Immortelle Perfume — honey, hay and curry

Immortelle in perfumery: the flower that smells of honey and hay

Portrait of immortelle, flower of poor soils

Immortelle, or Italian helichrysum, is a small member of the daisy family found around the Mediterranean. It grows on the dry, poor soils of Corsica, the Balkans, Italy and Spain, in silvery tufts topped with yellow flowers gathered in clusters. Its name comes from there: once cut, those flowers keep their colour for months. Perfumery draws an absolute from it, obtained by solvent extraction of the flowering tops, as well as an essential oil by distillation. Yields are low, which makes it an expensive material. Long reserved for cosmetic uses, it entered the perfumer's palette late in the twentieth century and never left.

What does immortelle smell like?

Immortelle is one of the most recognisable materials in the palette. It smells of warm honey, cut hay and maple syrup, with the curry facet that unsettles on first contact. Add to that a medicinal bitterness, a dried-fruit side and a nuance of blond tobacco. On skin it rounds out: the curry retreats, honey and salted caramel take over. It is a powerful, tenacious note that holds for hours and projects widely even in very small amounts. Perfumers dose it carefully: a few tenths of a percent are enough to colour an entire formula.

Immortelle fragrances at Soleil d'Or

Cuir Velours by Naomi Goodsir gives arguably the most accomplished reading: immortelle melts into an accord of leather, tobacco and rum until it feels like dark velvet. Musc Immortel by Atelier des Ors takes the opposite path and softens it in a musky halo, brighter and far easier to wear daily. Le chant d'Achille by Hellenist places it in a solar, mineral setting where its honeyed warmth evokes Mediterranean scrubland. Le Mat by Mendittorosa uses it as the thread of a narrative composition. Four very different readings of the same flower, from dark velvet to musky clarity, each placing the curry facet at a different distance.

Accords and olfactory families

Immortelle needs materials able to answer it. It extends labdanum and vanilla, agrees with tonka bean, whose hay facet it shares, and gets along very well with leather, which it renders sweeter. Citrus placed at the opening tempers its curry side. You will find it mostly in amber compositions, salted gourmands and leathers, rarely in fresh structures, where its density feels out of place. A few modern florals use it against type, to give an edge to bouquets that would otherwise stay too smooth. Musks, finally, act as a cross-fade and make its density considerably easier to live with day to day.

Who is it for, and when?

Immortelle belongs to no gender. Its honeyed richness appeals to women and men alike, while its tobacco facet gives it a footing often associated with masculine perfumes. It is an autumn and winter material: cold air holds its trail and softens its bitterness. Worn in high summer, it can quickly become overwhelming. Save it for evenings and weekends, for moments when a marked signature is welcome. The noses in our selection, such as Anne-Sophie Behaghel, handle it with restraint. It speaks to the curious, to those who enjoy frank, slightly unsettling scents that later become familiar.

How to choose an immortelle perfume

Immortelle asks for a patient trial: the first minute can surprise you, and the following half hour changes everything. Never judge it on a paper strip alone. Test it at home over several days instead: our custom discovery box gathers five hand-filled 2 mL samples, which leaves time to get used to the material. Riviera Lazuli makes a gentle entry point, where immortelle stays solar rather than medicinal. If you are in Lille, a guided trial in the boutique avoids many mistakes: we spray, you go for a walk, you come back an hour later with your verdict.

Immortelle at Soleil d'Or, a Lille perfumery since 1953

Founded in 1953 by Jeanne Muyllaert on the Grand'Place in Lille, Soleil d'Or is an independent perfumery passed down through the generations. Hubert Maës (third generation) made it a niche perfumery reference; today his daughters Victorine and Apolline Maës (fourth generation) uphold that standard at 22 rue de la Clef, Lille (59800). Our team walks you through every immortelle fragrance in the catalogue with expert advice and guided trials, and can point you to our guide to fragrance families.

Shipping & free in-store collection in Lille

Within mainland France, Colissimo shipping is free from €49 to a pickup point and from €79 to your door. Across Europe it is free from €90 to a pickup point and from €120 to your door; we also ship internationally. Live in Lille or the metropolitan area? Free in-store collection at 22 rue de la Clef is the fastest and most economical option. Full terms on our shipping page.