Magnolia is one of those blowsy white floral ingredients that perfumers just love, love, love: creamily sweet, but with a fresh edge to its petal power. Unlike rose or jasmine, which are more familiar, you may never have smelled a magnolia up close – but this family of flowering trees is worth sniffing out, especially the Magnolia grandiflorum variety.
There are around 200 different types of magnolia (named after a renowned French botanist, Pierre Magnol, who came up with the concept of classifying flora into ‘plant families’).
Magnolias originate in both Asia and the Americas, and are thought to be one of the most ancient flowering plants, dating back to prehistoric times: it’s quite a thought that dinosaurs would have seen magnolias blossom… (Though they wouldn’t have been able to dab magnolia on their pulse-points, of course…)
Sometimes, magnolia’s given a starring role in a scent – but it’s there in many a white floral…
Smell magnolia in:
Acqua di Parma Magnolia Nobile
Britney Spears Curious
Burberry Sport for Women
Chloé Eau de Parfum
Creed Love in White
Dior Dolce Vita
Donna Karan DKNY Be Delicious
Estée Lauder Sensuous
Guerlain L’Instant de Guerlain Eau de Toilette
Lancôme Miracle Intense
Serge Lutens L`Eau Serge Lutens
Nina Ricci L’Air
Revlon Charlie Silver
