Ylang-ylang, which means ‘flower of flowers’ in Tagalog, was brought to the island by the French in 1840 when the inhabitants of Nosy Be asked French ship captain Passot to place the island under French protection. Passot offered protection to Admiral Hell, who was governor of Bourbon Island (now Réunion) at the time, and so Nosy Be came under French protection and the capital of Nosy Be was named Hell Ville.
In 1841, Queen Tsiomeko ceded the island to France in a treaty. This was followed by a period of economic development, with the cultivation of sugar, coffee, vanilla and ylang-ylang.
To honour this exceptional raw material, Perris Monte Carlo uses only ylang-ylang from the island of Nosy Be. Lemon, grapefruit and cardamom in the top notes evoke the beauty of the fragrance that the flower exudes immediately after harvesting.
The heart notes consist of Arabian jasmine, orange blossom and Damask rose. The seductive and exotic notes are formed by ambergris-scented labdanum, vetiver, cedarwood, Kobresia grass and vanilla.
‘Ylang Ylang Nosy Be’ is a sensual, elegant and seductive fragrance that surprises with its long-lasting intensity. It accompanies those who appreciate it throughout the day.
Nosy Be
Nosy Be or Nossi-bé is an island off the north-west coast of Madagascar. It belongs to the province of Antsiranana and has 60,000 inhabitants. In the Malagasy language, ‘Nosy Be’ means ‘big island’ (and it is indeed the largest island in the archipelago), but it is better known by its nickname ‘Nosy Manitra’ (fragrant island).
This is due to the intense scents that can be smelled everywhere on the island, which is known for its rich vegetation of spices and plants. These include ylang-ylang, vanilla, coffee, cocoa, pepper, geraniums, cinnamon, frangipani and plants typical of northern Madagascar. The island's volcanic origin and the tropical climate that dominates the seasons make Nosy Be an island with exceptional flora and fauna. Its reputation as a small paradise is well deserved.
There are eleven volcanic lakes on the island, which are an important source of water for cultivation and an excellent habitat for animals. The landscape is extremely varied and dominated by large hills and low mountains such as the Lokobe Nature Reserve (450 m) and Mount Passot (350 m), from where you can enjoy a breathtaking view of the entire island. The rugged coastline has many coves and small bays to offer.
Ylang Ylang
Ylang ylang is a tree that can grow up to 25 metres high. To curb its growth and make the flowers easier to harvest, the branches and trunk of the tree are pruned up to 10 times a year. The tree usually flowers three years after planting. It reaches its peak after just five years and dies after around 50 years.
Ylang ylang blooms all year round and has an intense, beguiling fragrance that develops significantly. Immediately after harvesting, the flower exudes a fresh scent that develops slightly animalistic notes as it oxidises over time. To extract the precious oil from the flower, the year-round harvest begins early in the morning at 5:30 a.m. and lasts until 9 a.m. Each individual plot is worked by four pickers, who carefully harvest only the ripe flowers for distillation. It is important that only the truly ripe flowers are harvested, which are slightly reddish inside the petal.
Each of the pickers works in their own area and takes care of transporting the flowers to the factory. They are there when the flowers are weighed, as their wages are determined by weight. The men take care of the soil and mow the grass, which is recycled as fertiliser. The entire 50 hectares (123 acres) are cut with machetes. Cultivation at the Robertet plantation is organic, meaning that no fertilisers or pesticides are used.
