003 Eau de Parfum – Yuzu, Violet Leaves, Vetiver – Sample

What is yuzu? Originally from East Asia, the yuzu is a citrus fruit that looks like a small yellow grapefruit. It is also called the “Japanese citron.” It is actually a hybrid of the wild mandarin and Ichang lemon. Like all citrus fruits, its essential oil is extracted using cold methods.

Have you ever had the chance to smell yuzu? It imparts a zesty, tart, and invigorating character to the top notes of fragrances. Its scent is very faceted and lends creations a beautiful complexity, giving the impression of mixed citrus fruits. It truly comes into its own with greener notes such as violet leaf or woody scents like vetiver. When paired with floral notes, it enhances and illuminates them, particularly white flowers. This small citrus fruit is really flying high and has rocketed to success in high perfumery and haute pâtisserie alike.

What is elemi? Elemi is a multifaceted ingredient. It presents surprising fresh lemony aromatic notes and spicy overtones of pepper and pink peppercorn. Incredibly, elemi is just as warm as it is cool and reveals accents of incense. Obtained from the exudate of a tree, the resin contains the aroma compounds found in the essential oil. Several different techniques are used to extract them; steam distillation was the method selected for 003. For Eau de Parfum 003, Carla Chabert chose to work with an essence from the Philippines, where the tree grows in the wild. Why violet leaf and not flower? We’re all familiar with the delicately floral, powdery scent of violet flower. This flower is “mute” – a term commonly used in the industry to mean that it can’t be extracted, whether by distillation or solvents. However the leaves reveal intensely green botanical notes with floral accents and subtly earthy overtones reminiscent of underbrush. You can imagine its scent already – it’s truly delightful! Violet absolute has a strong character. It is an ingredient that can enhance and complete a composition or destroy it. The secret to success lies in the balance.