Jil Sander, from minimalist fashion to fragrance
Jil Sander was founded in Hamburg in 1968 as a fashion house with a minimalist style. Today it is headquartered in Milan and the brand belongs to the Italian group OTB. According to the collection's presentation, the alcohol in the fragrances is partly derived from recycled carbon emissions. The bottle, in glass with organic, asymmetrical shapes and a white aluminum cap, is designed by the studio Formafantasma, and according to the house's product sheet the bell-shaped cap protects the fragrance from light.
The Olfactory Series 1 fragrances
Green, aquatic and earthy
Leaf, created with perfumer Julie Massé, is a green cloud that the trade press links to the sharp smell of freshly picked Black Krim tomato. Also by Massé is Shiso, a green woody scent with bitter notes, featuring shiso leaves and CO2-extracted juniper berries, green lime and Australian sandalwood. The same perfumer also created Earth, which recreates the smell of soil after rain with rose, patchouli and matsutake mushroom. Salt, created with Alexis Grugeon, is an aquatic amber with cardamom, CO2-extracted vanilla and French lavender that evokes skin drying after a swim.
Woods and leather
Smoke, created with Berenice Watteau, is a smoky, spicy woody scent with cedar, cade juniper and elemi, accompanied by fresh laundry notes and facets of oud. The house describes it as the smell of clothes drying by a fireplace. Miel, by Mathilde Bijaoui, is woody and salty, with buckwheat honey, jasmine and vetiver, and Mahogany by Louise Turner is a woody scent with leather notes, based on cedar, Indian cypriol and CO2-extracted ginger.
Amber, spicy and gourmand
Amber and spicy notes come through in Black Tea by Nathalie Lorson, with cinnamon, osmanthus and CO2-extracted tea. Coffea, by Paul Guerlain, is a floral amber that pairs CO2-extracted coffee beans with powdery iris. Then there's Sesame by Meabh Mc Curtin, a woody gourmand inspired by black sesame ice cream, with cocoa shells, oak wood and cedar, and Vanille by Coralie Spicher, an amber with leather notes that puts the darker side of vanilla up front, alongside cedar and Spanish labdanum.
White floral
Lily, created with Mathilde Bijaoui, is dedicated to the lily, which the house associates with a warm Florentine night: the flower is recreated with CO2-extracted sambac jasmine, Vietnamese benzoin and cypress.
How to choose a Jil Sander fragrance
The collection isn't divided by gender: all the eaux de parfum are unisex, so you choose based on the material that names the fragrance and its stated family. For green, start with Leaf, Julie Massé's green cloud, or with Shiso, a green woody scent with juniper and lime. For aquatic, mineral notes there's Salt, with cardamom, vanilla and French lavender. If you prefer woods, choose Smoke for smoke, Miel for the salty side and Mahogany for leather, while for spice and amber there's Black Tea, with cinnamon and osmanthus, and Coffea, with coffee and iris. If you want a dark vanilla with leather and labdanum, there's Vanille, and for a woody gourmand there's Sesame. Finally, for a white floral there's Lily, built on lily with sambac jasmine.
Sample sets and refills
To try them before choosing one, there are six-vial sample sets in 8 ml and 10 ml sizes, such as the Eau de Parfum sample set 6 x 10ml. Each fragrance also has its own refill, from Leaf Refill to Vanille Refill, to fill the Formafantasma bottle instead of replacing it.
The house presents the Eau de Parfum sample set 6 x 8ml as a new fusion of botany and technology, with six compositions in which sparks of light run through the fragrances and enhance the main notes and key ingredients. The 6x8ml Eau de Parfum sample set and the 6x10ml Eau de Parfum sample set also gather six explicit compositions that give each natural raw material its due emphasis.
The refills each have their own description too. According to the house, Salt Refill Eau de Parfum is inspired by the fluidity of water and the lightness you feel when diving in, with salt crystals on your skin, and Lily Refill Eau de Parfum by the surprise of an enchanting scent on a warm Florentine night. Sesame Refill Eau de Parfum starts from the first taste of black sesame ice cream, with simple yet deep resonances, and Mahogany Refill Eau de Parfum is inspired by the pure energy of a tropical forest. Shiso Refill Eau de Parfum comes from an early morning walk that lets you see everything around you with fresh eyes, and Earth Refill Eau de Parfum from the smell after rain and small puddles of water. Then there's Black Tea Refill Eau de Parfum, a modern, amber and spicy fragrance made of unexpected pairings, and Coffea Refill Eau de Parfum, a floral amber rich in lively, luminous facets. Finally, Miel Refill Eau de Parfum, which the house describes as woody, salty and magnetic.
Frequently asked questions
What is Jil Sander Olfactory Series 1?
Olfactory Series 1 is Jil Sander's collection of unisex eaux de parfum, created under the direction of Lucie and Luke Meier. Each fragrance is named after a material, such as Leaf, Earth or Smoke, and combines three natural raw materials with aldehydes, synthetic molecules that give the composition brightness.
Are Jil Sander fragrances for men or women?
The Olfactory Series 1 fragrances are unisex: the house describes them as minimalist, unisex formulas and names each one after a material. Smoke, for example, is presented as both masculine and feminine, while Lily is built around the lily and Salt is an aquatic amber with cardamom and French lavender.
Who are the perfumers behind Olfactory Series 1?
Five perfumers worked on the first series of six fragrances. Julie Massé created Leaf and Earth, Mathilde Bijaoui Miel, Nathalie Lorson Black Tea, Paul Guerlain Coffea and Berenice Watteau Smoke. The other fragrances in the series also involve Alexis Grugeon for Salt, Louise Turner for Mahogany and Coralie Spicher for Vanille.
What's the difference between Jil Sander Leaf and Earth?
Leaf and Earth are both by Julie Massé, but they have different characters. Leaf is green and fresh, built around the sharp smell of freshly picked Black Krim tomato, while Earth recreates the smell of soil after rain with rose, patchouli and matsutake mushroom.
Which Jil Sander fragrance is best if you love woody scents?
If you love woods, start with Smoke, where cedar and cade give a smoky, spicy effect softened by a laundry note. Mahogany combines cedar, cypriol and leather notes; Miel is woody and salty, with buckwheat honey. Black Tea adds spice and amber.
What does Jil Sander Coffea smell like?
Jil Sander Coffea is a floral amber created by Paul Guerlain for Olfactory Series 1. Coffee is there, as CO2-extracted beans, but it's paired with powdery iris. The product sheet describes it as rich in lively, luminous facets, and there's also a Coffea Refill to fill the original bottle.
How do Jil Sander perfume refills work?
Every eau de parfum in Olfactory Series 1 has a Refill version, designed to refill the original bottle by Formafantasma instead of replacing it. The refills carry the same name as the fragrance, from Leaf Refill to Smoke Refill, through to Vanille Refill and Lily Refill.
Which Jil Sander fragrance should I start with?
To start, there's the six-vial sample set, in 8 ml or 10 ml sizes, which gathers several compositions from the series in miniature. If you already know which family you prefer, start with the matching fragrance: Leaf for green scents, Smoke for woods and Black Tea for spice and amber.
