Litsea Cubeba has a bit of a bad reputation owing to the fact that it has a fairly high amount of citronellal — a chemical people often attribute to pest repellant. But the complexity of this very lemony oil makes it a wonderful nuancer and it most definitely deserves a come back. In 1946, Jean Carles created Ma Griffe (1946) for Carven using 1% Citronella oil and 2% Styrallyl Acetate. Replacing the Citronella with Litsea Cubeba makes for a more subtle effect. With around 70% citral, this blends with all members of the citrus family and is a great booster for lemon especially. As it lasts around ten times longer than that oil, it is a perfect solution when you need to prolong lemon into the heart of your fragrance. Origin: IndonesiaVariety: Litsea CubebaPart: BerriesMethod: Steam distillation at source
