Lavender is perfumery’s great chameleon. Few materials have been as influential, as misunderstood, or as versatile. It can smell crisp and freshly washed, warm and honeyed, smoky and spiritual, or sensual enough to anchor one of the most seductive perfumes ever created.
It always befuddles me when people associate lavender exclusively with soap, linen sprays, or aromatherapy, because the lavender that perfumers treasure bears little resemblance to these everyday associations. In the hands of a master perfumer, lavender becomes infinitely more complex—a material capable of bridging the worlds of herbs and flowers, freshness and warmth, masculinity and femininity, tradition and innovation.
Understanding lavender is therefore key to understanding one of the foundations upon which modern perfumery was built.
For paid subscribers, a master class on lavender, along with sample accord formulas, studies of my favorite lavender perfumes and a walk through the material’s different uses.