by: Miguel Matos
I have to be honest and tell you that I do have my favourite perfume houses. I'm sure all perfume writers have theirs. One of mine is Molinard. I have a passion for this brand and one of my all-time favourite fragrances are Habanita and Chypre d'Orient. Adding to the long history of the house and the incredible vintage visuals they produced for their products, the compositions vary from the timeless soliflores to the heavy orientals and also some simple fresh scents. I've also had the privilege to meet some of the members of the family that still run the company and their kindness just made my admiration grow even more.
For years and years I've had the dream of visiting Grasse, the world capital of the perfume industry and heart of so many brands and manufacturers. In October, while traveling to Cannes for the TFWA expo, I had a free day and since Cannes is very close to Grasse, I decided to make my dream come true.
Entrance to the Molinard boutique
As I approached the town of Grasse I felt like a child going to Disneyland for the first time. I arrived on a calm Sunday so some places were closed. I visited the Musée Internationale de la Parfumerie and the Fragonard Museum and I shall tell you about these in a future article. The highlight of this trip really was the visit to the Molinard headquarters and the perfume creation workshop I took there.
Molinard flagship boutique
In the heart of Grasse, Molinard is an absolute mandatory place to visit. Here you can find not only the museum but also a complete factory shop where you can find all Molinard editions in big sizes and smaller prices (and even a very rare pure parfum Habanita version with a wonderful animalic density).
Entering the museum space, I had the chance to look at collections of old bottles and vintage ads that testify to the long history of Molinard, a house founded in 1849 and kept in the same family for five generations until today.
Bar à parfums
In 1900 the company moved into this old factory where there was a distillery structure designed by Gustave Eiffel (yes, the same Eiffel from the tower in Paris) and you can still see it. Twenty-one years later, Molinard launched the famous Habanita, originally marketed to perfume cigarettes, which in 1924 became "the most tenacious perfume in the world," and secondly, Concréta, the first solid perfume which claimed "natural flower wax used directly as a perfume.”
The history from then on is known, culminating today with the Habanita Eau de Parfum modern version and the flanker Habanita L'Esprit. With the goal of stating its niche positioning the company recently presented La Collection Privée (Acqua Lotus,Ambre Lumière, Cher Wood, Rose Emois and Secret Sucré).
Museum containers
After being told about the wonderful vintage editions, I could observe the treasures of the collection and the magnificent Lalique and Baccarat bottles.
Roses
Then I entered the second room consisting of a section where there are some of the most important raw materials like vetiver, patchouli, jasmine and others, in their natural forms.
Raw materials
Life-size models working in the factory give the impression of a busy day. I could see al the machines, old and new, as well as a room for the soap manufacturing.
Soap manufacturing
All Molinard's soaps are made here and there is only one person doing them manually, even today. The enfleurage technique, the hot methods of extraction, the maceration tanks ... There is a lot to see in here, but I was anxious to get to the end because I had an appointment for a perfume creation workshop. They call it L'Atelier des Parfums and it open to anyone who dares to enter deeper into the world of making perfume. And finally there I was ...
Gabrielle, my teacher
At the Molinard house in Grasse everyone can have the experience of doing a personalized eau de parfum with the guidance of a specialist and the price doesn't scare anyone. For 59 euros you get a one-hour workshop with a specialist, having about 90 different ingredients at your disposal and you leave the premises with your own personal fragrance in a 50 ml bottle. The formula stays in the archives of Molinard and when you run out of perfume you can order another bottle from the formula you created. The refill costs only 83 euros for a 130 ml bottle.
Workshop essences and the final perfume
I sat with my “personal trainer” and she explained to me the basics of building a perfume structure: top, heart and base notes, as well as proportions. This was quick since I already knew the method. One interesting thing, and a very important element, is that you are the one touching and working with all the bottles, pipettes, etc. The specialist only advises you. So this is a total hands-on experience, something very rare to find anywhere else. All bottles are divided into top, heart and base notes. So I started smelling ingredients for the top notes and the first thing I noticed was a bottle labeled “cola.” Yes, it smelled like Coca-Cola and I found it amusing.
I kept my blotter because it interested me. The next thing I liked was galbanum and just for the fun of it I placed the two blotters aside—cola and galbanum. We both laughed because of the crazy mix it would be. But to our surprise the accord resulted amazingly. Both of us were stunned by the unusual combination. So we kept this for the blend. To give it freshness and a fizzy touch I wanted an aldehyde accord that resembled Chanel No 5. This was the starting point of my creation.
Along the way I could smell anything I wanted so this was a chance to experience a lot of ingredients for the first time which is crucial for understanding perfume. To get to know the real smell of an individual ingredient is key for perfume knowledge. So after smelling a lot I opted to go for a monoï accord. I also smelled a very uplifing, watery-green ivy and I thought that it could give my fragrance a touch of lightness. After that I discovered a bottle called “rice” and it smelled just like boiled rice. My expert professor was laughing because of my choices and she said that only I could like that odd thing. For the base I asked immediately for civet but they didn't have it since it is not a popular note. So I picked every animalic ingredient I could find and decided to go with ambergris (heavenly smell) and cistus which reminds me of my favorite beaches. The composition has more ingredients but I can't tell you everything.
Museum distillery
Museum: extraction
Museum: perfumer
After choosing all the materials, we had to decide on the proportions and this was also another learning experience because you have to think about the strength of every compound. Proportions closed, I was left with an empty perfume bottle and a lot of bottles full of raw materials. I was given the pipettes and the measures of all the ingredients. My task was to count every drop and ml and insert them into the bottle. Oh, God, that was nerve wrecking. I am a bit distracted so every now and then I wondered: “did I already put this inside the bottle?” Finally, the bottle was filled, closed and labeled. All I had to do was spray it and smell the final result. My teacher was happy because we did an original scent. She said I have a taste for the unusual and I understand fragrance very well (I was happy with that, too). The finished perfume was actually a blend that smelled like nothing I had smelled before, so this means it is a one-of-a-kind scent and also that the ingredients are well balanced.
I left the Molinard house enchanted by finally entering a mythic place, knowing a lot more about one of my favorite brands and wanting to stay there forever. My perfume creation has received a lot of compliments recently among friends, so I will order a refill and whenever I get a chance to go to Grasse again I will return to Molinard and take another workshop for more fragrant learning. I recommend this experience to any perfume lover.
Boutique and Museum MOLINARD
60, boulevard Victor Hugo - 06130 Grasse
Phone number: 00 33 (0) 4 92 42 33 08
Opening Hours: 7 days / week from 9.30 am to 6.30 pm
Closed on January 1st and December 25th
Last Guided Tour at 5.30 pm.
I have to be honest and tell you that I do have my favourite perfume houses. I'm sure all perfume writers have theirs. One of mine is Molinard. I have a passion for this brand and one of my all-time favourite fragrances are Habanita and Chypre d'Orient. Adding to the long history of the house and the incredible vintage visuals they produced for their products, the compositions vary from the timeless soliflores to the heavy orientals and also some simple fresh scents. I've also had the privilege to meet some of the members of the family that still run the company and their kindness just made my admiration grow even more.
For years and years I've had the dream of visiting Grasse, the world capital of the perfume industry and heart of so many brands and manufacturers. In October, while traveling to Cannes for the TFWA expo, I had a free day and since Cannes is very close to Grasse, I decided to make my dream come true.
Entrance to the Molinard boutique
As I approached the town of Grasse I felt like a child going to Disneyland for the first time. I arrived on a calm Sunday so some places were closed. I visited the Musée Internationale de la Parfumerie and the Fragonard Museum and I shall tell you about these in a future article. The highlight of this trip really was the visit to the Molinard headquarters and the perfume creation workshop I took there.
Molinard flagship boutique
In the heart of Grasse, Molinard is an absolute mandatory place to visit. Here you can find not only the museum but also a complete factory shop where you can find all Molinard editions in big sizes and smaller prices (and even a very rare pure parfum Habanita version with a wonderful animalic density).
Entering the museum space, I had the chance to look at collections of old bottles and vintage ads that testify to the long history of Molinard, a house founded in 1849 and kept in the same family for five generations until today.
Bar à parfums
In 1900 the company moved into this old factory where there was a distillery structure designed by Gustave Eiffel (yes, the same Eiffel from the tower in Paris) and you can still see it. Twenty-one years later, Molinard launched the famous Habanita, originally marketed to perfume cigarettes, which in 1924 became "the most tenacious perfume in the world," and secondly, Concréta, the first solid perfume which claimed "natural flower wax used directly as a perfume.”
The history from then on is known, culminating today with the Habanita Eau de Parfum modern version and the flanker Habanita L'Esprit. With the goal of stating its niche positioning the company recently presented La Collection Privée (Acqua Lotus,Ambre Lumière, Cher Wood, Rose Emois and Secret Sucré).
Museum containers
After being told about the wonderful vintage editions, I could observe the treasures of the collection and the magnificent Lalique and Baccarat bottles.
Roses
Then I entered the second room consisting of a section where there are some of the most important raw materials like vetiver, patchouli, jasmine and others, in their natural forms.
Raw materials
Life-size models working in the factory give the impression of a busy day. I could see al the machines, old and new, as well as a room for the soap manufacturing.
Soap manufacturing
All Molinard's soaps are made here and there is only one person doing them manually, even today. The enfleurage technique, the hot methods of extraction, the maceration tanks ... There is a lot to see in here, but I was anxious to get to the end because I had an appointment for a perfume creation workshop. They call it L'Atelier des Parfums and it open to anyone who dares to enter deeper into the world of making perfume. And finally there I was ...
Gabrielle, my teacher
At the Molinard house in Grasse everyone can have the experience of doing a personalized eau de parfum with the guidance of a specialist and the price doesn't scare anyone. For 59 euros you get a one-hour workshop with a specialist, having about 90 different ingredients at your disposal and you leave the premises with your own personal fragrance in a 50 ml bottle. The formula stays in the archives of Molinard and when you run out of perfume you can order another bottle from the formula you created. The refill costs only 83 euros for a 130 ml bottle.
Workshop essences and the final perfume
I sat with my “personal trainer” and she explained to me the basics of building a perfume structure: top, heart and base notes, as well as proportions. This was quick since I already knew the method. One interesting thing, and a very important element, is that you are the one touching and working with all the bottles, pipettes, etc. The specialist only advises you. So this is a total hands-on experience, something very rare to find anywhere else. All bottles are divided into top, heart and base notes. So I started smelling ingredients for the top notes and the first thing I noticed was a bottle labeled “cola.” Yes, it smelled like Coca-Cola and I found it amusing.
I kept my blotter because it interested me. The next thing I liked was galbanum and just for the fun of it I placed the two blotters aside—cola and galbanum. We both laughed because of the crazy mix it would be. But to our surprise the accord resulted amazingly. Both of us were stunned by the unusual combination. So we kept this for the blend. To give it freshness and a fizzy touch I wanted an aldehyde accord that resembled Chanel No 5. This was the starting point of my creation.
Along the way I could smell anything I wanted so this was a chance to experience a lot of ingredients for the first time which is crucial for understanding perfume. To get to know the real smell of an individual ingredient is key for perfume knowledge. So after smelling a lot I opted to go for a monoï accord. I also smelled a very uplifing, watery-green ivy and I thought that it could give my fragrance a touch of lightness. After that I discovered a bottle called “rice” and it smelled just like boiled rice. My expert professor was laughing because of my choices and she said that only I could like that odd thing. For the base I asked immediately for civet but they didn't have it since it is not a popular note. So I picked every animalic ingredient I could find and decided to go with ambergris (heavenly smell) and cistus which reminds me of my favorite beaches. The composition has more ingredients but I can't tell you everything.
Museum distillery
Museum: extraction
Museum: perfumer
After choosing all the materials, we had to decide on the proportions and this was also another learning experience because you have to think about the strength of every compound. Proportions closed, I was left with an empty perfume bottle and a lot of bottles full of raw materials. I was given the pipettes and the measures of all the ingredients. My task was to count every drop and ml and insert them into the bottle. Oh, God, that was nerve wrecking. I am a bit distracted so every now and then I wondered: “did I already put this inside the bottle?” Finally, the bottle was filled, closed and labeled. All I had to do was spray it and smell the final result. My teacher was happy because we did an original scent. She said I have a taste for the unusual and I understand fragrance very well (I was happy with that, too). The finished perfume was actually a blend that smelled like nothing I had smelled before, so this means it is a one-of-a-kind scent and also that the ingredients are well balanced.
I left the Molinard house enchanted by finally entering a mythic place, knowing a lot more about one of my favorite brands and wanting to stay there forever. My perfume creation has received a lot of compliments recently among friends, so I will order a refill and whenever I get a chance to go to Grasse again I will return to Molinard and take another workshop for more fragrant learning. I recommend this experience to any perfume lover.
Boutique and Museum MOLINARD
60, boulevard Victor Hugo - 06130 Grasse
Phone number: 00 33 (0) 4 92 42 33 08
Opening Hours: 7 days / week from 9.30 am to 6.30 pm
Closed on January 1st and December 25th
Last Guided Tour at 5.30 pm.
60, boulevard Victor Hugo - 06130 Grasse
Phone number: 00 33 (0) 4 92 42 33 08
Opening Hours: 7 days / week from 9.30 am to 6.30 pm
Closed on January 1st and December 25th
Last Guided Tour at 5.30 pm.
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