Ingredient Guide
Ylang ylang, whose name means “flower of flowers” in Tagalog, grows in places such as the Philippines, Réunion, and the Comoros. A single tree yields 10 kg of flowers a year, and 400 kg of flowers yield 1 kg of essential oil.
Ylang ylang, regarded as a superior variety, bears countless small golden flowers and is said to have a very refined scent. The flowers are harvested from dawn until 9 a.m., when their scent is strongest, and only fully open flowers with a small mark at the inner center are picked.
The essential oil obtained by distillation is divided into grades: “Superior Extra,” collected in the first 30 minutes; “Extra,” collected in the following hour; and then 1st, 2nd, and 3rd for the later fractions.
The scent is sensual and intensely sweet, exotic and floral, with a slightly spicy facet. It is an unusual flower in that it supplies a top note to perfume.
Incidentally, in Indonesia there is a custom of scattering ylang ylang flowers over a newlywed couple’s bed.
What Does It Smell Like in Perfume?
Natural ylang ylang essential oil combines a dense floral scent with a radiance reminiscent of jasmine and neroli and a warm, rounded sweetness. Obtained by steam distillation of ylang ylang flowers, it adds rich volume and an exotic character to perfume. The scent changes with the fraction collected during distillation, ranging from light floral brightness to a deeper, sweeter fullness, and the proportions of its constituents also differ by origin. As a result, grades such as “Extra” and “Complete” give different impressions even though both are ylang ylang.
Choosing Ylang-Ylang Fragrances
Ylang-ylang’s rich floral sweetness can also be enjoyed with the bite of ginger or pink pepper. Eau Mohéli offers a green, spicy flower; YLANG 49 adds the depth of woods and moss. In the two fragrances below, the surrounding notes bring different companions to ylang-ylang.
Fragrances to Explore
Eau Mohéli Eau de Toilette (Diptyque)
Ylang-ylang is layered with pink pepper, ginger and vetiver. A green, spicy and lightly woody expression of ylang-ylang.
YLANG 49 (Le Labo)
Ylang-ylang and Tahitian gardenia meet patchouli, oakmoss, vetiver, sandalwood and benzoin. A floral chypre combining rich flowers with the depth of moss and woods.
Find Your Next Fragrance
To explore more fragrances through the notes you enjoy, open our Fragrance Finder. Choose “Favorite fragrances & notes”, then search under “Favorite notes”. Select from the suggestions shown and press “Next”. You can start with notes even if you do not have a favorite fragrance.
