 It is known that in Grasse the most costly and appreciated variety is cultivated, Jasminum Grandiflorum, with the most delicate scent and whose production isreserved for the most exclusive brands. The Grasse jasmine is the only one in the secret formula of Chanel N°5. There are many anecdotes around the conception of this fragrance, but who was Ernest Beaux, its “mythical” creator?
Ernest Beaux, was born in Moscow from a French father, who worked at Grasse as a chemist in the perfume sector. He passed the major part of his youth at St. Petersburg, where his father was employed at the court of the Tsar. He met Coco Chanel in 1920, whilst working on the aldehydes, synthetic products chemically instable and very costly. Madame Chanel commissioned him to create a fragrance which had to be unforgettable.
He presented her with various sets of samples, obtained by combining with infinite skill no less than twenty ingredients, among which dominated Grasse jasmine and a huge dose of aldehydes. Coco Chanel chose the sample N° 5. In 1922 Beaux created N° 22 again for Chanel. He was then convinced by Eugène Charabot to work for the up and coming Maison Charabot. Among his great successes were «Cuir de Russie» «Gardénia», «Bois des Iles» and «Soir de Paris».
His advice to young perfumers was always: "I’ve been able to realise my ideas through working in an atmosphere of complete liberty and through the understanding of the role of the perfumer. Because I believe that perfumery is an art and a true perfumer must be an artist...If our thoughts are no more than fantasy, they have the chance to be realised thanks to the talent of the perfumer; these thoughts are however strongly influenced by the environment in which we have lived in, by our reading and by our favourite artists.”
(Photo of Ernest Beaux and Jasmine harvest at Grasse from the book “Parfums de légende “ by Michael Edwards – HM Editions 1998)
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