Molinard, perfumer in Grasse since 1849

After L.T. Piver, we head south to Grasse, the French capital of perfume. This is where Molinard was born, one of the oldest family-owned perfume houses in France.

1849: flower waters in Grasse

In 1849, Hyacinthe Molinard opened a small shop in Grasse selling flower waters and eaux de Cologne, distilled from the flowers grown around the town. The region was rich in jasmine, rose, orange blossom and violet: the raw materials were right on the doorstep.

Soliflores: one flower, one perfume

Around 1860, the house launched perfumes built around a single flower: jasmine, rose, violet… This simple idea is still part of its identity, as in the eaux de parfum Jasmin, Rose, Violette, Muguet, Fleur d'Oranger and Iris.

1921: Habanita, the great classic

In 1921, Molinard created Habanita. First intended to scent cigarettes, it became a perfume in its own right, and one of the first feminine perfumes to feature vetiver, a note until then reserved for men. Powdery, woody and softly vanilla, it remains the house's most famous perfume more than a hundred years later.

Still a family house

Molinard has worked with great names in glass and crystal, such as Baccarat and René Lalique. Still run by the family today, the house keeps creating in Grasse: woody scents like Santal Insolent or Oud Magnétique, fresh ones like Thé Basilic or Vents et Marées.

How to choose your Molinard

Discover all 32 perfumes from the house in our Molinard collection.

Sources: Molinard official website; Wikipedia, "Molinard".

You can smell all these perfumes in our shop at 75 boulevard de Sébastopol, Paris (2nd arrondissement), Monday to Saturday from 10:30 am to 7 pm, or order them online: free delivery in France on orders over €80, free in-store pickup.

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