The Fragrant Story of Grasse, France
Come with us on the most affordable trip to France you’ll ever see. Today we’re taking you to Grasse, a town on the French Riviera steeped in tradition, history, and striking smells.
What is Grasse, France?
Grasse is a town in Southeast France. Their rolling hills and warm weather have lent them a microclimate, a pocket of weather that can be drastically different from their surrounding climate. This microclimate is essential because it creates a perfect environment for growing flowers.
Grasse is a picturesque town with fields of flowers growing in every direction, as far as the eye can see. You might have seen pictures of long rows of purple flowers growing in bunches over the hillside. Grasse is especially famous for these lavender fields, as well as its jasmine flowers and orange blossoms.
Or maybe their famous May rose, a pale pink flower that blooms in (you guessed it) - May. These flowers are not only abundant in Grasse but also famous in the fragrance world (they’re critical components of the illustrious Chanel No. 5).
The town of Grasse is known for these beautiful fields of flowers but also as the perfume capital of the world.
Why Is Grasse Important?
Grasse wasn’t always famous for perfume, though. Once upon a Medieval time, Grasse was the place to get leather. At the time, locals made leather clothing and accessories through a tanning process that smelled, among other things we won’t put in your head, like dead animals and lye.
This was less than ideal. So the glove makers started experimenting with putting flowers into animal fat. The sweet smell of the flowers seeped into the fat, creating (after two months) a perfume pomade they could use to improve the smell of the gloves.
As things usually do historically, prices rose. As a result, the taxes on leather skyrocketed, and tanners needed to find a more profitable business.
With fields of flowers growing around in abundance and the processes already set up to create perfume, tanners capitalized on their natural resources, becoming a beacon for perfume creation.
The Grasse Stamp of Approval
All this is to say that Grasse has made a name for itself in the fragrance world. The three biggest perfumeries, Galimard, Molinard, and Fragonard, are the historic staples of the town. If you have the opportunity to go, you can take a tour through to see their premises. Also, you can partake in a perfumery workshop, learning to make your own unique fragrance.
Grasse, France, is a beacon of the perfume world. Products coming from Grasse are trusted to be high quality, making this an ideal place to source fine fragrances for perfumes and candles.
What Makes Our Candles Different?
The folks in Grasse, France, know what they’re doing. They’ve been making delicate, delectable designer fragrances for over 100 years and people consistently hail them as the world’s perfume capital. Getting perfume made there is seen as a treat, an exquisite experience that no one else can duplicate.
That’s why we’re proud to say the production of our candles takes place there. New Flame candles and the scents in them are of the highest quality. Our dedication to quality took us to the source of high-quality perfumery. We’re excited to bring the smells of the finest fragrances from the rolling hills of France to your home.