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Delightful Butteriness & Ylang-Ylang

Ylang-Ylang 


The name is of Filipino origin and means Flower of Flowers. The perfume from Ylang-Ylang has euphoric qualities, and is known for it's powerful effect on the emotions. It is said to be an anti-depressant and aphrodisiac because of its ability to relieve anxiety and tension. 

Ylang-Ylang is one of the first natural essences I ever encountered. A friend added a few drops to a bath for me and I was immediately enchanted. I remember the amazing, calming, relaxing effect it had. Today I have in my possession two types of natural extract of the flower, Ylang-Ylang Complete and Ylang-Ylang Concrete. 

The Ylang-Ylang Complete is a result of water and steam distillation. It has a powerful sweet floral odor with somewhat spicy woody undertones. A single drop of the undiluted oil on a tissue quickly fills the room with perfume. It is relatively inexpensive and is very versatile in perfumery as it blends well with almost any other floral essence. The one I have here is from Samara Botane and the country of origin is Madagascar. 

The Ylang-Ylang Concrete I have is from Aftelier and it is altogether delightful. It is truer to the perfume of the flowers in my opinion and it lacks a certain sharpness of the Ylang-Ylang Complete oil. Very sweet and exceptionally floral, it is seriously overpowering, rich, exotic and beautiful. The concrete has a distinctive creaminess or dare I say an exotic "butteriness" that adds to its balsamic floral complexity. 

"Ylang-Ylang Absolute: One of the most delightful floral absolutes is the one obtained by alcohol washing of the concrete from Ylang-Ylang. This process is performed almost exclusively in France, from concrete imported from Nossi-Bé or from the Comoro islands.

The concrete yields a very high amount of absolute (75 to 82%), and the resulting absolute is a pale yellow, oily liquid of intensely sweet-floral, very diffuse odor. With an unusual powder in its topnote, the fragrance fades out very slowly and most elegantly in a long-lasting, floral-spicy and very sweet note, truly reminiscent of the fragrance of the flower. It is a typical balsamic floral note, and it is distinguished from the odor of the oil ("extra") by its lightness and uniformity.

Ylang-Ylang absolute is one of the finest floral materials in high-class muguet perfumes (type "Diorissimo", etc.), where its power and (yet) very delicate undertone blend excellently with jasmin and rose materials, ....Peru balsam oil...sandalwood oil, cassie and mimosa etc. It is used in carnation, lilac, lily, narcissus, gardenia, violet, hyacinth, honeysuckle, peony, freesia, sweet pea and countless other floral bases. Furthermore in Oriental perfumes with rose and sandalwood, opoponax, spice oils...costus etc." Perfume and Flavor Materials of Natural Origin by Steffen Arctander

Ylang-Ylang is an exceptionally fine and important perfume material. 




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