Walk through a garden – especially at dusk – and you’ll smell honeysuckle way before you see it: heady and nectarous, a little like jasmine tinged with vanilla.
Over a hundred species of honeysuckle exist and among the most fragrant are the wild English honeysuckle (Lonicera caprifolium) the Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) and Lonicera fragrantissima, which comes originally from China. (All glorious if you’re looking for scented plants to scramble over a tree or a trellis – although beware with the Japanese variety: it’s so vigorous, it’s regarded as an ‘unwanted weed’ in several states of the USA, as well as in New Zealand.)
Many of us have picked a honeysuckle blossom and sucked the honey from the base – but alas, honeysuckle gives up its dewy sweet nectar a lot more readily than its smell, and the yield of essential oil from these plants is really low. So although honeysuckle’s dried flowers are used in sachets and pot pourri, it’s mostly a synthetic version you’ll encounter twining its way through perfume compositions. (Although some gifted natural perfumers manage recreate the smell of honeysuckle through clever alchemy of other naturals…) Depending on the other notes used, it can enhance a touch of aniseed, blend romantically with other white florals – orange blossom and jasmine – or add a fresh green note…
Smell honeysuckle in:
Goutal Paris Eau de Camille
Goutal Paris Le Chevrefeuille
Britney Spears Believe
Cartier Cartier de Lune
Crabtree & Evelyn Gardenia
Fragonard Fragonard
Fresh Brown Sugar
Givenchy Organza Eau de Toilette
Katy Perry Meow
Lanvin Arpège
Dior Les Creations de Monsieur Dior Diorella
Marc Jacobs Dot
Michael Kors Island
Nina Ricci L’Air
Taylor Swift Wonderstruck
Tommy Hilfiger Tommy Girl
Vera Wang Vera
