Tubereuse c1833

Tubereuse by Guerlain, launched around 1833 and possibly even earlier, is a fascinating example of how early 19th-century perfumery embraced both nature’s most intoxicating flowers and the romance of naming. The word tubéreuse is French for “tuberose,” a night-blooming flower native to Mexico, celebrated for its lush, creamy, and narcotic aroma. It is pronounced "too-beh-ROOZ". The very name evokes images of sultry evenings, moonlit gardens, and blossoms exuding an almost hypnotic perfume. For women of the 19th century, the word tubéreuse would have conjured a sense of mystery and sensuality—an exotic bloom that was both admired and feared for its overwhelming intensity.

The 1830s were part of the Romantic era, a period defined by emotion, nature, and artistic imagination. In France, women’s fashion was shifting from the neoclassical simplicity of the Empire style toward more opulent silhouettes: fuller skirts, luxurious fabrics, and elaborate trimmings. Beauty and toilette rituals were becoming increasingly refined, and perfume was a crucial element of this new culture of elegance. Exotic flowers like tuberose, jasmine, and orange blossom symbolized refinement, worldliness, and a touch of daring sensuality. For the women who wore Guerlain’s Tubereuse, the name alone promised a perfume that was rich, romantic, and evocative of distant lands, aligning perfectly with the era’s fascination with the exotic and the dramatic.

Tuberose as a perfume theme was not unique to Guerlain; in fact, it was one of the most popular floral notes of the 19th century, embraced by nearly every perfumery. Recipes for tubéreuse scents appeared frequently in formularies of the period, each house adjusting proportions or embellishing the composition to distinguish their version. Guerlain’s choice to launch or update Tubereuse around 1833 was both practical and strategic—meeting demand for a fashionable scent while infusing it with the refinement and quality that distinguished the house from its rivals. At that time, perfumery still relied heavily on natural materials such as tinctures, enfleurage extracts, and distillations. The creamy, intoxicating tuberose note would have been softened with other white florals or brightened with citrus, depending on the formula, to create balance.

By the late 19th century, however, the world of perfumery was changing. New synthetic aroma chemicals—such as vanillin, heliotropin, and ambreine—began to enter compositions. These molecules not only substituted costly or unstable natural materials but also expanded the perfumer’s palette. In the case of Tubereuse, synthetics could enhance the creamy, spicy, or powdery facets of the natural flower, extending its diffusion and longevity. Guerlain, always attentive to innovation, would have adapted its tuberose perfume to reflect these advances, ensuring that what began as a Romantic floral in 1833 continued to feel relevant as the century gave way to modernity.

Ultimately, Tubereuse by Guerlain embodied both the spirit of its time and the timeless appeal of one of perfumery’s most iconic flowers. To the women of the 1830s, it was a symbol of sophistication and allure; to collectors and historians today, it represents a bridge between the handcrafted natural perfumes of the early 19th century and the dawning era of modern perfumery.

Fragrance Composition:

So what does it smell like? Tubereuse by Guerlain is classified as a floral fragrance for women. 

• Top notes: East Indian tuberose infusion, Moroccan orange blossom, Portuguese neroli, Jordanian bitter almond
• Middle notes: Grasse tuberose concrete, Manila ylang ylang, Grasse rose, Grasse jasmine
• Base notes: Florentine orris, Abyssinian civet, Mexican vanilla, vanillin, Siam benzoin, Tibetan musk, ambergris

Scent Profile:

When first encountering Guerlain’s Tubereuse, the fragrance opens like a lush, moonlit garden, drenched in blossoms that release their perfume into the night air. The top begins with East Indian tuberose infusion, an opulent and narcotic note. Unlike its Mexican origin, the East Indian variety carries a slightly greener, spicier edge, tempering the creamy sweetness with a more complex natural character. This is immediately intertwined with Moroccan orange blossom—a radiant, honeyed floral with a sunlit warmth—and Portuguese neroli, prized for its sparkling, bittersweet brightness. Together, they lift the weight of tuberose with flashes of citrus and floral clarity. A surprising accent of Jordanian bitter almond adds a gourmand, marzipan-like nuance, at once sweet and faintly bitter, grounding the florals with a subtle richness.

As the heart unfolds, the fragrance deepens into its namesake flower, Grasse tuberose concrete, the purest and most luxurious form of tuberose, extracted by traditional enfleurage methods. Its buttery, creamy facets are heightened by the presence of Manila ylang ylang, bringing tropical warmth, spicy creaminess, and hints of banana-like richness. Against this, Grasse rose provides velvety freshness, a timeless romantic flourish, while Grasse jasmine adds an indolic depth—animalic, heady, and sensual. This combination recreates the layered complexity of a living garden, where blossoms interweave to form a chorus of textures: creamy, spicy, green, honeyed, and lush.

The base reveals the true luxury of this creation. Florentine orris, one of the most precious raw materials in perfumery, lends its cool, powdery, violet-like earthiness, softening the narcotic bloom of tuberose. The animalic facets arrive with Abyssinian civet and Tibetan musk, both historically prized for their warmth and depth, providing a natural sensuality that lingers on the skin. To this, ambergris brings its marine-salty, velvety smoothness, amplifying both projection and longevity, as if extending the life of the flowers into eternity. Mexican vanilla, rich and balsamic, is further sweetened and stabilized by vanillin, a synthetic that enhances the natural bean’s warmth, giving the perfume its creamy gourmand underpinning. Finally, Siam benzoin folds in with its resinous, ambery-balsamic tone, rounding out the base with comfort and radiance.

Smelling Tubereuse is like walking through a nocturnal garden at the height of its bloom, where every flower seems alive and breathing. The natural materials sing of their origins—the honeyed light of Morocco, the sparkling groves of Portugal, the romance of Grasse, the exotic spice of Manila—while the carefully chosen synthetics act like brushstrokes, highlighting and extending their most beautiful qualities. The result is both intoxicating and refined, a fragrance that captures the dangerous allure and eternal beauty of tuberose itself.

Bottles:

Presented in the carre flacon. 

Fate of the Fragrance:

Discontinued, date unknown.