What does Lilac smell like?
Perfumed lilac has an almost dewy freshness, a green facet of leaf and stem, then a honeyed, powdery floral heart. There is a hint of almond and sometimes a discreet indolic touch. It is a nostalgic smell, the smell of gardens and hedges in April. On skin the accord stays light and tender, fading fairly quickly into musks and pale woods rather than projecting loudly.
Origin and production
Common lilac, Syringa vulgaris, native to the Balkans, blooms in European gardens in spring. Its flowers respond poorly to extraction, and the rare attempts give an unconvincing result. Perfumers therefore rebuild its smell with molecules such as terpineol for green floral tones, hydroxycitronellal, heliotropin for the almondy, powdery side, and phenylethyl alcohol. Lilac was among the popular single-flower themes of the early twentieth century, when such soliflores were in vogue.
How perfumers use it
Lilac sits in the heart, often surrounded by other spring flowers such as lily of the valley, hyacinth and rose. It adds a tender, romantic freshness. Lancôme's Trésor pairs it with rose and peach for a powdery floral; Gucci's Guilty weaves it into a more modern floral heart, and Issey Miyake's A Drop d'Issey uses it for a soft, clean floralcy. It also blends well with heliotrope and white musks.
How to wear it
Lilac is essentially a spring, daytime note. It appeals to people who love fresh, nostalgic, delicate florals.