Our Favourite Ingredients

Orris Butter - The velvet soul of Perfumery

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Born from the rhizomes of the Iris pallida, Orris butter is among the rarest treasures in the world of fragrance. Its journey from root to perfume is one of extraordinary patience: the rhizomes are carefully harvested, then left to dry and mature for up to three years. Only through this slow alchemy do they develop the powdery, violet-like aroma that perfumers revere.

From this aged root, a precious butter is extracted — waxy, creamy, and exquisitely rich. Its scent is at once velvety, floral, and faintly woody, with a powder-soft elegance that has crowned it the “soul” of countless masterpieces throughout perfume history.

Used since the time of the ancient Greeks and Romans, who prized iris for its fragrance and medicinal virtues, Orris has always symbolized luxury, refinement, and beauty. Today, it remains one of the most expensive raw materials in perfumery, valued not only for its rarity but for the unique depth and texture it brings to a composition.

Orris butter lends its velvety richness to Silk of the Sun, Celestial Glow and Golden Veil , weaving a thread of quiet sophistication through the fragrance — the silken heart that makes them glow.

Vanilla Absolute - The Golden Embrace

The absolute form of vanilla is unlike any version of vanilla you have experienced before. Our Founder and perfumer Victoria never used to like any form of vanilla until she experienced the  warm, sensual, and utterly comforting form of Vanilla Absolute. It is the soul of softness, and it wraps a fragrance in creamy elegance, offering both a nostalgic sweetness and a grounding warmth that lingers long after the first impression. Derived through a meticulous extraction process from hand-pollinated vanilla pods, vanilla absolute is the purest and most opulent form of vanilla fragrance. The richest, most nuanced form of vanilla fragrance, far superior to synthetic vanillas or vanilla extracts. Unlike common vanilla extracts or synthetics, it captures the full depth of vanilla’s warm, creamy, and slightly smoky nuances, creating an enveloping aroma that feels both comforting and sophisticated. Valued for centuries across cultures—from the Aztecs who prized it as a sacred treasure to modern perfumers who seek its rich complexity—this absolute transcends the familiar sweetness of vanilla, transforming it into a deeply mood-enhancing experience that soothes the soul and invites quiet joy.

Saffron Absolute - Threads of the Sun

Harvested from the delicate crocus flower, saffron is the world’s most precious spice — each crimson stigma carefully gathered by hand, a labor of love repeated thousands of times to yield only a handful of golden threads. From this devotion comes saffron absolute, a perfume ingredient as rare and luminous as the dawn itself.

Its scent glows with warmth: honeyed and leathery, touched with spice, carrying a quiet fire that lingers on the skin. Both opulent and mysterious, saffron has been treasured since antiquity — woven into royal garments, burned in sacred temples, and stirred into elixirs of love and vitality.

To wear saffron is to carry sunlight in its most concentrated form. In Silk of the Sun, its golden radiance is the opening spark — a whisper of heat that illuminates the fragrance and crowns it with an aura of rare luxury.

Blue Lotus - FLower of Dreams

Floating serenely on still waters, the blue lotus has been revered since the time of the Pharaohs. In ancient Egypt, it symbolized rebirth, beauty, and transcendence — its delicate blossoms often painted in tombs, temples, and royal artifacts. Its intoxicating fragrance was said to lift the spirit, to invite love, and to open the gates of dreaming.

The absolute carries a fragrance unlike any other: watery yet floral, with soft fruity nuances that feel ethereal and otherworldly. It is both delicate and opulent — a rare balance that enchants perfumers seeking to capture serenity in scent.

In perfumery, blue lotus is treasured for the way it elevates compositions, lending an airy elegance and a whisper of the divine. It graces fragrance with an almost meditative quality, reminding the wearer of beauty that feels timeless and untouchable. Discover its floating elegance in Lotus Mirage.

Labdanum - Resin of the Sunlands

Labdanum, the sticky resin of the Cistus (rock rose), It was once gathered in a rather unusual way—by brushing the hair of goats that grazed among the shrubs. Some even believe the false beards worn by Egyptian pharaohs were crafted from goat hair infused with this precious resin. Today, it’s collected more elegantly, by “raking” the shrubs with strips of leather.
With its mysterious complex sweet, and richly balsamic scent, labdanum lends depth, warmth, and remarkable longevity to fragrance . You will find this delicious resin in Silk of the Sun, Celestial Glow, Lush Forest and Forbidden resin. (clearly it is Soléane's quiet signature.) 

Tonka Bean - The sweet Ember

From the heart of the Dipteryx odorata tree in South America comes the humble tonka bean, small and wrinkled yet brimming with hidden richness. Once dried and cured, its surface crystals with coumarin — the natural compound that gives tonka its irresistible warmth.

The scent is a tender balance: vanilla’s soft embrace, almond’s gentle nuttiness, and a whisper of spice, all wrapped in a mellow sweetness that feels both comforting and refined. In ancient cultures, tonka beans were carried as talismans of luck and love, their fragrance believed to bring good fortune and desire.

In perfumery, Tonka is cherished as a note that binds — smoothing rough edges, softening sharpness, and adding a velvety depth that lingers like a secret. In Silk of the Sun and Celestial Glow, it lends a sweet ember-like glow, deepening the warmth and drawing the fragrance close to the skin.

 

Fir Balsam Absolute - The Forest's Golden Resin

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Drawn from the resin of the majestic balsam fir, Fir Balsam Absolute is nature’s own hymn to the forest. Its aroma is deep, resinous, and gently sweet, carrying whispers of green needles, ambered warmth, and the hush of evergreen groves. Unlike the airy freshness of distilled fir needle oils, this absolute holds the very heart of the tree—its golden lifeblood—rich, enduring, and luminous.

In perfumery, Fir Balsam Absolute is treasured for its rare ability to both anchor and illuminate a composition. Its balsamic glow lingers for days, weaving harmoniously with resins, woods, and florals to create an aura of quiet strength and natural elegance.

Beyond its beauty, Fir Balsam has long been valued in traditional remedies for its soothing and grounding qualities—an essence that calms the breath and steadies the spirit, like standing among ancient trees.

You will find this rare and enduring note in Lush Forest, where it lends its golden resin depth to a fragrance that feels both grounding and transcendent.

Opoponax - The sweet Myrrh

From the resin of the Commiphora erythraea tree comes opoponax, a mystical cousin of myrrh long known as “sweet myrrh.” Harvested in small quantities from arid landscapes, the resin seeps like drops of amber sunlight, later distilled into one of perfumery’s most enchanting balsams.

Its fragrance is deep yet gentle — warm, honeyed, and resinous, with whispers of caramel and spice. Unlike the austerity of true myrrh, opoponax glows with softness, bringing a golden sweetness to incense accords and oriental compositions.

Used since antiquity in ritual and medicine, opoponax has always carried a sense of the sacred. It was prized in Egyptian temples, blended into oils of purification, and later found its way into medieval European apothecaries as a balm for body and spirit alike.

In perfumery today, it remains a rare jewel — smoothing sharp resins, enriching amber bases, and weaving a quiet opulence through the heart of a fragrance. It is a note that whispers rather than shouts, but its presence lingers with undeniable grace. Discover its rare, honeyed depth in Forbidden Resin.

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At Solèane, our ingredients are our stories, emotions, and invitations. Together, they form the language through which we craft olfactory poetry for the soul and skin.