What it is
Narcissus absolute is a rare floral material made from intensely fragrant Narcissus flowers. Narcissus poeticus, poet’s daffodil, is one of the important traditional perfume sources.
Kew accepts N. poeticus as a species native across eastern-central and southern Europe into Ukraine.
What to notice
Narcissus absolute can suggest:
- rich white and yellow flowers
- cut grass
- hay
- honey
- green stems
- jasmine-like floral depth
- warm animalic or stable-like nuances
IFF’s LMR Naturals describes its French N. poeticus absolute as green, rich and intoxicating with hay and honey undertones.
Extraction
Industrial narcissus absolute is produced from flowers through solvent extraction to a concrete followed by alcohol purification.
Research on N. poeticus also shows that alternative extraction methods capture complex mixtures of volatile fragrance compounds.
Narcissus is not a generic daffodil accord
Different Narcissus species can smell different, and a perfume’s abstract “daffodil” note does not necessarily indicate natural narcissus absolute.
When the species or extract is known, the archive should preserve that specificity.
REFERENCE SOURCES
Kew Science · Narcissus poeticus↗Narcissus poeticus fragrance extraction study↗LMR Naturals · Narcisse Absolute France↗