Rose de Mai: A Coveted Scent of Happiness
In a world of ever growing developments and urbanisation, GGDS proudly supports the producers and growers of rare raw materials such as Rose de Mai in Grasse, South of France.
Dr Bianca Piscioneri
Take a walk among the fields of Rose de Mai in Grasse, South of France with our Rose Parfum de Provence. Flowering only once a year during the month of May, Rose de Mai is the most perfect shade of clear pink, rare and highly prized by perfumers.
With their alluring scent and renowned medicinal properties, roses have captivated hearts and minds of humanity across many cultures since the dawn of time. Rose is known as the world's most loved and most cultivated flower. High quality rose hydrosol and rose oil are amongst the most rare and expensive raw materials even today.
One of the most coveted amongst them is the Rose de Mai. Also known as the Centifolia Rose - named after its one hundred petals - it forms a graceful shrub with heavy nodding blooms and the most perfect clear pink. Voluptuously sweet and decadently sensuous, the scent of the Rose de Mai has captivated hearts for centuries. It flowers only once a year for a few short weeks in the month of May.
"The intoxicating scent of this rose pervades the air among the fields in Grasse during the month of May."
It is a symbol of Grasse, the perfume capital of France, where some of the world's highest quality raw materials are produced. In 2018, the Art of Perfumery in Grasse was awarded World Heritage Status for the exceptional knowledge associated with cultivating ingredients and for the art of perfume making and composition.
The intoxicating scent of this rose pervades the air among the fields in Grasse during the month of May. It was first introduced in the 16th century, and together with jasmine and blue iris, it has brought worldwide fame to this part of the South of France in the French Riviera.
It is also a symbol of the agricultural heritage in Grasse. With one of the world's most exquisite scents and aromas, this rose captures the unique terroir between the mountains and the Mediterranean sea air, giving it a scent so prized by the perfumers. In order to preserve their scent and integrity of the flower, the harvest takes place at dawn. The flowers are picked by hand very early in the morning when just opened before the heat of the day. Each picker can collect 6 kilograms of rose petals per hour.
The flowers are then expertly distilled at the edge of the fields to produce the Rose de Mai flower water or hydrosol or turned into a rose absolute. This absolute has been infused in the world's most coveted perfumes such as the iconic Chanel No. 5 and Jean Patou Joy.
"They capture the warmth of the Provençal sun and all the seasons with an amazing holiday feel aromatherapy."
Over the past few decades the flower fields in Grasse have shrunk dramatically due to real estate development and increasing labour costs. At GGDS, we are proud to be involved in supporting the producers of precious and rare raw materials such as the Rose de Mai.
This is why we have introduced our Parfums de Provence fragrances as part of our Self Care Rituals. Not only are these fragrances infused with high quality botanicals, oils and absolute but also integrity in traceability to where the flowers are grown and the knowledge of how to grow them. They capture the warmth of the Provençal sun and all the seasons with an amazing holiday feel aromatherapy. Easy to carry around, these fragrances are small elixirs which can be spritzed any time of day to enhance the mood.
Coming soon: Our Iconic Hydra Re-New® Pure Rose de Mai Face Mist
Straight from the fields and producers in Grasse, the Hydra Re-New® Pure Rose de Mai Face Mist is infused with our top Biomimetic™ skin-like ingredients. Synergising with the ultra pure Hyaluronic Acid made in Europe, the dual action high and low molecular weight will help to plump, deeply hydrate, rejuvenate, refresh and delight the senses.