polge, describes the process of creating the perfume as "la fleur au flacon," or "the flower into the bottle." He compares his work to that of a painter with his special colors, creating a unique Pantone of perfume.
The process of creating Chanel No. 5 begins with the concrete-making phase, where workers dump sack after sack of roses into a giant metal vat. A colorless liquid solvent, hexane, is then pumped into the vat and heated to sixty-eight degrees Celsius. This results in a waxy solid known as concrete. The concrete is then processed further to obtain absolute, a highly concentrated oil that is used in the final perfume.
Each thirty-millilitre bottle of Chanel No. 5 represents the afterlife of a thousand Pégomas jasmine flowers and twelve Pégomas roses. Chanel's perfumer, Polge, emphasizes the importance of using natural ingredients, stating that "a living material gives you an identity that no synthetic can give." The use of roses and jasmine from Grasse contributes to the unique and distinct olfactory quality of Chanel No. 5.
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Chanel's Gabrielle Essence contains notes of jasmine absolute
Chanel's Gabrielle Essence, launched in 2019, is a beautiful floral woody musk fragrance for women. It is a follow-up release to the popular Gabrielle by Chanel. Chanel's head perfumer, Olivier Polge, crafted this Eau de Parfum as an imaginary flower—a radiant and sparkling, purely feminine Chanel blossom based on a bouquet of four white flowers.
The jasmine in Chanel's Gabrielle Essence is notable, with some reviewers commenting on its strong presence in the fragrance. One reviewer noted that the jasmine in Gabrielle Essence is the same jasmine found in vintage fragrances from Maison Chanel almost 50 years ago, highlighting Chanel's commitment to maintaining the cultivation and selected manipulation of its raw materials across generations.
Chanel has long been associated with floral fragrances, and the jasmine flower holds a special significance for the brand. In fact, Chanel has an exclusive partnership with a family in France to grow jasmine and roses specifically for their perfumes, including the iconic Chanel No. 5. Each thirty-millilitre bottle of Chanel No. 5 represents the afterlife of a thousand jasmine flowers and twelve roses, showcasing the brand's dedication to using natural, living materials that give their perfumes a unique identity.
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Frequently asked questions
Chanel perfumes are known for their use of luxurious floral ingredients, including jasmine, roses, and orange flowers. The Chanel No. 5 fragrance, for example, contains Pégomas jasmine flowers and Pégomas roses.
The flowers used in Chanel perfumes are sourced from various regions, including Pégomas, France. Chanel has an exclusive partnership with the Mul family, who grow jasmine and roses for their perfumes in this region.
The flowers used in Chanel perfumes are carefully hand-picked. During the early mornings from August to October, pickers collect jasmine flowers in their wicker baskets.
The process of creating perfume from flowers involves several steps, including traditional fragrance extraction methods. One key step is the concrete-making phase, where flowers are soaked in a solvent to create a waxy solid. This solid is then processed into an absolute, a highly concentrated oil that gives Chanel perfumes their distinctive scents.
