Double Extrait d'Hymenaea Nitida 1848

Double Extrait d’Hymenaea Nitida by Guerlain, launched in 1848 as part of the Jardin d’Hiver Collection, exemplifies the 19th-century fascination with exotic botanicals and classical references. The perfume’s name, carefully chosen, reflects both its composition and its inspiration. Hymenaea refers to a genus of tropical American trees in the legume family, celebrated for their glossy foliage and large, striking white or purplish flowers. The tree’s resin, commonly known as copal, was prized as incense for its bright, sweet, and woody aroma, with subtle hints of pine and citrus. By designating the fragrance as a “Double Extrait,” Guerlain emphasized the richness and intensity of the perfume, suggesting a concentration that amplifies the natural resinous character. In layman’s terms, Double Extrait d’Hymenaea Nitida could be pronounced as “Doo-bl Ex-tray dee Hee-meh-neh-ah Nee-tee-dah,” evoking a sense of scholarly sophistication and exotic allure.

The imagery conjured by the name is one of an opulent tropical garden bathed in sunlight, the air perfumed with the resinous sweetness of copal mingling with delicate floral undertones. In the context of 1848 Paris, a year of political upheaval and social transformation, the fragrance offered an escapist luxury, transporting women of refinement to distant lands and serene natural landscapes. The mid-19th century was defined by the Romantic fascination with nature, classical learning, and the exotic—elements that permeated fashion, interior design, and perfumery alike. Fragrances with Latin or pseudo-Latin names were particularly esteemed, signaling both education and taste.

Women of the time would have perceived Double Extrait d’Hymenaea Nitida as a perfume of rare elegance and subtle opulence. Its resinous floral profile, lighter and sweeter than the more austere frankincense, allowed it to be worn both in private and at refined social gatherings, offering a sophisticated alternative to the heavier, more ubiquitous Musc and Chypre compositions of the era. In essence, the scent captures the brightness of tropical woods, the gentle sweetness of copal, and the refined floral undertones that were the hallmark of Guerlain’s Jardin d’Hiver Collection. Within the mid-19th century perfume landscape, it aligned with the trend of botanical singularity and Latin-inspired nomenclature, yet distinguished itself through its exotic inspiration and the exquisite intensity suggested by the “Double Extrait” designation—a fragrance both scholarly and seductive, intended for the most discerning connoisseurs.

Jardin d’Hiver Collection:

Guerlain’s Jardin d’Hiver Collection, launched in 1848, represents a remarkable celebration of botanical singularity and refined artistry. Each fragrance within the collection is devoted to a single floral or plant note, captured with painstaking care to highlight its unique character and essence. The collection’s Latin-styled names—Tilia microphylla, Lathyrus odorans, Mimosa fragrans, Cyperus ruber, and the most recent addition (1853), Mimosa Esterhazya—lend an air of classical sophistication, evoking the scholarly prestige and aristocratic refinement associated with the study of plants and natural sciences. These names, both precise and exotic, signal the high level of craft and attention devoted to each fragrance, appealing to a clientele who valued knowledge, taste, and exclusivity.

At the 1851 Universal Exposition, these perfumes competed not merely as products of luxury, but as demonstrations of technical mastery and artistic innovation. Each extrait is a distillation of a single botanical note, conveying the essence of the plant in a way that is at once vivid, nuanced, and enduring. Tilia microphylla, for instance, would have unfolded with the delicate, honeyed softness of its linden blossoms, while Mimosa fragrans exudes a sunlit, powdery warmth, evocative of early spring mornings. Cyperus ruber, with its earthy, subtly green facets, contrasts with the intensely floral sweetness of Lathyrus odorans, creating a spectrum of olfactory experiences within a unified concept.

The collection was designed for the highest echelons of society, intended for women who were not merely consumers of fragrance but arbiters of taste and refinement. These perfumes were not relegated to the dressing table as casual adornments; they were worn as statements of identity and prestige, perfuming the air with subtlety and elegance. In essence, the Jardin d’Hiver Collection embodies the aristocratic ethos of mid-19th century Paris—a union of botanical scholarship, artistic sophistication, and the cultivated elegance expected of the queens of fashion and fortune. Each fragrance is an intimate portrait of a singular flower, captured with the utmost care, and presented as a jewel of olfactory refinement.

Fragrance Composition:

So what does it smell like? It is classified as a floral resinous fragrance.

• Top notes:
• Middle notes:
• Base notes:

Bottle:

Presented in the carre flacon.

Petit courrier des dames: Journal des modes, 1848:

"By creating the Château des Fleurs, inventing the Jardin d’Hiver, and making flowers fashionable in all the salons of Paris, the trend of perfumery simultaneously returned—after having been somewhat neglected due to the overuse of amber, musk, and vetiver. Yet the perfumes that reappear today bear no resemblance to those bourgeois emanations of old-fashioned coquetry. At Guerlain, 11 Rue de la Paix, however, belongs the right to this thoroughly modern renewal, offering compositions more delicate, more suave, more gentle on the nerves, and more voluptuous to the sense of smell than any other.

Ladies of good society are recognized by these perfumes, just as the high lineage of noble families is recognized by their coats of arms; and when a lock of hair flutters near you, when a magnificent handkerchief falls beside you, or when a fresh, coquettish glove happens to brush near your lips, you can judge by the fragrance emanating from that hair, that handkerchief, or those gloves whether the woman to whom they belong has received at Guerlain the mark of good taste, fashion, and refinement.

New odors composed by Guerlain:

• Extrait de Lolium agriphyllum 
• Extrait de Phlomis asplenia, 
• Extrait d'Azalea melaleuca
• Extrait de Cyparisse Elaidon
• Extrait d'Hyemalis anthelia
• Extrait de Cytise sylvaria 
• Extrait d'Anthemia nobilis 
• Extrait de Cyperus ruber  
• Extrait de Tilia micropluilla
• Extrait d'Hymenaea nitida 
• Extrait de Mimosa fragrans
• Extrait de Caryophilus album 
• Extrait d'Amyris Polyoleus 
• Extrait de Polyanthe suaveolens  
• Extrait de Lathyrus odorans  
• Extrait d'Ocymum dulce 

By bringing to light these entirely new perfumes, Guerlain points out that they can only be found at home, and recommends to be on guard against the imitations that one will try to make."