The claw

Of the magnolia,

Drunk on its own scents,

Asks nothing of life.

Paralytic, by Sylvia Plath

It’s been a while since I was moved by a fragrance description. But when I saw the photos on Instagram of magnolia flowers with their waxy leaves and curly carpels, and a caption that promised “a unique twist on magnolia,” it grabbed me by the heartstrings and I pretty much had to try Jurassic Flower by Fūm Fragrances. Maybe it’s the inability to travel right now, or even be outside really, that filled me with a longing for this magnolia from the sea. Jurassic Flower was released in June 2020, and the perfumer goes simply by the name of “Miss Layla.”

Since getting remarried three years ago, I’ve come to love the Gulf Coast region of Mississippi and Louisiana. Our wedding was at the most inopportune time (well, now that Covid-19 is ruining everyone’s plans that seems kind of silly to say, but at the time it seemed like there were many obstacles).

My husband had just relocated from out-of-state and was still looking for a job. Both of his elderly parents were going through serious health issues and had to move into a nursing home right before our wedding. We each had a daughter starting college, and we were getting married in August. So we weren’t able to plan a honeymoon that required reservations in advance and flying far from home.

When it turned out that we were able to get away for a short time after the wedding, my husband drove me to New Orleans and Biloxi and we explored all the little coastal towns in between. Going to New Orleans as a “mature” newlywed is quite different from youthful partying days on Bourbon Street. I discovered so many wonderful new things about the city, and the whole Coastal region is just a delight. The gardens, the art, the music, the food….

We’ve kept going back, and branching out all over the Mississippi Delta, up into Louisiana and Mississippi on the Blues Trail. One of the things I always do when I travel is look for the local botanical gardens and garden clubs and “trees with plaques” and the like — I’m definitely a plant tourist. Magnolia trees are everywhere in the South, and we’ve spent a lot of time admiring them. The scent of a magnolia takes me immediately back to happy memories.

After our first trip, I bought Frederic Malle’s Eau de Magnolia by Carlos Benaïm, which I consider the best magnolia soliflore. (I also have a soft spot for my old bottle of Yves Rocher Magnolia, though it’s not as good). Even though I have these, I’m always happy to find a new way to wear my favorite flower, and I was especially excited about a perfume that combined two things that I love about our travels — magnolias and the ocean.

Jurassic Flower Fragrance Review

Jurassic Flower starts out as bergamot, seaweed and grapefruit pith, with just a hint of something camphoreous. There are some murky, sea-green notes in the beginning, but they fade away quickly. As the green sea fantasy falls away, the grapefruit becomes more prominent. Eucalyptus peaks and then fades again. After about 20 minutes, the most metallic parts of neroli show up. Grapefruit remains front-and-center.

It takes a full 90 minutes for anything that my brain registers as “floral” to develop. It’s non-descript and musky, tinged with a saltiness that could be lovely, but burdened by the ever-persistent grapefruitiness which never really subsides. The overall effect of the wearing from start to finish is grapefruit bath bomb.

I found this ever so confusing, because the scent is described as a “Coastal Magnolia Soliflore,” and it’s barely floral. (I had a similar experience with the brand’s scent titled Winter Crocus, which is quite warm and decidedly un-floral). I’m not saying that I would have liked this scent with a different name, but it definitely suffered from my expectations of it being a magnolia perfume. Magnolia was the whole reason I was interested. I like to give people credit for not being too literal, but I still have to be able to relate the final product to a magnolia at the end of the day, and it was too much of a stretch for me personally.

I went to the Fum Fragrance website to try to sort this out. (Warning – on my 27″ monitor, the site’s font requires a magnifying glass to read, YMMV). And I noticed that in the long description of the fragrance, it says “Oversized ancient fruits hang heavy and pendulous against a clear blue sky.” OK, so there’s the mention of fruit. But also, “Sapid exudations of primeval magnolia percolate, absinthal and citrusy. The crisp bitterness of the colossal flowers penetrate the flesh of neighboring mangoes.” Later on, to confuse everything, the fruit is taken away by, “Their fruitless blossoms are burdened by the aching froth of their own nectar.” Also, completely out of left field, “A rhythmic sultry heat forces open virgin jasmine, their petals spreading to give birth to sensuality and new life.”

After reading the description over and over again, and doing an additional full wearing of the fragrance to try to figure out where the mango and jasmine come in, I ended up more confused than ever. (The whole paragraph together is mind-boggling, if read aloud it could be a portal into an alternate reality.) Jurassic Flower smells like grapefruit, which was wholly unexpected. I can’t recommend it as a magnolia perfume, but if you like grapefruit and vaguely aquatic things, you might enjoy this.

Magnolia Fruit (Extra Credit)

In case you were wondering, Magnolia trees do produce a fruit. In the fall, the seed pods of the Southern Magnolia produce bright red berry-like seeds. They’re technically edible (not poisonous), but they don’t taste very good. However — do eat the flower petals which taste much like they smell (strong, sweet, and floral, with a hint of lemon verbena). They’re delicious pickled, chop the pickled petals and use as a garnish on salads and other dishes. Or chop fresh petals and add to honeys, syrups, and desserts. A little goes a long way. The leaves can also be used to flavor soups and other dishes (remove before serving, as you would a Bay leaf).

Jurassic Flower Details

Jurassic Flower is presented as an EdP and available in 15, 30, and 50mL sizes on the Fum Fragrance website.

Notes according to the brand are: distilled California Lemon, Sea Magnolia, Eucalyptus Leaf, Grapefruit Neroli, Bergamot, Bitter Orange Sur Fleurs, Oak Foam, Seaweed Absolute, Mango Blossom, South African Rose Leaf and White Ambergris.

This review is based on a sample which I purchased. This review is unsolicited and unsponsored. This website does not contain ads or use affiliate links.