Jasmine smells sweet, heady and animal at once, with a honeyed top, a fruity apricot facet and a dark, almost skin-like undertone from indole. Perfumers often call it the king of flowers.
Two species dominate the industry: Jasminum grandiflorum (jasmine de Grasse), known for a ripe, fruity richness, and Jasminum sambac, mostly harvested in India and Egypt, which reads greener and more tea-like. Flowers are picked by hand before sunrise, when the scent is strongest, and extracted with volatile solvents to yield a concrete, then an absolute. A kilogram of absolute takes roughly seven million flowers.
Jasmine is a heart note and one of the most versatile florals. It features in almost every feminine classic (Joy, N°5, Samsara) and increasingly in masculine and unisex compositions, where it adds fullness to citrus, warmth to woods and sensuality to musks.
Jasmine blooms on skin in warm weather and evenings, which is when its indolic side comes forward.
