Voyage in a Bottle: The Essence of Adventure in Guerlain's Néroli Plein Sud

Travel, a vital source of inspiration for Maison Guerlain, becomes an artistic vocation in its essence. The Maison's journey began with a passionate pursuit of the world's most exquisite raw materials, a journey intertwined with the art of Perfumery. Guerlain's perfumers, true scent adventurers, traverse the globe, unearthing nature's hidden gems to magnify them in their olfactory creations. Their spirits, imbued with the thrill of exploration and a deep-seated love for the boundless horizon, mirror the essence of legendary voyagers. In today's chapter, this wanderlust finds expression in the latest masterpiece of the L’Art & La Matière collection: Néroli Plein Sud. This creation draws inspiration from Antoine de Saint Exupéry's adventurous soul, the illustrious author of The Little Prince, and his seminal 1929 work, Southern Mail. Emerging from a collaboration with the Antoine de Saint Exupéry Youth Foundation, Néroli Plein Sud continues the longstanding narrative between Guerlain and the esteemed novelist-aviator, a tale that began in 1933 with the fragrance Vol de Nuit, a tribute to Saint Exupéry’s novel Night Flight.

Olivier D’agay, Saint Exupéry’s great-nephew, remarks, "90 years post the creation of Vol de Nuit, the alliance of Guerlain with Saint Exupéry’s legacy was destined. This collaboration unites a storied French fragrance house with the Antoine de Saint Exupéry Youth Foundation, honoring the writer-aviator’s memory and values as we approach the 80th anniversary of his disappearance. Néroli Plein Sud is more than a fragrance; it's a heartfelt tribute to the Sahara that profoundly influenced Saint Exupéry and his work, from Southern Mail to The Little Prince. It's a testament to his enduring humanist message, ever relevant and inspiring to young people worldwide."

Néroli Plein Sud embarks on an olfactory journey paralleling Saint Exupéry's adventures in Southern Mail. The fragrance evokes the stories of a Latécoère Airlines pilot navigating the skies from Europe to Morocco, a path once traversed by Saint Exupéry himself. In an era where navigation relied solely on visual cues, these aviators embraced the perilous, exhilarating essence of their craft, turning each flight into a transformative adventure. Capturing the essence of its Moroccan roots, Néroli Plein Sud takes flight, embodying an extraordinary freshness and unique energy. It encapsulates the vibrancy of a land caressed by sun, sea, and desert, as eloquently described by Saint Exupéry. In this fragrance, neroli transcends its delicate, refined character, unveiling a new dimension that harmoniously blends feminine and masculine attributes.

Crafted by Guerlain Perfumer Delphine Jelk, Néroli Plein Sud’s scent trail leads us to its Moroccan heartland. Amidst a landscape where azure skies meet lush green, orange trees dot the vista, their branches cradling thousands of pristine, snow-white blossoms. At dawn, their fragrance - sharp yet soothing, elegant and fresh - defines the essence of this luminescent, floral composition.

Delphine Jelk describes Néroli Plein Sud as "the pure freshness of Moroccan orange blossom, enlivened by the sensuality of spices: turmeric, cinnamon, ginger... A breeze that dances over the Sahara’s warm sands." Saint Exupéry Edition of Néroli Plein Sud is a celebration of this partnership. Designed with the Antoine de Saint Exupéry Youth Foundation, it showcases original illustrations by the great aviator, limited to 1,000 pieces. The packaging, a twilight sky enveloping the bottle, symbolizes the journey of Guerlain neroli, a synesthetic blend of freshness and warmth, floral vitality and spicy potency.