Geranium in perfumery: a green, minty rose
Pelargonium graveolens: the leaves are distilled, not the flowers
A useful correction first: the perfumer's geranium has nothing to do with the red pots on balconies. Those are horticultural Pelargoniums, selected for the flower, and their smell interests no one. The raw material is Pelargonium graveolens, a plant native to South Africa whose leaves and young stems are harvested, before or during flowering, for steam distillation. The flowers themselves are of no use. The yield is low — several hundred kilos of foliage are needed for a litre of essence — which explains the price of a material that is nonetheless widely grown. Three origins dominate, and they do not smell alike: Bourbon from La Reunion, the most sought after, rosy and distinctly minty; Egypt, today the most common production, greener and more rustic; and China, more lemony and more affordable. It is also grown in Morocco and Madagascar.
What does geranium smell like?
Like a rose stripped of its sugar. The essence is rich in geraniol and citronellol, exactly the molecules that make the smell of rose, which is why it long served as an affordable substitute for it. But the resemblance stops there. Geranium is greener, drier, more brittle: it keeps the taste of the crushed leaf, a clear bitterness, and never that jammy roundness a rose can take on. Two very recognisable facets are added to that: a minty and peppery edge, which comes from isomenthone, and an almost metallic, cold flash that gives the note its sharpness. It sits between rose and carnation, on the green side. It is a heart note: it settles after a few minutes, lasts several hours, and it projects a great deal — dosed too generously, it takes over everything.
Geranium perfumes at Le Soleil d'Or
Fougere Royale by Houbigant shows it in its historic role, between lavender and oakmoss: this is the accord that founded the family. KNIZE TEN by Knize Ten sets it on a severe 1924 leather, where it brings the only floral clarity. Grey Flannel by Geoffrey Beene takes it towards outright green, with galbanum and violet. The contemporary readings are gentler: Gozo by Jeroboam, signed by Vanina Muracciole, melts it into a musky floral, and Orencie by Chambre52, composed by Caroline Dumur, draws a clean, luminous rosy reading from it.
Geranium accords and fragrance families
Its main place is in fougere perfumes, where it hinges between lavender, tonka bean and oakmoss: it is what gives those compositions their floral relief without feminising them. For the same reason it appears in chypre perfumes, with bergamot and patchouli, and in leather perfumes, where its green bitterness keeps the leather from turning heavy. With vetiver and galbanum it composes dry green perfumes; with rose itself, it acts as a lightener and keeps it from turning syrupy. Finally, aromatic perfumes use it alongside sage and basil.
Who is it for, and when?
The material has no gender, but its history does: in the West, a century of fougeres, eaux de toilette and aftershave lotions tied it to the men's wardrobe, and many people recognise it without being able to name it, as the smell of shaving soap. It may as well be said plainly: that is also what makes some find it dated. In the Middle East and in India, where it has always accompanied rose, it carries none of those connotations. Its green freshness points it towards spring and the in-between seasons, and it holds up well in heat, provided you accept that the metallic facet comes out more on warm skin. It is a projecting note: in meetings or open-plan offices, keep to a light spray.
How to choose your geranium perfume
Start by working out which side you are after: the rosy geranium, soft and close to the flower, or the green aromatic one, dry and slightly metallic. Those are two different experiences and the word does not tell them apart. Second reflex: try it on skin rather than on a blotter — the metallic facet varies a great deal from one person to another, and it is what decides whether you like the note. The bespoke discovery box brings together five 2 mL samples composed by hand, each to be worn for a full day. To get your bearings, compare an aromatic, historic geranium such as Fougere Royale with a contemporary floral reading such as Gozo.
Geranium at Le Soleil d'Or, a Lille perfumery since 1953
Founded in 1953 by Jeanne Muyllaert on the Grand'Place in Lille, Le Soleil d'Or is an independent perfumery passed down from one generation to the next. Hubert Maes (third generation) turned it into a reference for niche perfumery; today his daughters Victorine and Apolline Maes (fourth generation) uphold the same standards at 22 rue de la Clef, Lille (59800). Our team will let you smell the geranium perfumes in the catalogue, with expert advice and guided trials, and can point you in the right direction using our guide to fragrance families.
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