Esprit de Fleurs Nouvelles c1873

Esprit de Fleurs Nouvelles by Guerlain, launched in 1873, carried a name that immediately signaled freshness, lightness, and innocence. In French, Esprit de Fleurs Nouvelles translates to “Spirit of New Flowers” (pronounced "Es-pree duh Flur Noo-vel"). The phrase evokes the vitality of spring blossoms just beginning to unfold, a breath of renewal after winter’s dormancy. It suggested not only fragrance, but also mood—a buoyant, optimistic freshness that mirrored youth itself. For young women of the era, the very name would have conjured images of dewy gardens, flower-strewn meadows, and the delicate grace of girlhood.

The 1870s marked the beginning of France’s Troisième République, a period of transition after the turbulence of the Franco-Prussian War. This was an era of optimism, rebuilding, and a renewed sense of refinement in fashion and culture. Women’s fashion embraced structured silhouettes with corseted waists, yet trimmings of lace, ribbons, and floral motifs softened the look. Pastels and light colors were favored in daytime attire, and these trends mirrored a broader appetite for light, airy, and delicate fragrances that did not overwhelm. Heavy musks were increasingly reserved for evening, while fresher “toilet waters” and floral extraits like Esprit de Fleurs Nouvelles were considered appropriate for the toilette table of young ladies. Guerlain positioned the perfume precisely for this audience, as a gentle initiation into the world of fine fragrance.

The scent itself was described as soft, floral, and oriental in character, but notably without the heavy dose of musk that was common in many perfumes of the time. This absence of musk made it suitable for handkerchiefs and everyday wear, as periodicals like Journal des demoiselles and Petit courrier des dames réunis noted in 1875. Contemporary descriptions praised its freshness, softness, and agreeable nature, aligning it with other youthful perfumes like La Violette and Parfum de France. To women of the period, the fragrance would have symbolized purity, refinement, and delicacy—an olfactory extension of their social identity as young ladies entering the world of sophistication.

In the context of perfumery, Esprit de Fleurs Nouvelles was not radical or avant-garde but rather perfectly aligned with the prevailing trends of the 1870s. Floral perfumes were in high demand, particularly those based on violet, rose, and fresh colognes, which were deemed genteel and feminine. What made Guerlain’s creation distinctive, however, was the refinement of its composition and the house’s reputation for quality and elegance. It embodied the ideal of a “young fresh perfume for young girls,” balancing delicacy with enough complexity to set it apart as a true Guerlain creation.

In scent interpretation, Esprit de Fleurs Nouvelles would have been a bouquet-style fragrance—bright top notes that evoked citrus or neroli, soft middle notes of rose and violet, and a delicate oriental warmth in the base to give lasting power. The “spirit” of new flowers captured not only their aroma but also their essence: youthful, hopeful, and full of promise.

Fragrance Composition:

So what does it smell like? Esprit de Fleurs Nouvelles is classified as a soft floral oriental fragrance.

• Top notes: bergamot, orange, orange blossom, lemon, neroli, cassie, mimosa
• Middle notes: lavender, tuberose, jasmine, rose, rose geranium, violet
• Base notes: English honey, heliotropin, orris, rose, vanilla, tonka bean, ambrette, Peru balsam, storax

Scent Profile:

Esprit de Fleurs Nouvelles unfolds like a living bouquet, each note revealing itself in a soft yet evocative progression. Classified as a soft floral oriental, the fragrance balances luminous freshness, rich florals, and tender oriental warmth, forming a composition that feels both youthful and refined. To experience it is to wander through a garden in bloom, each step awakening a new scent, each inhalation carrying a nuance of nature’s complexity heightened by the artistry of perfumery.

At the very top, bergamot from Calabria sparkles with its unique balance of citrus brightness and floral elegance. Unlike ordinary orange, Calabrian bergamot carries subtle green and woody facets, the result of naturally occurring aroma chemicals like linalyl acetate (supplying a soft, fruity-floral sweetness) and limonene (bright and zesty). This blends seamlessly with sweet orange—radiant and juicy, with its cheerful, sun-drenched aroma of aldehydes and terpenes. Lemon sharpens the accord, its high citral content lending a tart, crystalline clarity that immediately enlivens the senses. 

Intertwined with these fruits is orange blossom absolute, its narcotic floralcy softened by indolic facets that bridge to the perfume’s heart. Neroli, distilled from the same bitter orange flowers, adds a greener, fresher dimension, rich in linalool and nerolidol, molecules that lend a dewy, honeyed luminosity. Then there is cassie from Provence, a rare floral with powdery violet tones, enhanced by natural ionones that whisper of soft petals. Mimosa, often sourced from the Côte d’Azur, adds a feather-light sweetness, almondy and honeyed, its heliotropin-like powderiness foreshadowing the fragrance’s tender base.

The heart of Esprit de Fleurs Nouvelles reveals a luxuriant bouquet of florals, each note singing with individuality. Lavender, fresh and herbal, tempers the sweetness with its camphoraceous clarity, its linalool content brightening the entire composition. Tuberose, rich and sensual, bursts forth with creamy, narcotic notes underpinned by indoles, methyl salicylate, and benzyl salicylate, giving a heady opulence. 

Jasmine, likely from Grasse in the period, deepens the floral heart with its warm, slightly animalic richness—its indoles linking it subtly to the orange blossom. Rose blooms with a dual character: Turkish or Bulgarian damask roses with spicy, honeyed facets, and possibly centifolia roses from Grasse for a softer, dewy note. Their geraniol and citronellol molecules radiate freshness, while phenylethyl alcohol contributes a rosy sweetness that feels almost like silk on the air. Rose geranium, sharp and green, amplifies the rose accord with leafy brightness. Finally, violet—rich in ionones—introduces a powdery, candied nuance, giving the impression of pressed petals and soft pastel colors.

The base is where the oriental softness reveals itself in full. English honey lends a golden warmth, its complex mix of aldehydes, acids, and phenolic traces creating an impression of nectar dripping from combs. Its sweetness is amplified by heliotropin, a synthetic discovered in the 19th century, with its almondy, marzipan-powder scent. The interplay of natural mimosa with heliotropin creates a fuller, more lingering powdery effect, enhancing the fragrance’s tenderness. Orris butter from Florence, one of the most precious ingredients in perfumery, enriches the base with buttery, violet-like facets, due to irones that evoke powder and luxury. 

Rose reappears here as a faint echo, linking top to base. Vanilla from Madagascar, rich in vanillin and coumarin traces, softens everything with creamy sweetness, while tonka bean—rich in coumarin—adds a hay-like, almond warmth. Ambrette seed contributes a natural muskiness, subtly fruity and wine-like, elevating the composition with elegance. Peru balsam adds resinous sweetness, balsamic and cinnamon-tinged, while storax deepens the oriental richness with smoky, leathery, and slightly animalic notes. Together, these elements form a tender, powdery-oriental drydown—warm, enveloping, and lingering on the skin with a quiet sensuality.

Esprit de Fleurs Nouvelles thus feels like a carefully painted portrait of youth—fresh and radiant at the top, lush and blossoming in the heart, and gently warm and sensual in the base. The use of natural raw materials, many drawn from their finest regional sources, interwoven with early synthetics like heliotropin and coumarin, shows Guerlain’s mastery of blending nature and innovation. The result is a fragrance that captures the “spirit of new flowers”—not fleeting blossoms, but their enduring, youthful essence, preserved in a soft oriental embrace.

Bottles:

When it was originally launched as a parfum during the 19th century, it was presented in the Carre flacon, but when it was released in 1923, it was presented in the Goutte flacon as an eau de toilette.

photo from museu del perfum

Fate of the Fragrance:

Discontinued, date unknown.  Still being sold in 1936.