who followed in his father's footsteps to become Chanel's head perfumer in 2013.The jasmine grown in Grasse has a specific scent The region became a flower and fragrance hub in the 17th century when local leather tanners began to perfume their wares.Fabrice Bianchi said operations were not overly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic The virus causes some sufferers to lose their sense of taste and smell - a particular problem for perfumers known as "noses" in the business."For sure it was a pretty peculiar year," Polge told Reuters "But in many ways it was the same for me as for everyone even though I'm a nose - we all tried not to get it."Reporting by Eric Gaillard; Writing by Sarah White; Editing by Alex Richardson Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab , opens new tab Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. , opens new tabScreen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. © 2025 Reuters. All rights reserved the bees arrive at Joseph Mul’s fields near Pégomas The unmarked fifty acres border a gravel path which veers off a country road that cuts through a sheltered valley one can make out the dark-blue mounds of the pre-Alps A tickly breeze blows in from the Mediterranean the Mul family has had an exclusive partnership to grow jasmine and roses for Chanel The company uses the flowers to make Chanel No in the way of a Cavaillon melon or a piece of Sèvres porcelain the entire fifty acres must be harvested in two weeks to supervise a crew that comprises seventy pickers (mainly Turkish women many of them related) and four videurs (mainly French men into whose burlap sacks the women empty their aprons) They were expecting to haul in thirty-seven tons of flowers ‘la fleur au flacon’—the flower into the bottle,” Olivier Polge explaining how the setup presents a competitive advantage “I’m able to work like a painter with his special colors,” he said “It’s our own Pantone of perfume.” Polge who is the fourth nose in Chanel’s history Mul’s cousin Jean-François Vieille oversees the factory As he explained how blossoms become smells—aided by a pedagogical poster tracing the process from raw material (petals) to concrete (a waxy solid) to absolute (a highly concentrated oil that goes directly into many perfumes)—workers dumped sack after sack of roses into a giant metal vat as though they were offloading loot in a heist film the stunning road brings a different kind of sunshine to the French Riviera when the region breaks out in giant brushstrokes of rich yellow As the snow-capped peaks of the Maritime Alps faded into the distance behind me, I followed my guide Maddy Polomeni further along a corridor of golden mimosa blossoms as we hiked towards an abandoned quarry in the Massif de l'Esterel mountain range Although it was the latter end of the flowering season there was still an abundance of blooms along this trail unlike many of the other mimosa circuits higher up in the peaks behind us The correct term for each bud is glomerulus featherlight balls that filled the late February air with the sweet aroma of marzipan "I feel like spring is already here," she said a 130km road trip that starts in Bormes-les-Mimosas and finishes in the perfume-scented town of Grasse in the Cannes hinterland an itinerary best travelled between January and March when the region breaks out in giant brushstrokes of rich yellow Known as wattle in its native south-eastern Australia mimosa was introduced to the French Riviera by British aristocrats who flocked to its resort towns in search of winter sunshine the Acacia dealbata (or silver wattle) they brought in their luggage quickly took to the acidic soils of the French region's mountainous western terrain "Having found the same growing conditions as back in Australia the plant spread," horticulturist Julien Cavatore told me "One of the things I love most about mimosa is that it blooms during a period of the year when you don't get any other flowers," Cavatore said The Route du Mimosa was created in 2002 along existing secondary roads, and while I was surprised to find that it isn't obviously signposted, a brochure is available in local tourist offices (and online) that serves as a guide to the various waypoints and activities Cavatore said that people often ask why there are not "huge forests of mimosa" as they head off from Bormes-les-Mimosas – in fact the landscape is the dusty greens and winter browns typical of the season a showcase of eight towns and villages that have each developed cultural ties to a plant that has become a symbol of winter on the French Riviera where French presidents have vacationed since Charles de Gaulle first visited in 1968 a two-lane road heavy with holidaymakers in search of clean air and sandy beaches in summer but which Bypassing Saint-Tropez for Sainte-Maxime (its low-key but charming neighbour across the bay) the D559 continues past pétanque courts and waterfront restaurants towards the popular resort town of Saint-Raphaël The 30km stretch between Saint-Raphaël and Mandelieu-La Napoule where majestic red ochre rocks tumble into the sparkling Mediterranean Sea below is one to savour: known as the Corniche d'Or the road mimics the twists and turns of the craggy coastline before opening out onto the Bay of Cannes • The return of France's lost lemon • Marseille: France's 'good natured' city • The Hardknott Pass: Britain's wildest road first drew inspiration from the colourful blooms surrounding his kitchen last year creating a mimosa-flavoured macaron that became a menu mainstay during the 2021 flowering period he's added a delicate cake to the seasonal selection I've placed a caramelised peanut inside and finished with a white chocolate ganache," he said Less than 2g of the distilled flower essence is used in each individual pastry yet the bitter-almond and orange-blossom flavours of mimosa are distinct another creation that shows the many possibilities of mimosa will be unveiled," he promised The array of artisanal products that highlight the plant's attributes as a culinary ingredient is steadily increasing In Mandelieu-La Napoule's tourist office a display of locally made mimosa products includes chocolates honey and even a vodka-based liquor called Mimocello the profession of mimosistes – or the people who cultivate mimosa – is at risk of disappearing there were 80 growers working out of Le Capitou whole railroad cars of cut mimosa would leave Cannes and La Napoule for flower markets as far away as Moscow and London the precious blooms placed protectively inside baskets woven from cane and willow mostly growing the flowers in the land around the Massif du Tanneron Tanneron and Pégomas known as the 'Golden Triangle' of mimosa In a quiet cul-de-sac in Pégomas, a village dating from the 16th Century just inland from Mandelieu, I found Cécile Reynaud at La Colline des Mimosas She was busy wrapping bouquets laden with freshly cut branches for a steady stream of passing customers Reynaud is a third-generation mimosiste: her grandmother first planted mimosa to sell to perfumeries in the 1930s supplying more than 100,000 bouquets a year to a mix of individuals and professionals "I'm so infused in mimosa that during the season I stop being able to smell it," she said Mimosistes like Reynaud are masters of their art their ability to manipulate the plant developed over a lifetime of harvests Nowhere is this more evident than in the forcerie – a temperature-controlled room where branches of yet-to-open buds are "forced" into flowering in hot The technique extends both the life of the cut flowers by up to 10 days and the growing season The talent of the mimosiste is knowing exactly how long to leave the flowers in the forcerie – "if we leave it too long there is a point of no return and the flowers fade," she said I drove the short distance through residential neighbourhoods towards Grasse and the rose iris and jasmine gardens that supply perfume houses like Chanel and Dior with their raw product Much of the mimosa currently found in perfumery is synthetic since its pom-poms are so lightweight that the quantity required to extract enough essence is considered too labour-intensive to use its true form But there are hopeful signs this is changing: Reynaud was preparing for a visit the next day from a "grand nez" – a perfumer recognised for their ability to compose scents "Now that Grasse's perfume-making techniques have Unesco World Heritage status there's an increased demand for the area's other flora," she said then Grasse's place as the final stop on this floral route is set to acquire an even greater significance La Route du Mimosa can easily be covered in a day but two days (the average time most people take because the real delights of this southern French road trip are found off the main roads and outside of the car – in the forests greenhouses and kitchens where these tiny rays of winter sunshine have firmly taken root The Open Road is a celebration of the world's most remarkable highways and byways and a reminder that some of the greatest travel adventures happen via wheels Join more than three million BBC Travel fans by liking us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter and Instagram If you liked this story, sign up for the weekly bbc.com features newsletter called "The Essential List". 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Running from Inverness to Britain's most northerly junction, the Far North Line passes through sheep meadows, traditional villages and the world's only Unesco-listed blanket peat bog. the maker of the world’s most famous perfume isn’t about to compromise on luxury to become greener 5 spent two years developing a sustainable cap for perfume bottles with Finland’s Sulapac Oy tossing out 47 prototypes before it was satisfied The result: a biodegradable cap made of 91% plant-based materials with a sleek black look and satiny feel the cap will be used for all 125 milliliter (4.23 fl oz) bottles of the Les Eaux de Chanel collection of fragrances.  Also read: Jo Malone and the scent of resilience including “the unique sound the bottle makes when the cap is put on and the depth of the satiny matte finish on the iconic double C engraving,” according to a press release While an incremental step in tackling global pollution the work’s real value lies in demonstrating that alternatives to fossil-based plastics can be produced at scale Chanel owns a minority stake in the company.  “It’s a message to other industries that sustainable plastic alternatives can meet the most rigorous standards,” she said “The big revolution is that you no longer need to use plastic.” Chanel is soon going to present at the ongoing Paris Fashion Week Hermes and Louis Vuitton are the other biggest names hosting shows in the flesh at one of fashion's biggest diary events of the year "We are overjoyed at their return and the presence of the other big brands," Pascal Morand head of France's Federation for Haute Couture and Fashion The live shows follow similar returns at London Milan and New York fashion weeks this year after much of the designer world moved online last year because of the covid-19 pandemic.  Also read: In Dior world, bright, shiny colours rule Catch all the Business News, Market News, Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates Download the Mint app and read premium stories Log in to our website to save your bookmarks Alpes-Maritimes has a high level of seismic activity Based on data from the past 55 years and our earthquake archive back to 1900 there are about 2,000 quakes on average per year in or near Alpes-Maritimes Alpes-Maritimes has had at least 2 quakes above magnitude 7 since 1900 which suggests that larger earthquakes of this size occur infrequently probably on average approximately every 60 to 65 years Alpes-Maritimes has about 70 quakes of magnitude 2 or higher per year (Mag 3+: 9 quakes per year) The quake had a very shallow depth of 15.4 km (10 mi) and was too small to be felt by people Alpes-Maritimes has had 1 quake of magnitude 2.1 There were also 24 quakes below magnitude 2.0 which people don't normally feel The quake had a very shallow depth of 11.5 km (7 mi) and was not felt (or at least not reported so).