This post both strikes the nerve and 'tickles tha fancy' for me -
as it is both the major frustration and the major exciting challenge for any perfumer - the Impossible Materials -
highly desirable for their beautiful scents yet non-existent in extracted form - like Muguet (Lily of the Valley), but also Peonies, Violets and Lilac* (or at least not commercially available, or just banned - like Fig Leaf absolute).
With the asterisk first are the marginally good news - there are some very rare (and of course very expensive) extracts that come on occasions to the market, of Lilac CO2 for instance -But it is very faint and does not really smell like the living blooms, so it's even more disappointing. Also, I still have a real extrait d'Enfleurage of Violets - meaning it is an alcoholic solution made by washing Enfleurage pomade of the Violets' flowers, and it contains approximately 5% of the essence - making it very delicate and faint material (and it is not available anymore).
There are a couple of artisan heroes worldwide who make Enfleurage Pomades - not fully pure essences - but mixture of the carriers like wax and solid fats with the fragrant essence absorbed into them, and I know of with certainty about such exquisite materials from 'Wild Veil Perfumes' run by Abby Hinsman (in USA), who has the pomade of the real Lily of the Valley (and Lilac and many other real treasures).
While indeed this is an amazing achievement - through astounding, crazy amount of artisan labour - these materials have their serious shortcomings -
the enfleruage pomades are low-percentage mixtures of the delicate scent absorbed into a fatty-waxy carrier - meaning they are not easy to use in perfumery work (incompatible in that form with alcoholic mixtures, or even with other essences), and they are very subtle - faint, mellow fragrances (and that is the biggest issue - low concentration). One can of course buy quite a bit of such pomade and with alcohol washing a devoted craftsman can extract the essence from the fatty carrier, and then - if one wishes to continue from this Extrait to the pure essence - a vacuum separation of the alcohol will eventually yield the pure Absolute D'Enfelurage - but in my estimate such extracted essence of say Lily of the Valley would cost as much as high-high-end wild Oud - even if one's labour and production costs would not to be counted in (if you work as a free and skilled slave) - and that's the good news.
The bad news is that there is NO successful fully natural reconstructions of Lily of the Valley, or Lilac, or Fig Leaf for that matter- I've studied the matter for as long as I am into the Aromatic World, and I've explored the subject through numerous experiments, and I still keep trying (but not only by natural materials).
If you are interested to look into chemistry of many fragrant natural treasures - in one place, check the archives of Bojensen.net (and there is plenty of analytical research about each plant through Google Scholar).
So here are some options though 🙂 approximations:
First, Lily of the Valley -
fresh bright floral, yet also green, even woodsy -
- so the core for the accord would be Rose, specifically ottos - hydrodistilled, with sparkling, somewhat citrusy opening - Roses and Muguet share many chemicals in their compositions; but also the Bourbon Rose (from India) may be considered as secondary rose-modifier - with its musty, wild-greenery undertones;
- main Floral Modifiers - Jasmine (auriculatum), Ylang Ylang, Tuberose, Wild Narcissus (which I personally prefer in this context - for its green edge), Orange Blossom, even Gardenia, Hyacinth and Tobacco flower absolutes (when rarely available) - 2-4 %%;
- fresh-green modifiers - Galbanum, Black Currant Buds absolute (Burgeons de Cassis) or Buchu, Hemp (Cannabis) oil - there is a material called Germacrene D present both in Muguet and in Cannabis buds; Hyssop, Thyme and Tomato leaf absolutes as well; the powerful green modifiers - in fractions of a percent (0.1.-0.8%); also Cis-3-Hexenol as natural isolate - so-called 'Leaf Alcohol' is essential for recreating that green-fresh edge - also in the Fig Leaf; and it is extremely powerful material; also, its Acetate form can be useful (it is a bit softer and has somewhat fruitier inclination);
the woody undertone - Beta-Ionone - exists as natural isolate - very useful (also for Violets' reconstruction) and also very poweruful - needed in the range of 0.001-0.05 %%, and if your overdose - that will smell like some fabulous root or wood - but not the lily flower;
- some other minor yet influential modifiers to consider (also in traces - fractions of percent) - Linden blossom absolute, May Chang (Litsea), Cabreuva, Ambrette seed, Patchouli, Helichrysum (Immortelle), Oakmoss, Clary Sage, Wintergreen, Mimosa (decurrens or dealbata) - all these have some (minor) chemical overlap with the composition of Muguet, and in traces may bring a certain facet of that impossible flower to life...
Lastly, there are other flowering plants that supposedly smell (close enough) like Lily of the Valley - but they are not available in any form of essence, but one of them I've personally smelled in bloom is promising - it is Japanese Berberis or Mahonia, a garden-decorative bush with very abundant blooming and quite similar scent - maybe someone will extract it one day...
2. Fig Leaf -
green and creamy
- the main body is suave greenery - Clary Sage, Rosemary absolute (very different material from the distilled essence), Olive leaf green absolute, green Patchouli, Lavender (also in the form of Absolute - it has hay-like edge and sometimes -fruity undertones - like in the Bulgarian variety), Hay abs., Cannabis-Hemp (very useful), Ormenis flower (Moroccan, or Wild, Chamomile);
- essential creamy-milky modifiers - usually these are very impactful - so only fractions of percent needed: - Palo Santo (significant differences from batch to batch, and also the aging has major changing influence on its very complex scent profile - some may be very close to the Fig leaf, some have none of it), Mango leaf abs. (love it for the highly original exotic-humid vibe), Gamma-Octalactone natural isolate, also so called 'Aldehyde C-18' natural isolate - not an aldehyde at all but a lactone - this one is very intense coconut-like and more difficult to dose - needed in traces - less than 0.1%, or else you will end up with Coconut instead of Fig;
- secondary modifiers - Opopanax, Tolu balsam, Indian Frankincense (serrata), Gallica and Musk Rose absolutes, Stinging Nettle abs. (very interesting gourmand-like rich-sweet greenery), Beeswax (Honey) absolute, Violet leaf absolute, Cis-3-Hexenyl Acetate natural isolate (fruity-green, very intense), Laurel leaf absolute (again, very different material from the distilled essential oil), Rhododendron eo, Vanilla and rectified Bitter Almond essential oil (here in EU it is openly available) - most of those needed in only fractions of percent (except Roses).
As you can see, the general idea for the both of these examples is to create a roughly approximating core - then adding numerous minute modifiers - in traces, that bring on accents and facets - to the core aroma.
And now all that writing made me somehow hungry 🙂 so the earlier planned chapter about Fruits' fragrances will come tomorrow 🙂
cheers
