Immortelle (Everlasting Flower)
5 fragrances with this note
Part of accords: Amber, Aromatic, Green herbal, Honey, Herbal
- Latin name
- Helichrysum italicum
- Family
- Daisy family (Asteraceae)
- Origin
- Corsica, the Balkans (Bosnia, Croatia)
- Parts used
- flowering tops
- Raw materials
- essential oil, absolute
- Extraction
- steam distillation (oil), solvent extraction (absolute)
- Olfactory group
- aromatic, amber (honeyed-herbal)
- Position in the pyramid
- heart
- Synthetic substitutes
- honeyed and herbal bases
Everlasting (immortelle) is a low, silvery-grey plant of Mediterranean rocks with small yellow button flowers. It got its name because the flowers keep their colour and shape even when dried.
How it smells: honeyed, warm and herbal, with shades of hay, dried fruit, tobacco and a faint “spicy curry”. Everlasting smells like a sun-warmed mountain field at the end of summer.
Immortelle absolute is one of the most unusual natural materials: honeyed, leathery and herbal all at once. Niche perfumery loves it for its sunny warmth and character.
What it pairs with: with tobacco and honey — warm autumnal compositions, with incense — resinous depth, with leather — soft honeyed leather, with lavender — herbal fougères, with vanilla — sweet sunny fragrances.
Good to know: in English everlasting is sometimes called the “curry plant” — for its spice-like smell, although it is not part of curry blends.
